Wireless Telegraphy Act 2006 (Directions to OFCOM) (Revocation) Order 2026

Viscount Camrose Excerpts

Tuesday 7th July 2026 Grand Committee

[Viscount Camrose (Con)]

My Lords, I too thank the Minister for her introduction. This is indeed a short and straightforward instrument, but certainly one worth a little bit of careful thought because of its real strategic importance. As we have heard, the Government propose to revoke the 2010 directions to Ofcom. The directions were originally issued to support the release of additional spectrum for next-gen mobile broadband. The directions have now served their purpose, and the Government, completely plausibly, argue that they are redundant.

Certainly, on the face of it, this revocation is sensible. The 2010 framework was designed for a very specific moment in the evolution of mobile networks. The market has moved on, Ofcom’s regulatory toolkit has matured, and spectrum management now operates under a more flexible and market-driven regime. Removing obsolete directions is, in principle, good housekeeping.

However, it is worth briefly pausing to consider and to put a couple of questions. Spectrum is a national strategic asset. The stability and predictability of the regulatory environment underpinned billions of pounds of private investment, and the balance of responsibility between Ministers and Ofcom must, of course, be handled with care.

I will put two questions to the Minister. First, how does this revocation sit within the Government’s wider spectrum strategy? The questions posed by the noble Lord, Lord Clement-Jones, were absolutely right in this respect. The UK faces increasing pressure on spectrum availability, from 5G and 6G deployment, satellite services, defence requirements and emerging industrial uses. Removing a set of directions is tidy, but more broadly, do the Government have a long-term strategic plan for spectrum allocation, resilience and competitiveness? If so, how does the instrument fit into that strategic plan?

Secondly, what assurances can the Minister give that revocation will not inadvertently reduce investment certainty? The 2010 directions were introduced precisely to give operators confidence during a period of rapid technological transition. We must ensure that today’s decision does not create ambiguity at a time when the UK needs sustained private investment in digital infrastructure.

Of course, we do not oppose the instrument, but we ask the Government to demonstrate that revocation is part of a coherent strategy, not simply administrative pruning. Ofcom must have the clarity it needs, operators must have the certainty they expect, and Parliament must have confidence that spectrum policy is being managed with foresight rather than drift. I look forward to the Minister’s response.

[Baroness Lloyd of Effra (Lab)]

I thank noble Lords and the Committee for their support for this housekeeping measure to remove an obsolete direction. The direction was fully implemented and cast for its time. As noble Lords have indicated, technology has moved forward, as indeed has the state of mobile coverage and other investment.

The noble Lord, Lord Clement-Jones, specifically asked, “Why now?” We want to ensure that obsolete regulations are not in place. We have heard from the market that there is a possibility that having active obsolete regulations could provide a lack of clarity and could potentially lead to legal challenge. That is why we want to make this move now. Ofcom last revised annual fees last year and new ones are envisaged in the next year, so we are doing it now to provide clarity before then.

On the framework for spectrum, I heartily agree with the points that the noble Viscount, Lord Camrose, and the noble Lord, Lord Clement-Jones, made about the importance of spectrum. We designated an updated statement of strategic priorities in April this year; it set out our priorities across telecoms, the Post Office and, of course, spectrum, including the Government’s policy direction to Ofcom for spectrum. It touched on a number of the important matters that noble Lords have raised, including the importance of growth, innovation and the multiple uses of spectrum. This is very much a housekeeping matter in the context of that wider discussion, and it will have no impact other than that. It supports a clear and coherent framework for spectrum management, and it gives certainty to the regulators and the industry.

On certainty for investment, investment is currently at high levels. For example, the investments being made by mobile phone companies in stand-alone 5G are significant. It is being commercially led and there is committed investment in that area, such that Ofcom reports that, as of January 2026, stand-alone 5G was available outside 93% of premises across the UK—an increase of 10 percentage points since July 2025. The stability and certainty of that regulatory framework is indeed important. With that, I commend the instrument to the Committee.