Britain’s biggest mobile network operators have warned ministers they may be forced to ration access to phone signals and introduce surge pricing at peak times, as the war in Iran sends wholesale energy costs spiralling and Whitehall shuts the sector out of its flagship industrial support package.
In a pointed intervention to Government, VodafoneThree, Virgin Media O2 and BT-owned EE have confirmed they are drawing up emergency contingency plans to manage ballooning electricity bills, after being pointedly omitted from the Chancellor’s British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme (BICS).
Among the measures being modelled behind closed doors are the throttling of data speeds, restricting access during periods of high demand, and charging customers a premium at peak times, a move that would mark a significant departure from the all-you-can-eat tariffs that have dominated the British mobile market for more than a decade.
Voice calls and mobile data are expected to bear the brunt of any rationing, though fixed-line broadband services could also be affected. Senior industry figures have further cautioned that relentless cost pressures could see 5G rollout plans shelved, with jobs either cut outright or shifted overseas.
Frustration is running deep in the industry following Rachel Reeves’s announcement last week that 10,000 manufacturers would see their electricity bills cut by up to 25 per cent under BICS. Although the measures are not due to take effect until April 2027, telecoms bosses argue that their sector, classed as critical national infrastructure, has an equally compelling case for state intervention.
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