Ofcom has approved a request by all five of the UK's primary mobile operators ( Vodafone , O2 , Orange , T-Mobile and Three (3) ) to increase the maximum in-band power limit for 3G mobile spectrum licences from 62dBm per carrier to 65dBm. The move could improve voice capacity, Mobile Broadband internet data throughput and in-building signal availability.

The increase, which will also apply to future 2GHz MSS/CGC licences (used by the ground-based component of mobile Satellite services), would only affect base transmit power in the Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) portion of the 3G spectrum.

Ofcom claims that in practice this will have no adverse effect on the operation of services in adjacent spectrum bands. Indeed it had sought to push the figure even higher, to 68dBm, although most mobile operators rejected this because they had only planned for a rise to 65dBm.

It is necessary to point out that Ofcom's decision does not affect all future 3G and 4G allocations, such as for 900MHz and 1800MHz, which will be subject to separate considerations.