The Consumer Panel advised:

"In our consultations with mobile operators and others they have said that current 2G coverage is at its commercially economic limit and is unlikely to be significantly extended and that 3G and 4G services are unlikely to extend significantly beyond the current 2G footprint without some intervention to impose more stringent coverage conditions or to fund increased coverage in commercially unattractive areas.

....

None of the £22bn raised by the [previous] 3G auction was used to provide improved coverage for consumers. We believe that, this time around, significant sums should be set aside from the windfall to the Treasury to provide coverage benefits to consumers and citizens.

In the recent Parliamentary debate on this issue, a figure of 1400 new base stations at an approximate cost of £250m was mentioned as a means of achieving 98% coverage. This would require verification but we consider that a sum of money of at least this order is necessary to provide satisfactory coverage at this level. The sum required, although large, will be small in comparison with the overall revenue generated by the auction."