New BT Study Reveals £230 bn Economic Upside from Nationwide High-Capacity Mobile Rollout

New BT Study Reveals £230 bn Economic Upside from Nationwide High-Capacity Mobile Rollout

(IN BRIEF) BT Group’s report, created with Assembly Research, finds that a fully resilient, high-capacity mobile network could contribute up to £230 billion to the UK economy by 2035, with tangible gains in transport productivity, rural development, urban services, and energy grid modernisation. Key recommendations include reforming planning laws and dramatically expanding spectrum access to support accelerated deployment of 5GSA. The analysis quantifies sector-specific benefits—£12 billion from rail, £45 billion from autonomous vehicles, £3 billion for rural areas, £26 billion from drones, £9.5 billion in media—and highlights additional returns from improved downtime resilience and energy infrastructure upgrades.

(PRESS RELEASE) LONDON, 14-Jul-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — BT Group today unveils a landmark economic analysis showing that a robust, nationwide high-capacity mobile network could generate up to £230 billion in economic gains by 2035, alongside significant social and environmental dividends across the UK. Commissioned from Assembly Research, the report—“Driving Growth: The £230 bn Opportunity of Improved Mobile Networks”—urges the UK Government to expedite mobile rollout through planning reform and vastly expanded spectrum availability, ensuring businesses and consumers alike benefit from next-generation connectivity to drive growth and innovation.

The study demonstrates that comprehensive 5G standalone (5GSA) coverage alone could unlock over £88 billion in increased output by enabling widespread adoption of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning. Enhanced network capacity—delivering dedicated bandwidth and premium service levels—promises transformative impacts across key sectors:

• Transport: Expanding rail connectivity could boost productivity by £12 billion by 2035, while full-road coverage may unlock a £45 billion opportunity by facilitating autonomous vehicle deployment.
• Rural Communities: Upgrading 4G and 5GSA reach in remote areas could inject up to £3 billion into the rural economy over the next decade.
• Urban Services: Beyond the £88 billion from digital technologies, greater 5G coverage might add £26 billion through accelerated drone integration and a further £9.5 billion for broadcasting, digital advertising, and consumer media sectors.

The report also highlights that improving mobile reliability could make backup connectivity solutions more attractive to businesses—doubling their uptake could recover approximately £7.9 billion in lost productivity by minimising downtime. Moreover, modernising the energy grid with resilient mobile links could yield an additional £37 billion in benefits.

Howard Watson, BT Group’s Chief Security and Networks Officer, commented, “As the UK’s largest network investor, we’ve poured billions into extending coverage nationwide. Yet, surging demand and modest retail pricing require new public-private collaboration. Reforming planning regulations and freeing up spectrum are essential steps to unlock the next wave of private investment and deliver the powerful, secure networks Britain needs.”

Matthew Howett, Founder and CEO of Assembly Research, added, “Our modelling underscores the vast economic potential of enhanced mobile coverage—from smoother rail journeys to reduced outage downtime and the uptake of emerging technologies. For policymakers pursuing economic growth, prioritising mobile connectivity investment represents a high-return strategy for the entire UK.”

About this study

BT Group commissioned Assembly to model the economic and/or social benefits to the UK that could be delivered by addressing low mobile network quality through different investment options including improvements to road and rail coverage, improved network resilience, and improved coverage and capacity in rural areas.

About Assembly

Founded in 2017, Assembly is an independent, London-based analyst firm providing custom and subscription-based research on regulatory, policy and legislative developments that affect communications markets and the wider digital economy. For more information visit assemblyresearch.co.uk

About BT Group

BT Group is the UK’s leading provider of fixed and mobile telecommunications and related secure digital products, solutions and services. We also provide managed telecommunications, security and network & IT infrastructure services to customers across 180 countries.

BT Group consists of three customer-facing units: Consumer serves individuals and families in the UK; Business covers companies and public services in the UK and internationally; Openreach is an independently governed, wholly owned subsidiary wholesaling fixed access infrastructure services to its customers – over 700 communications providers across the UK.

British Telecommunications plc is a wholly owned subsidiary of BT Group plc and encompasses virtually all businesses and assets of the BT Group. BT Group plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange.

For more information, visit www.bt.com/about

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SOURCE: British Telecommunications