Are regulators prepared for the “end of telecoms history”?

In his new book, Webb argues that as data consumption is slowing and the broadband speeds offered to most people are now good enough, the telecoms industry has reached a turning point.

Indicative of this is mobile data traffic growth, which has dropped by around six per cent every year. While traffic is still growing, the rate of growth is consistently falling. Unconvinced by promises of future use cases, Webb says he is confident it will flatline in the coming years, well before 2030.

In our latest podcast episode, we consider the implications of this new situation for mobile operators (MNOs) and regulators alike. William says it’s not all doom and gloom for the mobile industry, which he says could transform into a lighter and more “streamlined” operation.

Webb also touches on how regulators should approach this “new reality”. When it comes to the upper 6 GHz band, a sharing approach might be best. He also makes the radical argument that mobile operators might not need any more spectrum by the time 6G begins to emerge.

Listen to the new podcast below. You can also find it on all major podcast platforms.