Chief Executive Officers of six of UK’s biggest telecoms companies have come together to warn the public of a potential price rise in case Scotland votes Yes in favor of independence.
An open letter signed by BT Group’s Gavin Patterson, Talk Talk Group’s Dido Harding, Telefonica UK’s Ronan Dunne, Vodafone UK’s Jeroen Hoencamp, EE’s Olaf Swantee, and Three UK’s David Dyson warns a “Yes” vote in Thursday’s Scotland referendum is likely to result in “a number of strategic and operational factors which would need to be resolved for our businesses.”
As per the joint statement the cost of landlines, mobile phones and internet services across Scotland will potentially rise in the event of a yes vote.
The letter stresses that as cost of installing broadband cables or mobile phone masts in Scotland, currently subsidized by the rest of the UK, are already higher considering the distances involved, an independent Scotland would lead to a separate pricing structure thereby resulting in a rise in overall costs.
The letter said “We would need to know how a Scottish telecoms industry would be regulated. Would there be continuity with the current European Union regulatory framework so that we would continue to operate across the border with common infrastructure under a single set of rules?
“What approach would the government of an independent Scotland take to the radio spectrum – currently licensed on a UK-wide basis – without which mobile networks cannot operate?
“Any of these factors could lead to increased industry costs.”
The operators claim that in case Scotland becomes independent, they will be required to modify the management of their networks and how services are delivered in the country which could lead to price rises.
“We may need to consider whether to modify the services offered in Scotland, given its relatively demanding topography and relatively low population density. Any of these factors could lead to increased industry costs,” the open letter reads.
The firms said no matter what the outcomes of the referendum is they will remain committed to provide and invest in high-quality, affordable services to all of their customers in the UK.
