In a move to pacify irate mobile broadband customers, the likes of O2, Vodafone, Virgin Media, 3, Orange and T-Mobile have spoken out as one voice via the Mobile Broadband Group (MBG). This is an industry association which includes the vast majority of mobile broadband providers in the UK and is in effect the mouthpiece of the sector. So what is going on?
It is no secret that many mobile broadband customers have been both disappointed by speeds available and customer service standards in some areas of the industry. However, the MBG has now come together to agree Best Practice Broadband Guidelines for those operating in the sector. This will allow customers to compare like-for-like, review regular reports and also make the sector much more transparent to consumers.
While there’s no doubt that mobile broadband is the future, many in the UK believe the service has yet to really take off amid some disappointment that the hype has not been met in practice. In many ways the technology is slightly behind the headline services available which has resulted in significant disappointment with some packages and some mobile broadband providers. The co-operation between the major mobile broadband providers via the MBG offers a very useful chance to communicate directly with consumers as one voice and address their concerns across the sector.