UK telecom chiefs warn slow network upgrades may hurt AI race

Telecom executives in the UK have warned that slow infrastructure upgrades could put the country behind in the AI race. AI development currently focuses on data centers, but future data traffic from consumers and businesses will demand better broadband and mobile networks. The UK once faced criticism for the slowest broadband in Europe, and while fiber rollout by companies like Openreach has helped, 5G upgrades remain slow. A report by consumer group Which? says UK mobile coverage lags behind all 27 EU countries and G7 members, ranking 57th globally for network performance and 70th for download speed. Andrea Donà, network chief at Vodafone Three, said he's ashamed of the network quality and stressed the need for change to prepare for AI. Another executive said AI and network integration is still early, but could face similar delays as fiber, eventually hurting UK competitiveness.