On 20 December 2010, the Government directed Ofcom to revise the coverage obligation specified in the current 3G licences should the Licensee request a variation to the term of their licence. The key requirements of the revised obligation are that by 20 June 2013, the licensee must provide an electronic communications network:
that is capable of providing mobile telecommunications services to an area within which at least 90% of the population of the UK lives (this represents an increase from the existing 80% population coverage obligation in the current licences); and with a 90% probability that users in outdoor locations within that area can receive the service with a sustained downlink speed of not less than 768 kbps in a lightly loaded cell.
Ofcom has worked with mobile network operators to reach a consensus regarding a coverage obligation verification methodology.