UK risks falling behind in global AI race as 5G network upgrades lag every G7 rival, executives warn

Senior telecoms executives are warning that planning delays and a sluggish 5G rollout could leave Britain's networks overwhelmed by AI-driven demand at the very moment the technology is poised to spread across the entire economy. The UK ranks 57th globally for network performance and 70th for download speeds — trailing all 27 EU member states and every other G7 nation. Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey has separately described AI and robotics as a "critical source" of the faster productivity growth Britain urgently needs. Patchy mobile coverage risks making the situation worse as mass AI adoption draws closer.

Bailey told Bloomberg TV at the Jackson Hole conference that the UK needs faster productivity growth and AI is critical to delivering it.

'Things are going to change massively in two or three years when AI is integrated into everything,' one senior executive warned.