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eBay says mobile broadband speeds holding back economy
More consumers would make purchases via mobile devices if data download speeds were faster, eBay has argued.
The auction site has published a mobile manifesto designed to persuade policymakers and the industry to help out the UK's "burgeoning" mobile-powered economy.
Ofcom, the telecoms industry watchdog, has been urged by eBay to work as quickly as possible towards deploying super-fast 4G mobile broadband services in 2013.
The publication of the manifesto came as research commissioned by the online retailer showed 45 per cent of consumers are dissatisfied with the mobile data download speeds they are able to receive.
Some 73 per cent of respondents would spend more money via mobile devices if optimised websites were available, while 68 per cent expressed doubts about the safety of sending personal details via this platform.
Two-thirds believe this latter issue should be addressed by network operators and around the same amount feel the responsibility lies with banks and payment providers.
The research, conducted by retail expert Verdict, also claimed improvements to mobile broadband coverage should be focused on transport routes, as 36 per cent of consumers already shop on mobile devices while on the move.
Miriam Lahage, vice president of global fashion at eBay, said: "The mobile economy is proving resilient as people increasingly see owning and using a mobile phone as an essential expense, despite cutting back in other areas.
"At eBay in the UK we now see around ten per cent of sales by value transacted on mobile devices, but we need the right infrastructure in the UK to match this demand."
Ofcom has been tasked with managing the auction of the 800MHz and 2.6GHz spectrum bands that will be used for 4G services, but has been forced to delay the sell-off until the fourth quarter of 2012.
It is believed consumers will not be able to take advantage of super-fast mobile broadband speeds until late 2013 at the earliest.