Mobile network operators have said a £25bn “investment gap” is putting the government’s 5G plans at risk.

Mobile UK, which represents all the major operators – O2, Three, EE and Vodafone – said that while the industry invests around £2bn a year on infrastructure, urgent change in the “investment environment” is required to meet targets.

In a report, the body said the £25bn gap is particularly integral to the roll-out of advanced 5G Standalone networks, which are able to support a higher density of devices, as well as ultra-low-latency use cases. Currently, much of the 5G network relies on modifications to pre-existing 4G towers.

The findings suggest that crucial infrastructure upgrades are too reliant on an under-resourced planning system. There is also “a growing social demand” on the industry – such as providing low tariffs to vulnerable people – that do not receive enough taxpayer support to meet.

The report claims that for every £1 invested by the operators in infrastructure, around...