Telecoms bosses warn of 'increased costs' if Scotland secedes

The chief executives of BT, TalkTalk, 02, Vodafone, EE and Three UK have all put their names to an open letter, in which they promised that the would remain "committed to our employees and operations in Scotland".

However, the telecoms chiefs also cautioned that a "Yes" vote in Thursday's referendum would results in "a number of strategic and operational factors which would need to be resolved for our businesses", including regulation.

"What approach would the government of an independent Scotland take to the radio spectrum - currently licensed on a UK-wide basis - without which mobile networks cannot operate?

"We may also need to modify our networks to reflect the reality of an independent Scotland; and

we may need to consider whether to modify the services offered in Scotland, given its relatively demanding topography and relatively low population density.

"Any of these factors could lead to increased industry costs."

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