Inflated prices charged for use of the Airwave network

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About The Claim

Radio communications network services used by emergency services staff are essential to protect the safety of the general public in Great Britain.

Airwave operates a bespoke, integrated network which is used to supply emergency radio communication services for organisations involved in public safety in Great Britain, including fire, police and ambulance services, as well as other organisations such as local authorities, charities and some private companies. Motorola's Airwave Network is the sole provider of these services in the market - no other alternative exists.

The claim, being brought as a collective proceedings action against the Motorola group, alleges that Airwave abused its dominant position in the market for the supply of radio communications network services for public safety and ancillary services in Great Britain, by charging purchasers (or contributors to the purchase) of Airwave Services excessive and unfair prices between 1 January 2020 and 31 July 2023. The claim seeks to compensate these entities for losses suffered as a result of Airwave's anti-competitive conduct during this period.

Airwave's anti-competitive conduct has already been the subject of a full market investigation by the UK's competition regulator (the Competition and Markets Authority – CMA), which concluded last year that Airwave was able to set and maintain prices substantially higher than the competitive level in the market, through its considerable market power which "locked in" customers in the absence of any alternative options. The CMA estimated that Airwave could therefore be expected to make excessive profits of approximately £1.27 billion between 2020 and 2029. That is equivalent to overcharging purchasers by almost £200 million per year.

Find out more about the claim here.