Juliette Garside (Report, 16 March) suggests George Osborne could have got £3bn more than he did selling the 4G spectrum. Whatever the benefit to the public purse it was always a myth that the public would benefit from this sale since whatever was paid for 4G by the operators would be passed on to their customers in the form of higher bills. Using this revenue to keep petrol increases down would simply shift a Treasury revenue-raising impact from car drivers to smartphone users.
Stephen Barker
Napton, Warwickshire
• The 4G auction was never designed to maximise income. Ofcom's auction was structured to ensure strong competition and efficient use of mobile spectrum, and that is exactly what it has achieved. Five companies acquired spectrum for 4G services, which will deliver greater value to consumers, businesses and the economy than any short-term revenues.
Graham Louth
Director of spectrum markets, Ofcom