There is no doubt that if you look back to where we were a year ago, we were discussing the depth of economic -- the depth of job loss.

WHITEHOUSE: Press Briefing

But a DTI spokesman said the licence boundaries had been drawn up after in-depth economic and market studies.

BBC: Wireless broadband plans attacked

"It has started taking a more realistic view, given the depth of the economic contraction, " says World Bank economist Kawai Masahiro.

CNN: FROM BAD TO WORSE