Digital Economy Bill: Networks and porn sites face fines
If the bill is passed, Ofcom would be able to fine mobile networks a maximum £20,000 a day, up to a total sum of £2m, if they fail to hit agreed service goals.
The regulator has suggested this would give it "more flexibility in our important work to manage and ensure optimal use of spectrum".
"At the moment, when a provider breaches its licence, in most cases our only sanction is to remove the licence completely, or launch criminal proceedings," a spokesman said.
"The bill would allow Ofcom alternatively to impose financial penalties, which may in some cases be a more proportionate means of securing compliance."
Age checks
The law also proposes creating a separate age-verification regulator, which will be told to publish guidelines about how sites should ensure their users are aged 18 or older.
It says this body should be able to fine pornographers up to £250,000 if they fail to comply.
Details of how this would work in practice have still to be determined.
But the bill states that the watchdog would be able to alert credit cards and other payment providers as well as other companies providing a service to the sites in cases where it cannot persuade their owners to comply.