The latest phase of a project to improve mobile coverage in rural areas has seen more masts turned on on the North York Moors this week.
30 government-funded mast upgrades have now been activated as part of the Shared Rural Network (SRN) across the UK. It's a programme brokered by the UK government and joint-funded with mobile network operators to improve mobile coverage in rural areas. 21 sites are now live in Wales, five in Scotland and four in England.
Rural towns and villages in the North York Moors National Park are among the latest to benefit from faster, more reliable mobile coverage as the latest government-funded 4G network upgrades were switched on. It means residents, local businesses and community organisations in areas including Helmsley, Harome, Great Edstone and Cold Kirby, can now take advantage of better connectivity.
The boost has been carried out by upgrading existing mobile masts which previously only connected EE customers and anyone making 999 calls, meaning communities can benefit from improved connectivity without the visual impact involved when building new masts.
It will enable residents, tourists and businesses to access reliable 4G coverage from all four mobile network operators – EE, Three, VMO2 and Vodafone – closing the digital divide between urban and rural communities and boosting economic growth across the nations.
Telecoms Minister Sir Chris Bryant said
“For far too long, people living and working in remote places have been battling with poor phone signal.
“It is fantastic to see 30 Government-funded masts being switched on, breaking down digital divides across the UK. Thanks to the Shared Rural Network we are not only improving the quality of life for communities in these remote areas of Britain, but also creating more opportunities for local businesses, boosting tourism, and helping emergency services save lives.”
Ben Roome, CEO of Digital Mobile Spectrum Limited (DMSL) said:
“Since March 2020, when the Shared Rural Network was announced, 4G coverage from all four operators in England has expanded by over 11,000 square kilometres, nearly the size of the West Midlands region. This programme will continue to improve 4G service for people in rural areas as more shared mobile sites go live.”
Since the Shared Rural Network programme began in 2020, an additional 34,000 square kilometres – an area roughly double the size of Northern Ireland or 4.6 million football pitches – are receiving coverage from all four operators, EE, Three, VMO2 and Vodafone.
Through the SRN programme, the UK government and the UK’s four mobile network operators aim to provide 4G coverage to an additional 280,000 premises and 16,000km of the UK’s roads.
The programme also aims to improve 4G geographic coverage to 79% of Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, up from 51% before the programme launched, and 74% of National Parks up from 41%, benefitting millions of visitors every year.
The UK government is investing £184 million to upgrade Extended Area Service (EAS) masts to provide coverage from all four mobile operators. Currently, commercial coverage from EAS masts is only available from EE – the operator responsible for the Emergency Services Network.
Mobile operators have also invested over £500 million to target ‘partial not spots’, where customers can only access 4G if they are signed up with a mobile network operator that is active in the area. This part of the programme has already delivered significant coverage improvements across the UK, including in the areas of Shetland, Yorkshire, Fermanagh and Devon.
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