Written by Rachel Martin
Poor mobile phone coverage could soon be a thing of the past as the Government champions a £1 billion deal with the mobile phone industry to banish rural ‘not-spots’.
The Government says its plans for a ‘Shared Rural Network’, which will allow all operators to share phone masts.
It will see UK Mobile Network Operators provide additional coverage to 280,000 homes and businesses and 16,000km of roads.
Digital Secretary Nicky Morgan is supportive of a £530 million proposal from the UK’s mobile network operators for a Shared Rural Network with the potential for it to be matched by £500 million investment from Government.
This deal will be a world-first, with EE, O2, Three and Vodafone all set to invest in a network of new and existing phone masts they would all share.
It follows Government proposals for an overhaul of planning rules and is part of the Prime Minister’s plan to level up the country with world-class digital infrastructure.
The benefits are expected to be felt across all four UK nations, with the greatest coverage improvements in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Digital Secretary Nicky Morgan said: “We are determined to make sure no part of the country is left behind when it comes to mobile connectivity.
“Brokering an agreement for mast sharing between networks alongside new investment in mobile infrastructure will mean people get good 4G signal no matter where they are or which provider they’re with.
“But it is not yet a done deal and I want to see the industry move quickly so we can reach a final agreement early next year.”
Strong competition promotes industry investment in mobile coverage in dense urban areas, but rural areas have fewer potential customers and have not seen the level of investment needed to provide good coverage.
The deal would get the maximum use out of existing and new phone masts by allowing all four operators to host equipment on them.
Under the proposal, the four operators will invest £530 million to open up and share existing masts and infrastructure to close almost all partial not-spots – areas where there is currently only coverage from at least one but not all operators. It would also mean additional mobile coverage for 280,000 premises and 16,000 kilometres of roads.
If the operators agree to meet these ambitions on partial ‘not-spots’, the Digital Secretary Nicky Morgan has pledged that the Government will commit £500 million for areas where there is currently no coverage from any operator.
Government-owned mobile infrastructure built as part of the Emergency Services Network will also be made available to all four operators, taking full advantage of government assets.
This is expected to contribute to the coverage target by delivering up to an additional 2% of geographic coverage per operator, in some of the most remote, rural locations.
Country Land and Business Association (CLA) deputy president Mark Bridgeman said: “We know the countryside has huge potential for job creation and new economic growth, but in order for this to happen we must ensure every community in the country is fully-connected. Today’s news is a big step towards achieving that goal.
“This announcement will be welcomed by everyone who lives or works in the countryside. We have been hugely frustrated at the lack of progress in improving mobile reception to date, but the legal coverage obligations now put on operators to improve the situation, through the delivery of a Single Rural Network, will ensure demonstrable improvements over the next few years for rural communities.”
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