STORY
More than 150 Government funded 4G mast upgrades have gone live across rural parts of the United Kingdom as part of the Shared Rural Network programme. The upgrades are intended to improve mobile coverage in areas where commercial rollout is more difficult and expensive, including parts of the Scottish Highlands, Northumberland, Cumbria, North Wales and Dyfed Powys.
The Government said the additional coverage now extends across more than 5,684 square kilometres and includes areas of the Lake District, Eryri and Exmoor. New figures show 42 Shared Rural Network sites have been activated across national parks, while the Yorkshire Dales and Eryri have each seen mobile coverage increase by around seven percentage points.
The Shared Rural Network has already met its target of extending 4G coverage to 95 per cent of the UK landmass, a year ahead of schedule. The programme will continue until January 2027, with up to 40 further Government funded mast upgrades expected to go live and up to 44 new publicly funded masts planned in Scotland.