The NFU has welcomed the improvements this will bring to how farmers operate their businesses as well as helping to ensure safety in isolated areas, but cautioned that landowners who host these masts must be fully consulted and fairly compensated.
The increased coverage is predicted to bring outdoor 4G signal coverage from all mobile networks to over 4,000 square kilometres of the UK and is being rolled out through the Shared Rural Network – a joint programme between the government and the UK's mobile network operators EE, Virgin Media O2 and VodafoneThree.
“Any initiative that helps improve mobile coverage in rural areas must be welcomed, particularly at Christmas when many people will feel alone.”
NFU Vice-president Rachel Hallos
The NFU has been lobbying the government to ensure that the SRN (Shared Rural Network) delivers effective coverage across rural spaces and eliminates the total not-spots. We welcome the improvements to coverage through the SRN allowing for those in the most remote areas to utilise services that were previously not an option, especially for farm safety and mental health concerns.
Poor connectivity holds back businesses
Responding to the news, NFU Vice-president Rachel Hallos said: “Reliable mobile coverage is essential for running efficient, productive farming businesses and ensuring safety in some of the most isolated parts of the country. So, any initiative that helps improve mobile coverage in rural areas must be welcomed, particularly at Christmas when many people will feel alone.
“The NFU’s last digital access survey revealed that only 22% of our members have reliable mobile signal across their entire farm, while nearly one out of ten respondents have no 4G or 5G access.
“Although this latest push to upgrade mobile phone masts will make a real difference, we must remember those landowners who host mobile phone masts on farm. It’s important that they are fully consulted and fairly and sufficiently compensated.
“Poor connectivity has continued to hold back the full potential of British farming. Rural businesses, families and communities deserve the same opportunities as everyone else – and that starts with being properly connected.”
The NFU continues to call for the government to prioritise completing the Shared Rural Network to ensure all rural communities get a reliable mobile signal while fibre rollout continues. The programme is due to continue until 2027.
For more information on the Shared Rural Network, visit: srn.org.uk.
