Farmers look to abandon phone mast contracts after rent cuts
© Adobe Stock More than one-third of UK landowners hosting mobile masts may exit agreements, as government plans to extend rent-slashing reforms.
A survey of more than 500 site providers, carried out by telecom operator APWireless in June 2025, found that 35% are actively considering withdrawing from agreements due to sharp rent cuts, legal pressure from telecoms operators, and a breakdown in trust.
See also: Government plans to expand mobile mast rent reductions
“This is a clear warning for ministers,” said Thomas Evans, executive vice-president at APWireless.
“Schools, hospitals, councils and farmers all host masts – and many are now prepared to walk away.
“If these proposals go ahead, thousands of sites that support mobile coverage for millions of households could be lost.”
The concerns stem from changes to the Electronic Communications Code (ECC) in 2017, which replaced market rents with a quasi-compulsory purchase model.
Since then, landlords have reported rent reductions of up to 90%, triggering more than 1,000 legal disputes.
The government is now considering expanding this model to 15,000 more sites under the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act, with a decision expected in the coming weeks.
Victoria Vyvyan, president of the Country Land and Business Association, said many landowners don’t want to pull out of their agreements, but feel like they have little choice.
She added: “As this survey shows, the behaviour of the mast operators has put the UK’s 5G rollout under threat.”
NFU vice-president Rachel Hallos echoed this:
“It’s concerning that a significant number of site providers are considering walking away… given what has been reported by our members in terms of rent decreases, behaviours and the disturbance that hosting a mast site can cause.”
With only 23% of respondents saying they are very likely to renew their agreements, and most leases pre-dating 2017 now facing possible downgrades, rural leaders are urging ministers to review the policy before national connectivity targets are compromised.