Government plans to expand mobile mast rent reductions

The UK government is proposing significant changes to telecoms land leases that could affect more than 15,000 mobile phone mast sites across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, sparking concerns from landowners and industry groups.

Under Part 2 of the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure (PSTI) Act, telecoms operators may be allowed to rewrite lease renewal agreements signed before 2017, potentially imposing retrospective rent cuts and overriding existing contracts without compensation.

These proposals build on the 2017 reforms to the Electronic Communications Code (ECC), which replaced market-value rents with a “no-scheme” valuation model.

See also: End of analogue phones – what it means for rural communities

While aimed at speeding up 5G rollout and reducing costs, the ECC reforms slashed some mast rents by up to 90%, causing widespread disputes and damaging relationships between operators and landowners, particularly in rural areas.

A report by the Social Market Foundation found that since 2017 legal disputes over mast rents have surged, with more than 1,000 tribunal cases compared to just 33 in the three decades prior.

As land in the countryside makes up a large amount of these sites, farmers and landowners are bearing the brunt of these changes.

Many farmers and landowners have withdrawn sites due to unsustainable rent cuts and legal costs.

The NFU, alongside other organisations including the Country Land and Business Association and the British Property Federation, have warned that extending these changes risks exacerbating the problem.

“The 2017 reforms have actively discouraged landowners from hosting mobile infrastructure, slowing deployment and undermining Britain’s growth prospects,” said a joint letter from the NFU and coalition partners sent last month to Lord Livermore, financial secretary to the Treasury.

The letter urged the government to pause implementation and conduct a thorough review, highlighting that the UK currently ranks 30th out of 39 countries for 5G availability.

Mast rents plummet

Rents have fallen dramatically, with examples including a church in West Yorkshire losing 93% of its mast rent and a Wiltshire farm seeing a 95% cut.

The NFU estimates landowners lose about £209m/year under the current model. The government’s consultation on the PSTI changes runs until July 2025.

Industry leaders are calling for a rethink to ensure the 5G rollout is accelerated fairly, without further penalising landowners or risking stalled investment and poor rural connectivity.

AP Wireless has launched its own survey on the changes, which is open until 30 June.