A new type of cordless phone that operates like a standard household DECT phone – but with a much greater range – is now on sale from Leeds telecom company Rocom and is being aimed at farmers.

Existing cordless phones operate well within a house and can often work in the garden, but the Rocom unit has a much greater range of 2km. That means it could potentially be used around the farmyard and buildings and the company says that the signal is strong enough to penetrate through six floors.

You’ll still need a mobile phone for longer-distance communication, but the Rocom unit doesn’t rack up call charges and is quicker to connect each time you make a call than a mobile. The base unit costs £396 and extra handsets that act as walkie talkies independently of the base station can be added for £270.