Phone companies fall behind on 4G roll-out to rural areas

Government plans to achieve decent 4G mobile phone coverage in rural areas are unlikely to be delivered on time, a new report from the National Audit Office (NAO) has found.

In March 2020, the government joined forces with the “big four” mobile network operators to launch the Shared Rural Network, with the aim of achieving 95% 4G mobile coverage across the whole of the UK by December 2025.

See also: Farm groups welcome £1bn rural mobile coverage deal

According to the NAO report, by the autumn of 2023, the total area covered had reached 92.7%, with only EE having met its interim target.

The companies offered a number of reasons for being behind schedule, including delays in finalising mast locations and opposition from local campaign groups.

The cost of the programme has also risen significantly.

“As a result of cost pressures, mobile network operators may no longer be able to deliver the level of coverage required within the current funding, which includes £501m of government funding and £532m of private sector funding – £1.03bn in total,” said an NAO statement.

“If costs are excessive, operators may not be obliged to meet individual targets, further risking the overall ambition to achieve 95% mobile coverage across the UK landmass.”

Condemned 

The slippage in the timetable for wider 4G mobile phone coverage has been condemned by landowners and farmers.

Country Land and Business Association (CLA) president Victoria Vyvyan said: “As ever, the needs of rural communities are being ignored.

“Today’s National Audit Office report recognises the CLA’s ongoing concern that mobile network operators will not be able to meet the deadlines set by government.

“This failure simply perpetuates the ongoing rural-urban digital divide, holding rural businesses back and hitting economic growth.”

Liberal Democrat media spokesperson Jamie Stone agreed that rural communities were being “left in the connectivity slow lane”.

“If ministers were serious about levelling up, they would start by boosting mobile phone connections and banishing signal black spots across the countryside,” he said.