Shared Rural Network brings 4G to national park not-spots

More than 150 Shared Rural Network mast upgrades are now live across national parks and remote areas, extending multi-operator 4G coverage across 5,684 km2.

The government-backed rollout is bringing improved mobile coverage to areas including the Yorkshire Dales, Lake District, Eryri (Snowdonia) and Loch Lomond and The Trossachs.

The upgraded sites use existing infrastructure to extend coverage from EE, Virgin Media O2 and VodafoneThree into areas where customers previously had access only to EE or, in some locations, no usable mobile coverage at all.

A total of 42 Shared Rural Network sites are now active within UK national parks. Of these, 25 are in England, 16 in Wales and one in Scotland.

The government says the wider SRN programme has now achieved its target of extending 4G coverage to 95 per cent of the UK’s landmass, a year ahead of schedule.

The latest rollout is intended to improve connectivity not only for rural residents and businesses but also for millions of visitors to Britain’s national parks.

Improved mobile coverage can allow walkers and tourists to access maps and location services, contact family members and, more importantly, make calls for assistance in remote areas.

For rural businesses, better coverage can also support card payments, online bookings and other services increasingly dependent on mobile connectivity.

Digital minister Ian Murray said: “You should be able to switch off in the countryside without being cut off from the help and services you need.

“These 150 masts are giving walkers, visitors and rural communities better access to signal when they are checking a route, contacting family, running a business or calling for help.”

Digital Poverty Alliance chief executive Elizabeth Anderson said rural communities had been particularly affected as essential services including healthcare, banking and education increasingly moved online.

“This is an important step in recognising the importance of reliable mobile and internet access to keep people connected in remote areas,” she said.

She added that improving coverage was only part of addressing digital exclusion, with access to affordable devices and digital skills remaining important issues.

The Shared Rural Network was agreed between the Government and the UK’s mobile operators to extend 4G coverage into commercially difficult rural areas by combining operator investment with public funding.

While the 95 per cent geographic coverage milestone represents a major landmark for the programme, the remaining five per cent includes some of the most difficult and expensive parts of the UK to connect.