UK government activates 150 rural 4G mobile mast upgrades

The UK government has announced that 150 publicly funded 4G mobile broadband mast upgrades are now live through the Shared Rural Network (SRN) project. This initiative, which combines £501 million in public funding with £532 million in private investment, aims to improve connectivity in remote areas where commercial rollout is difficult.

The upgrades cover more than 5,684 square kilometres, specifically targeting iconic hiking landscapes such as the Lake District, Snowdonia (Eryri), and Exmoor. These improvements allow multiple operators, including EE, Virgin Media O2, Vodafone, and Three UK, to provide coverage in areas that previously had limited or no access. The Yorkshire Dales and Eryri have seen coverage increases of approximately 7 percentage points.

The SRN project is currently working toward a second target to reduce ‘Total Not-Spot’ areas by January 2027. To protect scenic environments, the upgrades are being delivered through existing infrastructure.