Vodafone, SRN Brings 4G in Over 50 Rural Locations

Vodafone and the Shared Rural Network (SRN) are bringing 4G mobile signal to dozens of places across the UK countryside.

Vodafone customers living, working or visiting 57 rural communities and locations across the UK are now receiving 4G as part of Vodafone’s ongoing commitment to the nationwide Shared Rural Network (SRN) programme.

The arrival of Vodafone 4G at sites in locations from the Orkney Islands to Devon means residents, businesses and visitors are now enjoying faster and more reliable data speeds as well as better quality voice calls.

The Shared Rural Network (SRN) programme is a £1bn joint initiative between Government and the UK’s four mobile network operators. The SRN initiative uses mast sharing on existing sites in rural areas where one or more providers, but not all, have coverage. It will also build new shared masts to connect areas that currently have no coverage at all. It will result in a combined cross-operator network reach of 95% of the UK landmass by the end of 2025.

Across the four UK operators, Northern Ireland will see 4G coverage rise to at least 85% of landmass, Scotland will rise to at least 74%, England will rise to 90% and Wales will rise to at least 80%.

Department for Science, Innovation & Technology Minister Julia Lopez said: “The £1 billion Shared Rural Network is a key part of our plan to make patchy mobile phone reception a thing of the past and give people great connectivity wherever they live. Vodafone is working tirelessly to boost 4G coverage in rural areas and it’s great to see the progress being made.

“We are making sure our countryside communities don’t miss out on the speed and efficiency of internet services on the go – from keeping in touch with family to running a business.”

Andrea Dona, UK Network and Development Director for Vodafone said: “Connectivity is vital for everyone, which is why we are continually investing in our network. But connecting rural and hard-to-reach parts of the UK can be difficult and restricted by cost.

“The Shared Rural Network initiative enables the UK network operators to work together, so people living and working in such areas have a choice of network, as well as the connectivity they need to support local businesses and ultimately the wider UK economy.”

The activity builds on the multi-billion pound investment Vodafone has already made to bring 4G coverage to 99% of UK premises. Vodafone is also exploring new mast technologies, such as OpenRAN, which is already starting to support delivery of coverage in a number of rural communities. Meanwhile, cloud-powered apps like MyFarmWeb enable farmers to store and view information gathered through agricultural Internet of Things (IoT) sensors and other data sources in the field.