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<p>Improving mobile connectivity across the country is a key priority for the Government.
Defra works closely with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) on this,
with a key focus on rural and hard to reach areas. Defra Ministers are directly involved
through meetings with DCMS Ministers and the Digital Implementation Taskforce.</p><p>4G
mobile rollout in the UK has been one of the fastest in Europe; 90% of premises now
have 4G coverage from at least one operator. Two legally binding licence obligations
will help deliver improved mobile coverage across the UK. Telefonica will provide
indoor 4G coverage to 98% of UK premises by the end of 2017. This complements the
obligation on each of the UK’s four mobile network operators to provide voice and
text coverage to at least 90% of UK landmass, also by the end of 2017.</p><p>To facilitate
rollout, the Government is reforming the Electronic Communications Code to make it
cheaper for the industry to provide coverage and is introducing reforms to the planning
regime to allow, amongst other things, taller masts and to enable upgrades of communications
infrastructure.</p>
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