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<p>The Government wants the UK to have high-quality mobile coverage where people live,
work and travel, and we are committed to extending geographic mobile coverage further
to 95% of the UK, as well as providing an uninterrupted mobile signal on all major
roads.</p><p>Subsequent to the 25 October 2019 announcement, the Government announced
on 9 March that it had agreed a deal with the mobile network operators to deliver
the Shared Rural Network programme. This will see Government and industry jointly
invest to increase 4G mobile coverage throughout the UK to 95% geographic coverage
by the end of 2025.</p><p>While the biggest improvements in coverage arising from
the Shared Rural Network will be in Scotland and Wales, there will be improvements
across all four nations. 4G geographic coverage in England is currently 97% from at
least one operator and 81% from all four operators. As a result of the programme,
this will increase to 98% coverage from at least one operator, and 90% from all four
by the end of 2025.</p><p>Today, 97% of UK premises outdoors are covered by 4G data
services from all operators, while almost all UK premises have 4G data coverage from
at least one operator. The Shared Rural Network will provide guaranteed additional
coverage to 280,000 premises across the UK, both in areas that currently have no coverage
from any operator, and those that have coverage from at least one operator but not
all four. There will also be further indirect improvements over time, including better
indoor coverage in around 1.2m business premises and homes.</p><p>We do not currently
have specific details on the precise impact that the Shared Rural Network will have
on individual communities across the whole of the UK, including those in England.
Exact site deployment plans will be managed by the operators themselves in order for
them to best deliver the agreed coverage outcomes. However, we expect that consumers
will feel the benefit of the programme long before its conclusion and the operators
will consult with communities as roll out plans become clearer.</p><p> </p>
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