EE, Three extend UK rural mobile coverage
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Editor
| 15 December 2022
The latest part of the UK government’s Shared Rural Network (SRN) initiative to extend coverage in rural areas across the UK has seen operators EE and Three UK make significant extensions to their footprints.
EE SRN 4G 14Dec2022
In the latest expansion of its 4G coverage across remote parts of the UK, BT-owned EE has amounted that it has now built or upgraded over 500 4G sites since December 2021, upgrading 1362 sites since the SRN deal was signed in March 2020, to bring improved connectivity to each UK nation. EE plans to deliver around 900 more upgrades to rural areas of the UK by 2024, with each home nation receiving additional coverage.

“BT is committed to ensuring that even the most remote areas of the country are connected,” commented BT Group chief executive Philip Jansen. “Despite a challenging economic environment, we’re continuing to invest in rural infrastructure to achieve that. EE’s 4G has expanded by 500 square miles over the past year and we continue to be the sole provider of mobile services in many areas of the UK.”

Meanwhile, Three UK has commenced building on its first joint site in the rural coverage programme, aiming to transform connectivity for residents and businesses on the Isle of Mull.
The new site is one of 66 sites across the Argyll and Bute region and is designed to deliver 4G connectivity as part of the SRN programme. It aims to increase geographic coverage from 56% of Scotland’s landmass to at least 72% by 2024, said by Three UK to be the largest SRN commitment among the home nations. The new site is expected to be live in early 2023 and will also deliver connectivity to Vodafone and O2 customers as part of an agreement that will see each operator build 74 shared sites.

Three UK will start construction on two further sites in Argyll and Bute and Aberdeenshire before Christmas as it ramps up its programme of improvements in Scotland. As part of the wider SRN programme, work is underway across all home nations, with 51 new sites already live.

“Mobile connectivity is absolutely critical for communities in every part of the UK, helping to support the local economy and keeping people connected with their friends and family,” remarked Three UK chief network officer Iain Milligan. “I am proud that Three is leading the way by delivering the first of these shared sites in the Scottish Isles where I believe it will have a transformative effect on coverage.”