New laws to wipe out rural mobile ‘not spots’

The government is proposing law changes to improve connectivity for people who live, work and travel in rural areas, including taller masts.

The government says that the reforms will remove one of the biggest barriers to better coverage in the countryside by reducing build time and costs for new infrastructure while protecting rural areas by minimising any visual impact.

As such, mobile companies will be allowed to make new and existing masts up to five metres taller and two metres wider than current rules permit, thereby increasing the range of masts and allowing operators to fit more equipment on them so they can be more easily shared.

The plans also include proposals to bring better mobile coverage for road users by allowing building-based masts to be placed nearer to highways.

The move will turbocharge the delivery of the £1 billion Shared Rural Network being built to eliminate 4G mobile ‘not spots’ in the countryside and will speed up rollout of next-generation 5G networks.

Most new masts will still need to be approved by local authorities, which will have a say on where they are placed and their appearance. Robust conditions and limits will remain in place to make sure communities and stakeholders are properly consulted and the environment is protected. Stricter rules will also apply in protected areas, including national parks, the Broads, conservation areas, areas of outstanding natural beauty and world heritage sites.

Digital Secretary Oliver Dowden said: “We want to level up the country and end the plague of patchy and poor mobile signals in rural communities. Today we are setting out plans to make it easier for mobile firms to transform connectivity in the countryside and propel villages and towns out of the digital dark ages - providing a welcome boost for millions of families, businesses and visitors. These practical changes strike a careful balance between removing unnecessary barriers holding back better coverage, while making sure we protect our precious landscape.”