Press Release | 09 Mar 2023

Vodafone’s reliable 4G now in over 50 rural locations

photo of Vodafone UK's first Shared Rural Network mast

Vodafone and the Shared Rural Network 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%.

Customers and businesses in rural Scotland benefit from mobile upgrades as Virgin Media O2 and Vodafone collaborate to tackle signal not-spots

Traquair in Peeblesshire and Balmacara in Ross-shire have benefited from a partnership between Vodafone, Virgin Media O2, the Shared Rural Network and the Scottish Government.
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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.”

Vodafone connects Welsh village with UK’s first Shared Rural Network site

Devauden, a small village in the Wye Valley, Wales, is the first rural community to receive new mobile coverage under the £1bn programme.
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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.

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Notes to editors

The improvements are located across:

Vodafone and the Shared Rural Network are bringing 4G mobile signal to many more rural locations across the UK.

Scotland

Four sites across Tarbert, Argyll
Four sites across the Isle of Harris
Three sites across the Isle of Mull
Selkirk, Scottish Borders
Invergarry, Highland
Braemar, Aberdeenshire
Newton Stewart, Dumfriesshire
Lairg, Highland
Dalmally, Argyllshire
Alford, Aberdeenshire
Mallaig, Highland
Cupar, Fife
Callander, Stirlingshire
Pitochry, Perth and Kinross
Invergarry, Highland
North Uist
Orkney Islands
Glenmoriston, Highland
Loch Dubh, Isle of Lewis
Invergarry, Highland
Strathcarron, Highland
Buckie, Moray
Balmacara, Kyle
Innerleithen, Scottish Borders

England

Buxton, Derbyshire
Oakham, Rutland
Worth Matravers, Dorset
Braunton, Devon
Biggins, North Yorkshire
Thetford, Norfolk
Larkhill, Wiltshire
Felixstowe, Suffolk
Sheerness, Kent
Little Waltham, Essex
Colchester, Essex
Harrietsham, Kent
Lyndhurst, Hampshire
Winterbourne Zelston, Dorset
Highnam, Gloucestershire
Cinderford, Gloucestershire
Cerne Abbas, Dorset

Wales

Llandrindod Wells, Powys
Y-Ffor, Pwllheli, Gwynedd
Devauden, Gwent
Pembroke, Pembrokeshire
St Arvans, Monmouthshire
Laugharne, Carmarthenshire
Tregynon, Powys

Northern Ireland

Enniskillen, Fermanagh

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About Vodafone UK

Vodafone UK is a technology communications company that connects people, businesses and devices to help our customers benefit from digital innovation. Our services span mobile, fixed-line connections, home and office broadband, and the Internet of Things (IoT).

We have a strong track record as a tech pioneer, making the UK’s first mobile phone call, sending the first text message, and making the UK’s first live holographic call using 5G in 2018. We were the first to start carrying live 5G traffic from a site in Salford, Greater Manchester and now have 5G in locations across Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain as well as the UK. Meanwhile, our 4G network coverage currently reaches over 99% of the UK population.

Today, Vodafone serves more than 18 million mobile and fixed-line customers in the UK. Vodafone is the largest provider of full fibre in the UK – our superfast broadband services are now available to nearly 12 million homes across the UK.

Sustainability is also at the heart of what we do: as of 1 July 2021, 100% of the grid electricity we use in the UK is certified to be from renewable sources.

For more information about Vodafone UK, please visit: www.vodafone.co.uk.

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