EE, O2, Three and Vodafone promise to end rural ‘not-spots’ by 2025 meaning 95% of UK will have phone reception
A NEW £1billion plan promises to put an end to rural mobile blackspots of poor network coverage.
The deal, which involves an alliance between four of the UK's largest providers, aims to get 4G coverage to 95 per cent of the UK by 2025 - up from roughly 66 per cent.
EE, O2, Three and Vodafone have pledged to contribute £530million to create a "Shared Rural Network".
The government has said that it might contribute a further £500million once the deal is finalised.
At the moment, one-third of the UK suffers from non-existent or patchy phone coverage.
Under the new plans, an extra 280,000 homes and businesses and 16,000km of roads will get reception.
This would be a world-first deal with EE, O2, Three and Vodafone investing in a network of new and existing phone masts they would all share.
How to check the mobile phone coverage in your area
THE UK is plagued by mobile black-spots, which is why it's important to check coverage before you choose a mobile provider or move home.
This , which has been produced by OpenSignal and Which?, shows the areas in the UK that have 2G, 3G and 4G signals, with red signalling the weakest signal, and green the strongest.
Simply enter your location in the search box and it'll tell you which network has the best signal in your area.
You can even find out the average upload and download speeds where you live and see which mobile provider has the most reliable signal.
The map is based on millions of real life signal readings, with data collected by users of the company's free Android and iPhone apps.
Digital secretary Nicky Morgan said: "Brokering an agreement for mast sharing between networks alongside new investment in mobile infrastructure will mean people get good 4G signal no matter where they are or which provider they’re with.
"But it is not yet a done deal and I want to see industry move quickly so we can reach a final agreement early next year."
The Shared Rural Network proposal is subject to legal agreement.
The government’s ambition is to reach a formal agreement on it early next year.
Country Land and Business Association deputy president Mark Bridgeman added: "This announcement will be welcomed by everyone who lives or works in the countryside.
"We have been hugely frustrated at the lack of progress in improving mobile reception to date, but the legal coverage obligations now put on operators to improve the situation, through the delivery of a Single Rural Network, will ensure demonstrable improvements over the next few years for rural communities."
The Single Rural Network replaces a previous plan by Ofcom to improve coverage via a spectrum auction.
Can I claim compensation if my network goes down?
YOU may be able to claim compensation if you’re not getting the level of service that you have been promised, according to regulator .
You will need to give your provider a "reasonable opportunity" to fix the issue before escalating your concerns though.
Where repairs take much longer, for example it takes longer than usual to access a mast site, you may be entitled to a refund or compensation.
If your provider fails to repair fault by a promised time, or you’re unhappy with how long it is taking to fix it, you should follow their formal complaints procedure.
You will be able to find these on the provider's website or through their customer services team.
If your problem is still unresolved after eight weeks, you can escalate it to an independent Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) scheme.
To do that, you’ll need to ask your provider for a “deadlock” letter that you will have to show one of the two ADR schemes approved by the watchdog - and .
Your provider will be a member of at least one of them. You can find out which one by using the .
Under the old proposals, Ofcom planned to include coverage obligations in the auction for 5G spectrum licences.
These obligations would require the two operators who acquire the licenses to reach 90 per cent coverage by 2024, in exchange for a discount in the auction.
But the government says it thinks the new plan will deliver better results at a lower cost.
This is because tho Shared Rural Network lets industry work collaboratively on improving coverage, rather than bidding competitively to do so individually.
The plan will see each individual operator reach 92 per cent coverage by 2025. The collective effect of this will deliver coverage to 95 per cent of the UK.
To make sure the mobile operators meet their promises, there will be new, legally-binding licence conditions.
There will be interim coverage updates every year up to 2025. Ofcom will report regularly on progress in its Connected Nations reports.
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