This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
Helen Morgan, MP for North Shropshire, urges telecoms firms to work together (Image: PARLIAMENT.TV )
People living in “not spots” in the British countryside will have to wait even longer for 4G with Vodafone UK and Three Mobile attacked for their rural network coverage.
The Shared Rural Network (SRN) project aims to extend 4G mobile coverage to 95 percent of the UK by the end of 2025. Vodafone and Three, who are seeking approval to merge and create the largest mobile network operator in the UK, have been criticised for the speed of the rollout.
Helen Morgan, MP for North Shropshire, told Express.co.uk: “Residents of rural areas are forced to put up with second-class signal and second-class services. People in Birmingham and London wouldn’t put up with coverage like this, so why should Shropshire?
“Some villages and parts of our market towns have no connection at all on most providers – this is not just unfair but also dangerous when combined with the phasing out of copper wire landlines.
Powered By
00:00/01:42
10
10
Dissecting Bayern's interest in Kieran Trippier | Football Digest
Share
Next
Stay
Trending
“This is a real economic problem for farmers and agricultural businesses who run hi-tech operations that need to communicate over hundreds or thousands of acres.
“It’s time we banished black spots and make telecoms firms work together to make sure the whole country can get connected.”
Janet Roberts, retired from Woore in North Shropshire, told Express.co.uk the signal where she lived was "pretty rubbish on most networks".
Speaking from a landline because the phone signal is so bad in her home, she said: "My 90-something-year-old neighbour is vulnerable and I am concerned about what will happen when they switch off copper landlines."
Ms Roberts, who said she had no desire to switch to a smartphone, added: "It should be illegal to switch the landlines off until the network is sorted out."
When giving oral evidence to the Business and Trade Committee in October 2023, David Hennessy, Chief Technical Officer at Three, said: “There is very large fixed investment required to support mobile networks...neither we nor Vodafone are generating enough cash to make that investment.”
Yet in 2020, Three agreed a ￡40million-a-year shirt sponsorship deal with Chelsea football club that ran for three seasons. The deal means Three have spent almost the same amount on sponsorship money for a football club (￡120million) as they have on rural network investment, all while failing to meet their targets and depriving rural Brits of better connectivity.
Vodafone has also splashed out millions on lavish sponsorships in recent years, including with Emma Raducanu, the British & Irish Lions, Formula One, Wimbledon, and Glastonbury.
Sarah Dyke, MP for Somerton and Frome said: “The shared rural network pledges to bring 95 percent 4G coverage by 2025, yet 39 postcode areas in Somerton and Frome do not yet even have the soon-to-be-phased-out 3G coverage.”
Nearly a fifth of the UK population live in rural areas, meaning delays have wide-ranging implications for all areas of British society.
Become an Express Premium member Support fearless journalism Read The Daily Express online, advert free Get super-fast page loading
Start 30-day
FREE trial
Alastair Carmichael, MP for Orkney and Shetland, said: “The progress we have seen has been absolutely glacial. People in urban communities wouldn't accept it so why should people in rural areas be expected to tolerate it.”
The SRN was signed in 2020 by the Government and the UK’s four mobile network operators - Vodafone, Three UK, EE, and 02. The project is funded ￡500million by the taxpayer, while the mobile operators contribute ￡532million between the four of them. If split evenly four ways, that would work out at roughly ￡133million each.
And things could be set to get even worse for country dwellers, with Three and Vodafone currently negotiating a merger. Similar mergers in other countries, including Australia, have led to a dramatic fall in mobile infrastructure investment, meaning Brits could be forced to wait even longer for better 4G if the merger is approved by the CMA.
DON'T MISS
Powered by
Britain's high street facing ‘make-or-break' as pubs and small businesses numbers plummet
73 Comments
Top British taxpayers revealed - including JK Rowling, Ed Sheeran and a top Brexiteer
16 Comments
Kemi Badenoch blames Joe Biden for scuppering UK-US free trade deal
863 Comments
Inflation rise sparks fears over broadband costs which could surge by ￡27
3 Comments
Hidden fees for online shopping and fake reviews to be banned
4 Comments
Furious locals outraged as beauty spot parking charges rise by 300 percent
7 Comments
Jeremy Hunt calls for 'light touch' AI regulation and global cooperation at Davos
15 Comments
UK Broadband price shock - 30-second check reveals how much extra you'll pay
7 Comments
Mapped: The famous UK seaside town where you're most likely to get a parking ticket
8 Comments
Angela Rayner's bored expression told us everything about Keir Starmer's PMQs failure
106 Comments
Tory Lord shuts down Labour plot over Rwanda Bill and its pledge to the EU
6 Comments
'Can't trust a word he says!' Rishi Sunak rages at Keir Starmer over Labour U-turn at PMQs
401 Comments
Kemi Badenoch pulls rug from under Justin Trudeau to stand up for UK in trade deal row
1247 Comments
A Tory general election victory is only possible by proving Brexit is a success
152 Comments
Kemi Badenoch says huge Brexit victory is imminent - but only on one condition
1588 Comments
Netflix boasts 13 million more subscribers in the wake of its password sharing crackdown
1 Comments
Rishi Sunak slams proposed cut to three-day Royal Mail delivery service
48 Comments
Royal Mail subsidiary makes ￡420m in Spain - just as the British arm faces major cuts
8 Comments
Britain's high street facing ‘make-or-break' as pubs and small businesses numbers plummet
73 Comments
Top British taxpayers revealed - including JK Rowling, Ed Sheeran and a top Brexiteer
16 Comments
Kemi Badenoch blames Joe Biden for scuppering UK-US free trade deal
863 Comments
Inflation rise sparks fears over broadband costs which could surge by ￡27
3 Comments
Hidden fees for online shopping and fake reviews to be banned
4 Comments
Furious locals outraged as beauty spot parking charges rise by 300 percent
7 Comments
Jeremy Hunt calls for 'light touch' AI regulation and global cooperation at Davos
15 Comments
UK Broadband price shock - 30-second check reveals how much extra you'll pay
7 Comments
Mapped: The famous UK seaside town where you're most likely to get a parking ticket
8 Comments
Angela Rayner's bored expression told us everything about Keir Starmer's PMQs failure
106 Comments
Tory Lord shuts down Labour plot over Rwanda Bill and its pledge to the EU
6 Comments
'Can't trust a word he says!' Rishi Sunak rages at Keir Starmer over Labour U-turn at PMQs
401 Comments
Kemi Badenoch pulls rug from under Justin Trudeau to stand up for UK in trade deal row
1247 Comments
A Tory general election victory is only possible by proving Brexit is a success
152 Comments
Kemi Badenoch says huge Brexit victory is imminent - but only on one condition
1588 Comments
Netflix boasts 13 million more subscribers in the wake of its password sharing crackdown
1 Comments
Rishi Sunak slams proposed cut to three-day Royal Mail delivery service
48 Comments
Royal Mail subsidiary makes ￡420m in Spain - just as the British arm faces major cuts
8 Comments
Britain's high street facing ‘make-or-break' as pubs and small businesses numbers plummet
73 Comments
Top British taxpayers revealed - including JK Rowling, Ed Sheeran and a top Brexiteer
16 Comments
Kemi Badenoch blames Joe Biden for scuppering UK-US free trade deal
863 Comments
Inflation rise sparks fears over broadband costs which could surge by ￡27
3 Comments
Hidden fees for online shopping and fake reviews to be banned
4 Comments
Furious locals outraged as beauty spot parking charges rise by 300 percent
7 Comments
Chris Loader, MP for West Dorset, shared in Parliament that Vodafone had committed to improve a village’s appalling connectivity in early 2023. Only a few months later Vodafone said they would no longer continue those improvements. He said: “Vodafone believed that the problems would be solved by improved 4G coverage. Well, I am afraid that those improvements have not happened to date.”
A Vodafone spokesman said: "We have not missed any deadlines on SRN. We remain committed to delivering on all elements of the SRN programme and have successfully introduced 4G to rural locations across the UK as part of the wider project which is due for delivery by January 2027."
Three Mobile was approached for comment.