Tag: rural

Couple save over £500,000 by NOT using wired internet

It’s doubtful that mindsets will change overnight, but getting broadband into your home or business no longer means sticking to a wired provider. With 5G on the horizon, the mobile networks are poised to take a substantial slice of the market – potentially delivering faster speeds in more …

Another Shared Rural Network mast goes up.

The Peak District is, without doubt, a beautiful place. However, getting a phone signal in such a scenic and protected area is pretty tricky. However, with to government pushing for mobile networks to work together more, 4G mobile coverage in rural Longnor is now available via Vodafone. As …

UK’s First Shared rural network goes live

In south Wales there’s a small village called Devauden. It’s tucked away in the Wye Valley but has become the first rural community to receive new mobile coverage. Why is this a big deal? Well, the government-backed plan for operators to share masts and other infrastructure hit a …

Shared rural mast network – a bit delayed, but back on.

Last year we covered the new shared rural network but things hit a bit of a wall when operators objected to the cost of using the EE equipment. The plan was to share masts and other infrastructure in areas which wouldn’t normally be considered as “beneficial” or cost-effective. …

5G Planning consultation ends. Will less red tape mean more masts?

We could very soon see more masts and much higher ones too. It comes as the government ends a consultation into 5G planning restrictions, with proposals including the deployment of radio equipment and strengthening existing masts without approval. It also looks at adding more masts nearer to highways …

Better coverage in the country. The Shared Rural Network.

A figure you may not see in many headlines is the fact that just 66% of the UK landmass has 4G coverage from all four mobile operators. With all this talk about 5G, it’s surprising that we’ve not got a higher 4G coverage. Of course, the operative term …

New rural EE masts in North Yorkshire

Getting a mast put up is relatively easy if you’re in a major town or city. The biggest problem, as always, is planning consent and getting the land to build on. However, once you’ve done that it’s just a matter of getting some power, some clever kit and …

Want better coverage? Go to church.

Getting coverage into rural areas is a constant challenge for the networks. We’ve seen EE using an innovative home-broadband solution for rural homes and Vodafone have their Sure Signal kit plus new mini masts. However, the problem with planning permission and fierce opposition to unsightly large masts in …

EE launch a rural broadband fixer

Long-time, handsome, intelligent readers will know that Vodafone have a solution for rural signal issues. It basically involves installing a ramped-up version of their Vodafone Sure Signal into rural communities to enhance the coverage. Now EE are on a similar mission, but with 4G home broadband antennas sitting …

EE look to the skies for emergency coverage

We all tend to have a bit of a whinge regarding coverage. Indeed, I’ve mentioned that even outside network stores in cities you can struggle to get a decent signal. However, when disaster strikes then getting a connection to the outside world is even more important. In recent …

Vodafone help you keep in touch while you get drunk

Honestly, at times I despair. Vodafone think that I’m going to post an article on this site purely because they’ve mentioned the words “beer” and “pub” in their press release. Disgraceful. I do like beer though. I like pubs too. Gahh… they’ve got me. OK, short version. You …

EE to expand coverage further

EE have been in the news lately for their poor customer service. Today, they are back making (good) news, that of expansion and more UK customer service staff. The company is looking to clear away mobile black spots by extending its coverage across the UK’s soil or, in literal …

EE to fill in the rural gaps with a micro network

Getting connectivity when you’re in a rural area is a challenge. My weekend of train journeys only served to highlight the fact that beautiful countryside usually means a complete lack of signal. EE are to tackle this with a new idea that doesn’t require cabling, planning permission or …

Vodafone launch notspot squashing campaign

Hey. Are you living in the middle of no-where? Have you got a choppy signal or, even worse, no signal at all? Vodafone want to talk to you. They’re looking for mobile “notspots” and are giving the opportunity for 100 rural communities to get piped up to proper …

Three and EE cost sharing deal – Full details

Yesterday we had news that EE and Three were beginning to share the love. There wasn’t a great deal of information to go on at the time, but we’ve now some further details on the agreement. Sadly there’s a large amount of tech websites carrying incorrect information on …

EE expand 4G to rural Cumbria

EE have announced today they have expanded 4G coverage into rural Cumbria and over 2000 residents . For just £25 customers will get a promotional deal of 20GB a month Although other deals are also available In testing EE found average speeds of around 24Mbps, which is more …