THE Member of Parliament for Torridge and West Devon, has welcomed the announcement by the department for digital, culture, media and sport, regarding plans to deliver high-quality 4G mobile coverage to 95% of the UK by 2025.

Geoffrey Cox said: “I have long campaigned for better connectivity in our rural areas and today’s announcement is fantastic news. For too long, my constituents in Torridge and West Devon have struggled with poor mobile coverage, which has had negative effects on businesses and individuals alike. Under the new plans, this will be a thing of the past, with mobile connectivity greatly improved.”

The £1-billion deal is being developed by the UK’s four main mobile phone companies and the government to bring about an end to poor network coverage in rural areas. It will see mobile operators sharing mobile phone masts, across a single rural network, in order to resolve the issues currently faced by rural communities.

The £530-million proposal from the UK’s mobile network operators for a shared rural network will be matched by £500-million investment from the government. 

Improved mobile coverage will have huge benefits for individuals and businesses in rural areas; increasing connectivity and enabling the use of many online services on the move.

The plans will see additional mobile coverage for 280,000 premises and 16,000 kilometres of roads. As a result of which, individuals and businesses across rural areas will benefit — with flexible working becoming easier, regional economic growth being boosted and the digital divide which exists across the country being closed.