Vodafone’s 4G now in over 50 rural locations

10th March 2023 By: Adam

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%.

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. 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.

The improvements are located across:

  • 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

Northern Ireland

  • Enniskillen, Fermanagh