Three UK Build 100th Rural 4G Mobile Site Under SRN Project UPDATE

Mobile operator Three UK has this morning announced that they’ve so far built 100 new cell sites as part of the £1 billion Shared Rural Network (SRN) project. The new sites are currently providing 4G connectivity (mobile broadband etc.) to over 37,000 rural premises across the country – spanning 2,800 square kilometres.

The SRN is an industry-led scheme – supported by a public investment of £500m and £530m from operators – that aims to help extend geographic 4G coverage (aggregate) to 95% of the UK by the end of 2025 (it will also help the 5G rollout as the same sites can be upgraded). The scheme essentially involves both the reciprocal sharing of existing masts in certain areas and the demand-led building and sharing of new masts in others between the operators.

While the SRN programme is being delivered across the four home nations, the largest commitment is to Scotland. So far, 65 of Three’s 100 SRN sites have been deployed across Scotland, and will provide coverage for 12,500 premises across nearly 2,000 square kilometres of the UK’s most remote locations.

The Isle of Colonsay, located in the Inner Hebrides close to the Scottish mainland, previously had no 4G coverage. But, following Three UK’s commitment, there is now 93% 4G network coverage on the island, transforming connectivity capabilities for over 150 premises in an area of 41 square km.

Iain Milligan, CNO of Three UK, said:

“With mobile connectivity becoming increasingly critical to everyday life, it is vital that we provide a network capable of supporting local economies and communities in every part of the UK. The 100th site in Three’s SRN network is another significant milestone and will transform rural access to 4G. We continue to deliver on our commitments, but the locations we are focusing on are remote and challenging, and we continue to work with local authorities to try and progress as best as possible.”

Three UK’s press release adds that their proposed merger agreement with Vodafone (here) includes a commitment to deploy ultrafast 5G connectivity to 86% of the UK’s population by 2030, including around 400 small towns. The official news release for that merger also said that both parties “expect to reach over 99% UK population coverage with a 5G standalone network by 2034“. But crucially this is “population“, not “geographic” coverage like with the SRN.

UPDATE 8th Aug 2023

Three have declined to provide a list of the 100 new mobile sites, but they were able to reveal the nations where the sites have been built so far (it is now up to 101).

• Scotland – 65
• England – 31
• Wales – 4
• Northern Ireland – 1