Latest news with #ElectronicCommunicationsCode
Pembrokeshire Herald
20-05-2025
- Business
- Pembrokeshire Herald
Pembrokeshire school site to be transformed into motorcycle showroom
A shock on the Carmarthenshire Farm A FARMER from Carmarthenshire is at the centre of a growing legal storm over the UK Government's controversial 5G rollout policy – a policy critics say is slowing progress, not speeding it up. In 2017, ministers promised a faster, cheaper path to mobile connectivity by changing the law to let telecoms companies pay landowners far less for installing masts. But instead of unleashing 5G, the new rules have triggered a wave of legal battles – and rural Wales is bearing the brunt. Thomas Richards from Llangennech, who agreed to host a mast in 2016 for around £5,500 a year, was stunned when the new rules allowed the telecoms company to revise their offer to just £3.50 a year. 'Negotiations were very stressful. I felt we were taken advantage of as a family,' he said. 'I can't believe the government is allowing this to happen. Who is going to want a mast on their land now?' His case is one of more than a dozen disputes across Wales, all stemming from the 2017 reforms to the Electronic Communications Code. Wales is now a legal hotspot for telecom disputes, with more than 14 tribunal cases since 2021. These include disputes with Cardiff International Airport, South Wales Fire and Rescue Authority, and farmers in Snowdonia and Powys. The number of mast-related legal cases across the UK has surged from just 33 in the 30 years before the code change to more than 1,100 since 2017. Many site owners – from farmers and churches to care homes and sports clubs – have reported rent drops of 90 percent or more, often with little say in the matter. Campaign group Protect and Connect say some landowners feel bullied and cornered. In one case, a hill farmer in North Wales saw his annual rent slashed from £5,500 to £3.50. A park visitor centre lost £9,800 a year in mast income, damaging their ability to operate. A church in mid Wales was left scrambling to pay heating bills after its mast rent collapsed. In response, telecom companies argue that the changes were necessary to stop landowners charging what they call ransom rents that stalled network upgrades. The UK Government insists the reforms are about making digital connectivity affordable and universal. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said it wants fairer, faster and more collaborative negotiations, and introduced the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act in 2022 to encourage dispute resolution. But critics, including the Farmers' Union of Wales, say the reforms have gone too far. One landowner was offered just £32 total for a 10-year lease – down from an earlier offer of £4,650 per year. In Pembrokeshire, the battle over connectivity has a familiar ring. Residents in Tenby have been complaining about poor mobile signal for years, with tourists flooding in each summer only worsening the problem. County Councillor Michael Williams said: 'All the providers are blaming visitor numbers, but that excuse doesn't justify the charges people are paying. It's the same problem every year.' One resident told The Herald he had missed hospital appointments because of poor signal. Businesses relying on card machines and mobile bookings say the network failures cost them money and reputation. Efforts to install a 20-metre mast in Tenby to ease pressure have stalled due to planning objections within the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. Officials say it's a difficult balance between connectivity and conservation. Another controversial mast plan in the Preseli Hills was recently rejected due to its visual impact. Despite the potential to improve rural signal, inspectors upheld objections that it would harm the landscape. In Cardiff and other urban areas, rooftop masts are also facing disputes over low renewal offers, showing this issue is not confined to the countryside. Official Ofcom figures show Wales lags behind on mobile coverage. Only 62 percent of land area in Wales has 4G from all four major networks. In some rural constituencies, that figure drops below 50 percent. Superfast broadband access in Pembrokeshire stands at around 93 percent, still below the Welsh average. Broadband tells a similar tale of two Waleses. Overall, about 96 percent of homes in Wales can access superfast broadband via fixed lines or wireless solutions – roughly on par with the UK average. But rural counties lag behind. Powys has the lowest superfast availability at just 84 percent of premises. Ceredigion is at 86 percent. Pembrokeshire stands around 93 percent – better, but still below the Welsh average. When it comes to future-proofed networks, the gap is starker: only 40 percent of premises in Pembrokeshire have access to full-fibre broadband so far, compared to nearly 70 percent of premises in Cardiff. Some relief for landowners has started to arrive via the courts. In a recent case, the Upper Tribunal increased the annual rent for a greenfield mast site from £750 to £1,750, after ruling that the earlier valuation was too low. Farming unions hailed the decision, but warned it was still far below the market rates common before 2017. Campaigners and MPs are now urging a review of the policy before new rules expand the same approach to 15,000 more sites across the UK. Legal experts warn the number of tribunal cases could double again if this happens. Telecoms industry representatives argue that the reforms were needed to break deadlock and reduce deployment costs. They say most landowners still agree terms without dispute, and that masts are essential national infrastructure, not just commercial equipment. But for rural communities, that message is wearing thin. Many feel they are being asked to sacrifice land, income and peace of mind – all while still waiting for improved service. In Tenby, local plasterer Ben Jones says poor signal is costing him work. 'I've missed bookings from clients because they couldn't get through,' he said. 'One customer said it took him five tries to make contact.' Another resident, Paul, told The Herald he had missed hospital calls and emergency transport arrangements due to unreliable signal. 'It's ridiculous that in 2025, my phone signal is worse than it was in the 1990s,' he said. Shops relying on mobile card machines also report frequent outages. One shop owner said: 'It's embarrassing having to explain to customers that we can't process a payment because the network's gone down again.' There is growing consensus that progress on connectivity must be matched by fairness for those who host it. As the Carmarthenshire farmer put it: 'I want better signal too. But not if it means giving up my land for pennies.' Bridging the digital divide in Wales may require more than telecom towers. It may demand trust, balance, and real partnership between the countryside and the companies trying to connect it.
Pembrokeshire Herald
20-05-2025
- Business
- Pembrokeshire Herald
Fresh plans to extend contentious Pembrokeshire holiday park
A shock on the Carmarthenshire Farm A FARMER from Carmarthenshire is at the centre of a growing legal storm over the UK Government's controversial 5G rollout policy – a policy critics say is slowing progress, not speeding it up. In 2017, ministers promised a faster, cheaper path to mobile connectivity by changing the law to let telecoms companies pay landowners far less for installing masts. But instead of unleashing 5G, the new rules have triggered a wave of legal battles – and rural Wales is bearing the brunt. Thomas Richards from Llangennech, who agreed to host a mast in 2016 for around £5,500 a year, was stunned when the new rules allowed the telecoms company to revise their offer to just £3.50 a year. 'Negotiations were very stressful. I felt we were taken advantage of as a family,' he said. 'I can't believe the government is allowing this to happen. Who is going to want a mast on their land now?' His case is one of more than a dozen disputes across Wales, all stemming from the 2017 reforms to the Electronic Communications Code. Wales is now a legal hotspot for telecom disputes, with more than 14 tribunal cases since 2021. These include disputes with Cardiff International Airport, South Wales Fire and Rescue Authority, and farmers in Snowdonia and Powys. The number of mast-related legal cases across the UK has surged from just 33 in the 30 years before the code change to more than 1,100 since 2017. Many site owners – from farmers and churches to care homes and sports clubs – have reported rent drops of 90 percent or more, often with little say in the matter. Campaign group Protect and Connect say some landowners feel bullied and cornered. In one case, a hill farmer in North Wales saw his annual rent slashed from £5,500 to £3.50. A park visitor centre lost £9,800 a year in mast income, damaging their ability to operate. A church in mid Wales was left scrambling to pay heating bills after its mast rent collapsed. In response, telecom companies argue that the changes were necessary to stop landowners charging what they call ransom rents that stalled network upgrades. The UK Government insists the reforms are about making digital connectivity affordable and universal. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said it wants fairer, faster and more collaborative negotiations, and introduced the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act in 2022 to encourage dispute resolution. But critics, including the Farmers' Union of Wales, say the reforms have gone too far. One landowner was offered just £32 total for a 10-year lease – down from an earlier offer of £4,650 per year. In Pembrokeshire, the battle over connectivity has a familiar ring. Residents in Tenby have been complaining about poor mobile signal for years, with tourists flooding in each summer only worsening the problem. County Councillor Michael Williams said: 'All the providers are blaming visitor numbers, but that excuse doesn't justify the charges people are paying. It's the same problem every year.' One resident told The Herald he had missed hospital appointments because of poor signal. Businesses relying on card machines and mobile bookings say the network failures cost them money and reputation. Efforts to install a 20-metre mast in Tenby to ease pressure have stalled due to planning objections within the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. Officials say it's a difficult balance between connectivity and conservation. Another controversial mast plan in the Preseli Hills was recently rejected due to its visual impact. Despite the potential to improve rural signal, inspectors upheld objections that it would harm the landscape. In Cardiff and other urban areas, rooftop masts are also facing disputes over low renewal offers, showing this issue is not confined to the countryside. Official Ofcom figures show Wales lags behind on mobile coverage. Only 62 percent of land area in Wales has 4G from all four major networks. In some rural constituencies, that figure drops below 50 percent. Superfast broadband access in Pembrokeshire stands at around 93 percent, still below the Welsh average. Broadband tells a similar tale of two Waleses. Overall, about 96 percent of homes in Wales can access superfast broadband via fixed lines or wireless solutions – roughly on par with the UK average. But rural counties lag behind. Powys has the lowest superfast availability at just 84 percent of premises. Ceredigion is at 86 percent. Pembrokeshire stands around 93 percent – better, but still below the Welsh average. When it comes to future-proofed networks, the gap is starker: only 40 percent of premises in Pembrokeshire have access to full-fibre broadband so far, compared to nearly 70 percent of premises in Cardiff. Some relief for landowners has started to arrive via the courts. In a recent case, the Upper Tribunal increased the annual rent for a greenfield mast site from £750 to £1,750, after ruling that the earlier valuation was too low. Farming unions hailed the decision, but warned it was still far below the market rates common before 2017. Campaigners and MPs are now urging a review of the policy before new rules expand the same approach to 15,000 more sites across the UK. Legal experts warn the number of tribunal cases could double again if this happens. Telecoms industry representatives argue that the reforms were needed to break deadlock and reduce deployment costs. They say most landowners still agree terms without dispute, and that masts are essential national infrastructure, not just commercial equipment. But for rural communities, that message is wearing thin. Many feel they are being asked to sacrifice land, income and peace of mind – all while still waiting for improved service. In Tenby, local plasterer Ben Jones says poor signal is costing him work. 'I've missed bookings from clients because they couldn't get through,' he said. 'One customer said it took him five tries to make contact.' Another resident, Paul, told The Herald he had missed hospital calls and emergency transport arrangements due to unreliable signal. 'It's ridiculous that in 2025, my phone signal is worse than it was in the 1990s,' he said. Shops relying on mobile card machines also report frequent outages. One shop owner said: 'It's embarrassing having to explain to customers that we can't process a payment because the network's gone down again.' There is growing consensus that progress on connectivity must be matched by fairness for those who host it. As the Carmarthenshire farmer put it: 'I want better signal too. But not if it means giving up my land for pennies.' Bridging the digital divide in Wales may require more than telecom towers. It may demand trust, balance, and real partnership between the countryside and the companies trying to connect it.
Pembrokeshire Herald
18-05-2025
- Business
- Pembrokeshire Herald
New Barti BBQ sauce launches at Angle's iconic Old Point House
A shock on the Carmarthenshire Farm A FARMER from Carmarthenshire is at the centre of a growing legal storm over the UK Government's controversial 5G rollout policy – a policy critics say is slowing progress, not speeding it up. In 2017, ministers promised a faster, cheaper path to mobile connectivity by changing the law to let telecoms companies pay landowners far less for installing masts. But instead of unleashing 5G, the new rules have triggered a wave of legal battles – and rural Wales is bearing the brunt. Thomas Richards from Llangennech, who agreed to host a mast in 2016 for around £5,500 a year, was stunned when the new rules allowed the telecoms company to revise their offer to just £3.50 a year. 'Negotiations were very stressful. I felt we were taken advantage of as a family,' he said. 'I can't believe the government is allowing this to happen. Who is going to want a mast on their land now?' His case is one of more than a dozen disputes across Wales, all stemming from the 2017 reforms to the Electronic Communications Code. Wales is now a legal hotspot for telecom disputes, with more than 14 tribunal cases since 2021. These include disputes with Cardiff International Airport, South Wales Fire and Rescue Authority, and farmers in Snowdonia and Powys. The number of mast-related legal cases across the UK has surged from just 33 in the 30 years before the code change to more than 1,100 since 2017. Many site owners – from farmers and churches to care homes and sports clubs – have reported rent drops of 90 percent or more, often with little say in the matter. Campaign group Protect and Connect say some landowners feel bullied and cornered. In one case, a hill farmer in North Wales saw his annual rent slashed from £5,500 to £3.50. A park visitor centre lost £9,800 a year in mast income, damaging their ability to operate. A church in mid Wales was left scrambling to pay heating bills after its mast rent collapsed. In response, telecom companies argue that the changes were necessary to stop landowners charging what they call ransom rents that stalled network upgrades. The UK Government insists the reforms are about making digital connectivity affordable and universal. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said it wants fairer, faster and more collaborative negotiations, and introduced the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act in 2022 to encourage dispute resolution. But critics, including the Farmers' Union of Wales, say the reforms have gone too far. One landowner was offered just £32 total for a 10-year lease – down from an earlier offer of £4,650 per year. In Pembrokeshire, the battle over connectivity has a familiar ring. Residents in Tenby have been complaining about poor mobile signal for years, with tourists flooding in each summer only worsening the problem. County Councillor Michael Williams said: 'All the providers are blaming visitor numbers, but that excuse doesn't justify the charges people are paying. It's the same problem every year.' One resident told The Herald he had missed hospital appointments because of poor signal. Businesses relying on card machines and mobile bookings say the network failures cost them money and reputation. Efforts to install a 20-metre mast in Tenby to ease pressure have stalled due to planning objections within the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. Officials say it's a difficult balance between connectivity and conservation. Another controversial mast plan in the Preseli Hills was recently rejected due to its visual impact. Despite the potential to improve rural signal, inspectors upheld objections that it would harm the landscape. In Cardiff and other urban areas, rooftop masts are also facing disputes over low renewal offers, showing this issue is not confined to the countryside. Official Ofcom figures show Wales lags behind on mobile coverage. Only 62 percent of land area in Wales has 4G from all four major networks. In some rural constituencies, that figure drops below 50 percent. Superfast broadband access in Pembrokeshire stands at around 93 percent, still below the Welsh average. Broadband tells a similar tale of two Waleses. Overall, about 96 percent of homes in Wales can access superfast broadband via fixed lines or wireless solutions – roughly on par with the UK average. But rural counties lag behind. Powys has the lowest superfast availability at just 84 percent of premises. Ceredigion is at 86 percent. Pembrokeshire stands around 93 percent – better, but still below the Welsh average. When it comes to future-proofed networks, the gap is starker: only 40 percent of premises in Pembrokeshire have access to full-fibre broadband so far, compared to nearly 70 percent of premises in Cardiff. Some relief for landowners has started to arrive via the courts. In a recent case, the Upper Tribunal increased the annual rent for a greenfield mast site from £750 to £1,750, after ruling that the earlier valuation was too low. Farming unions hailed the decision, but warned it was still far below the market rates common before 2017. Campaigners and MPs are now urging a review of the policy before new rules expand the same approach to 15,000 more sites across the UK. Legal experts warn the number of tribunal cases could double again if this happens. Telecoms industry representatives argue that the reforms were needed to break deadlock and reduce deployment costs. They say most landowners still agree terms without dispute, and that masts are essential national infrastructure, not just commercial equipment. But for rural communities, that message is wearing thin. Many feel they are being asked to sacrifice land, income and peace of mind – all while still waiting for improved service. In Tenby, local plasterer Ben Jones says poor signal is costing him work. 'I've missed bookings from clients because they couldn't get through,' he said. 'One customer said it took him five tries to make contact.' Another resident, Paul, told The Herald he had missed hospital calls and emergency transport arrangements due to unreliable signal. 'It's ridiculous that in 2025, my phone signal is worse than it was in the 1990s,' he said. Shops relying on mobile card machines also report frequent outages. One shop owner said: 'It's embarrassing having to explain to customers that we can't process a payment because the network's gone down again.' There is growing consensus that progress on connectivity must be matched by fairness for those who host it. As the Carmarthenshire farmer put it: 'I want better signal too. But not if it means giving up my land for pennies.' Bridging the digital divide in Wales may require more than telecom towers. It may demand trust, balance, and real partnership between the countryside and the companies trying to connect it.
Pembrokeshire Herald
18-05-2025
- Business
- Pembrokeshire Herald
West Wales farmer's 5G mast rent row highlights a rural connectivity crunch
A shock on the Carmarthenshire Farm A FARMER from Carmarthenshire is at the centre of a growing legal storm over the UK Government's controversial 5G rollout policy – a policy critics say is slowing progress, not speeding it up. In 2017, ministers promised a faster, cheaper path to mobile connectivity by changing the law to let telecoms companies pay landowners far less for installing masts. But instead of unleashing 5G, the new rules have triggered a wave of legal battles – and rural Wales is bearing the brunt. Thomas Richards from Llangennech, who agreed to host a mast in 2016 for around £5,500 a year, was stunned when the new rules allowed the telecoms company to revise their offer to just £3.50 a year. 'Negotiations were very stressful. I felt we were taken advantage of as a family,' he said. 'I can't believe the government is allowing this to happen. Who is going to want a mast on their land now?' His case is one of more than a dozen disputes across Wales, all stemming from the 2017 reforms to the Electronic Communications Code. Wales is now a legal hotspot for telecom disputes, with more than 14 tribunal cases since 2021. These include disputes with Cardiff International Airport, South Wales Fire and Rescue Authority, and farmers in Snowdonia and Powys. The number of mast-related legal cases across the UK has surged from just 33 in the 30 years before the code change to more than 1,100 since 2017. Many site owners – from farmers and churches to care homes and sports clubs – have reported rent drops of 90 percent or more, often with little say in the matter. Campaign group Protect and Connect say some landowners feel bullied and cornered. In one case, a hill farmer in North Wales saw his annual rent slashed from £5,500 to £3.50. A park visitor centre lost £9,800 a year in mast income, damaging their ability to operate. A church in mid Wales was left scrambling to pay heating bills after its mast rent collapsed. In response, telecom companies argue that the changes were necessary to stop landowners charging what they call ransom rents that stalled network upgrades. The UK Government insists the reforms are about making digital connectivity affordable and universal. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said it wants fairer, faster and more collaborative negotiations, and introduced the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act in 2022 to encourage dispute resolution. But critics, including the Farmers' Union of Wales, say the reforms have gone too far. One landowner was offered just £32 total for a 10-year lease – down from an earlier offer of £4,650 per year. In Pembrokeshire, the battle over connectivity has a familiar ring. Residents in Tenby have been complaining about poor mobile signal for years, with tourists flooding in each summer only worsening the problem. County Councillor Michael Williams said: 'All the providers are blaming visitor numbers, but that excuse doesn't justify the charges people are paying. It's the same problem every year.' One resident told The Herald he had missed hospital appointments because of poor signal. Businesses relying on card machines and mobile bookings say the network failures cost them money and reputation. Efforts to install a 20-metre mast in Tenby to ease pressure have stalled due to planning objections within the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. Officials say it's a difficult balance between connectivity and conservation. Another controversial mast plan in the Preseli Hills was recently rejected due to its visual impact. Despite the potential to improve rural signal, inspectors upheld objections that it would harm the landscape. In Cardiff and other urban areas, rooftop masts are also facing disputes over low renewal offers, showing this issue is not confined to the countryside. Official Ofcom figures show Wales lags behind on mobile coverage. Only 62 percent of land area in Wales has 4G from all four major networks. In some rural constituencies, that figure drops below 50 percent. Superfast broadband access in Pembrokeshire stands at around 93 percent, still below the Welsh average. Broadband tells a similar tale of two Waleses. Overall, about 96 percent of homes in Wales can access superfast broadband via fixed lines or wireless solutions – roughly on par with the UK average. But rural counties lag behind. Powys has the lowest superfast availability at just 84 percent of premises. Ceredigion is at 86 percent. Pembrokeshire stands around 93 percent – better, but still below the Welsh average. When it comes to future-proofed networks, the gap is starker: only 40 percent of premises in Pembrokeshire have access to full-fibre broadband so far, compared to nearly 70 percent of premises in Cardiff. Some relief for landowners has started to arrive via the courts. In a recent case, the Upper Tribunal increased the annual rent for a greenfield mast site from £750 to £1,750, after ruling that the earlier valuation was too low. Farming unions hailed the decision, but warned it was still far below the market rates common before 2017. Campaigners and MPs are now urging a review of the policy before new rules expand the same approach to 15,000 more sites across the UK. Legal experts warn the number of tribunal cases could double again if this happens. Telecoms industry representatives argue that the reforms were needed to break deadlock and reduce deployment costs. They say most landowners still agree terms without dispute, and that masts are essential national infrastructure, not just commercial equipment. But for rural communities, that message is wearing thin. Many feel they are being asked to sacrifice land, income and peace of mind – all while still waiting for improved service. In Tenby, local plasterer Ben Jones says poor signal is costing him work. 'I've missed bookings from clients because they couldn't get through,' he said. 'One customer said it took him five tries to make contact.' Another resident, Paul, told The Herald he had missed hospital calls and emergency transport arrangements due to unreliable signal. 'It's ridiculous that in 2025, my phone signal is worse than it was in the 1990s,' he said. Shops relying on mobile card machines also report frequent outages. One shop owner said: 'It's embarrassing having to explain to customers that we can't process a payment because the network's gone down again.' There is growing consensus that progress on connectivity must be matched by fairness for those who host it. As the Carmarthenshire farmer put it: 'I want better signal too. But not if it means giving up my land for pennies.' Bridging the digital divide in Wales may require more than telecom towers. It may demand trust, balance, and real partnership between the countryside and the companies trying to connect it.
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
The real reason your 5G internet connection is slow (and when that might change)
If you've ever waited for a video to load on your phone and wondered why 'super fast' 5G in the UK seems to be anything but, you're not alone. A report published by network analysts MedUX based on real-world tests with cars driving around European capitals found that London has the worst 5G in Europe. Yahoo News spoke to telecoms regulator Ofcom about the real reasons behind this - and whether it is likely to improve. Previously, it was suggested that removing Huawei equipment from the UK's networks over fears around espionage could be behind the slow speed - but experts are now suggesting that masts are one main reason Britain's 5G networks are not delivering. Britain ranked at the very bottom of a list of 14 European cities under test by networking testing experts MedUX. London not only had the worst-performing 5G, it also had one of the lowest levels of 5G availability, the testing found. The research, shown off at this year's Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, ranked Porto and Stockholm joint first place for quality of experience. London was found to have low 5G availability, slow speeds, and unreliable performance. A previous report by the Social Market Foundation in October 2024 found that the UK had the lowest 5G connectivity of 15 developed and developing countries. London was also ranked last in 2024. The 'drive tests' used 5G smartphones in cars to measure network speed, availability and performance across cities in Europe. At least some of the problem stems from conflict over where 5G masts are situated. Changes in the law have meant that some landowners are reluctant to have the masts on their properties. Mobile networks allege that mast-leasing company AP Wireless, owned by a private equity firm, is driving up costs (the company buys mast leases from landowners and then charges telecom operators to use them). AP Wireless alleges that the Electronic Communications Code (ECC), which was implemented in 2017, makes it hard for landowners to charge fair rent for masts – meaning they simply do not put them up. Andy Aitken, co-founder and CEO of Honest, said: "It's not your phone – the infrastructure to power 5G speeds just isn't there yet. "To reach the 'promised land' of instant video – even at rush hour in Waterloo Station – we need far more 5G sites than we ever had for 3G or 4G. And switching off 3G to make room for 4G and 5G isn't just a software tweak – it requires physically removing old equipment from masts, a massive job for telecom companies that costs billions. "Maybe if telecom infrastructure were nationalised, like rail or energy, or shared between different networks, we'd be closer to actually enjoying those 5G speeds. "It certainly doesn't help that the 'Big Four' networks [EE, O2, Three, and Vodafone] can pick and choose where to build those masts, prioritising high-traffic city areas over less populated regions. This is the system that has left the UK with patchy coverage – today, you can find one beach in Cornwall that only has Vodafone coverage, another only has Three, and a third only has EE. Let alone the highlands of Scotland or the mountains of Wales. Now imagine dealing with that, but with 5G!" Ofcom told Yahoo News that the changes to the Electronic Communications Code in 2017 meant that mobile networks could impose agreements on landlords in some cases. But planning laws also play a part in making it difficult to put up masts, Ofcom explained. However, there is good news on the horizon. Speeds are set to improve, Ofcom said, with some of the spectrum that has been reserved for 5G not deployed yet – and improvements expected. The regulator also said it will also auction more mobile spectrum, which should improve speeds. Additionally, the merger of Vodafone and Three should mean an improvement in its network, which will drive other networks to compete. The rollout of 5G services in the UK began in 2019, with 5G services being rolled out by mobile network operators EE, O2, Vodafone and Three. In April 2024, Ofcom reported that 5G from at least one mobile operator was available to 90-95% of UK premises. At present, much of 5G is built on top of existing 4G equipment, and standalone 5G with dedicated 5G equipment everywhere is at an early stage, according to the government. The government's official target is for all populated areas, including areas in the country, to have standalone 5G coverage by 2030. Before signing up to a particular network, you can use Ofcom's free Mobile Checker to assess signal levels in the area – both indoors and outdoors. The free Ofcom speed checker website lets you enter your postcode and assess coverage on each of the Big Four networks at your specific address – with a warning if services are limited.
