Broadband ISP and UK mobile operator EE (BT) has announced that they’ve boosted their 4G mobile coverage in the Welsh county of Ceredigion by upgrading services at over 10 mobile masts. The work forms part of more than 150 other locations across Wales where EE has expanded 4G under the £1bn industry-led Shared Rural Network (SRN) programme.
The SRN – supported by £500m of public funding and £532m from operators – 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 (MNO). The target is to extend geographic 4G coverage (aggregate) to 95% of the UK by the end of 2025, which falls to 84% when only considering the areas where you’ll be able to take 4G from all providers.
The recent work in Ceredigion has, for example, seen EE strengthen its 4G connectivity along two of the county’s major roads, the A44 and the A487, as well as in several towns and villages including Aberystwyth, Aberteifi (Cardigan), Llangrannog, and Morfa Borth amongst others.
EE’s mobile connectivity has also been boosted at popular locations such as Aberaeron Beach, Llangrannog Beach, Teifi Estuary, Bwlch Nant yr Arian Forest, Ynyslas National Nature Reserve and along the Wales Coast Path in Cardigan Bay.
Greg McCall, Chief Networks Officer at BT Group, said:
“Ceredigion is famous for its Cardigan Bay coastline and the wild Cambrian Mountains. It is also one of the most sparsely populated parts of Wales. These new 4G upgrades will not only mean residents will be able to stay connected to the people and things they love most, but businesses and community groups can use our network to offer new services and experiences to the many tourists who visit every year.
Having brought our 4G connectivity to a further 1,600 rural locations across the UK as part of our significant contribution to the Shared Rural Network, we have gone further than anyone to deliver reliable mobile connectivity for rural communities who need it most.”
In terms of EE’s own service, the operator recently reported that their geographic 4G mobile network overage in each individual nation now stands at: England (94%), Northern Ireland (89%), Scotland (77%), and Wales (86%).