Three countries will miss the deadline for rural broadband

Three is likely to miss its rural broadband coverage targets as the deadline for tackling mobile signal ‘not spots’ approaches.

Mobile network operators have until July to extend their coverage to 88% of the UK landmass, the original target of a £1 billion government initiative.

While Vodafone has confirmed it will meet the deadline and Virgin Media O2 (VMO2) is also on track, smaller rival Three has said it is “working hard” to meet the targets but has not confirmed compliance.

BT, which owns the EE network, recently struck a national coverage deal with some of its competitors to help meet the deadline. Sources reveal that BT has arranged for VMO2 and Vodafone to gain access to some of its cell towers in remote areas.

EE, which has more mobile masts than its rivals and is contributing separately to the national coverage project, met its initial target earlier this year.

These last-minute agreements highlight the urgency to upgrade mobile signals in rural areas after the government rejected requests for an 18-month extension. If Three fails to complete the first phase of the project, it could face fines. The project focuses on “partial non-spot” areas where coverage is provided by at least one operator, but not all.

Ofcom, the regulator, has the power to fine companies up to 10% of their global turnover, but has indicated that any response would be ‘reasonable’. Three is expected to meet with Ofcom in the coming weeks.

Delays to the Shared Rural Network (SRN) project would have a negative impact on local communities awaiting upgrades to their vital telecoms infrastructure. Recent analysis by consultancy FarrPoint, commissioned by EE, shows that 4G connectivity for rural communities has delivered economic benefits of up to £6.9 million over 15 years.

The second phase of the SRN project, funded by the government, will focus on ‘total non-spot’ areas, where no operators currently offer 4G services. Ministers aim to cover 95% of Britain’s landmass by the end of next year and the entire country by early 2027.

A spokesperson for Three said: “We are working hard to meet the interim deadline and are on track to meet the January 2027 overall target for 4G geographic coverage under the SRN programme.”

A BT spokesperson commented: “We have been in discussions with several other mobile networks in recent months to share sites to support their coverage efforts, and we will continue to work with them on the next phase of the project.”

An Ofcom spokesperson added: “We are responsible for assessing mobile network operators’ compliance with their coverage obligations, and we expect to receive data on their progress shortly. Over the summer we will conduct our own analysis, including driving tests to selected locations to verify coverage. An update on our findings and next steps will be published in due course.”