UK mobile operators sign £1bn deal to share 4G infrastructure

On Monday, the BBC reported that ministers have signed a £1 billion deal with EE, O2, Three and Vodafone to eliminate dead signal zones in rural and remote areas

Mobile network operators EE, O2, Three and Vodafone are investing in a network of new and existing shared phone masts, overseen by a jointly-owned company called Digital Mobile Spectrum Limited.

The world-first deal will be a huge boost for people across the country in rural areas and will deliver strong 4G coverage irrespective of which network provider people use. It means all four mobile network operators will deliver 95 per cent combined coverage across the whole of the UK by the end of 2025.

Trade publication, Pocket-Lint similarly reported that as Ofcom is about to auction off more 5G spectrum to the big four mobile networks, O2, EE, Vodafone and Three, the move will increase the amount of available airwaves for mobile services by a fifth (18 per cent), with a strong impetus on improving coverage outside of main urban areas.

Full articles:

BBC - Mobile firms sign up to £1bn rural coverage plan

Pocket-lint -  Why 5G coverage will quickly spread to more suburban and rural areas of the UK