Network provider set to bring in 4G coverage
MOBILE network provider EE has announced plans to upgrade 4G coverage for mobile phone users in some rural parts of Ashbourne.
The communications giant, which is now part of the BT group, says it will be working on more than 100 rural locations across the East Midlands by June 2024, as part of the Shared Rural Network programme agreed last year.
And the News Telegraph has learned that improvements are being made at one location in the Ashbourne area and another in the Sudbury area, although EE has not given precise locations. The sites are among 13 locations in Derbyshire, and are part of an agreement between the UK’S four mobile network operators and UK Government. It aims to extend 4G coverage to 95% of the UK’S geography by 2025.
The upgrades announced are part of the first phase of the programme, and EE will set out to significantly reduce “partial not-spots” in rural mobile coverage.
Philip Jansen, chief executive of BT Group, said: “We’ve made a renewed commitment to boost rural connectivity, helping improve mobile performance regardless of location.
“The investment BT has made in rural areas means we have the infrastructure in place to extend our 4G coverage footprint even further, minimising the number of new sites we need to build to ensure everyone has access to reliable connectivity.
“EE is still the only provider of 4G coverage in many places across the UK, and we encourage other operators to recognise the opportunity sharing our sites offers to fill gaps in their networks.”