Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how many and what proportion of the new telecom masts being built through the Shared Rural Network programme are planned to be used by more than one mobile network operator.

Masts built as part of the government funded part of the Shared Rural Network, which will deliver new 4G coverage in total not spot areas where there is currently none, will be available to be shared by all four Mobile Network Operators (MNOs). Initial plans developed in 2021 suggested that approximately 300 new masts would be needed. However, we now expect to need fewer masts than originally planned and work is ongoing to establish the exact number.

The programme will also look to utilise existing infrastructure where possible and this includes upgrading some of the 292 Home Office Extended Area Service masts across England, Scotland and Wales making them shareable between all four MNOs for the programme.

We are unable to provide the precise number of new or upgraded masts that may be delivered as part of the privately funded element of the Shared Rural Network, which will tackle partial not spot areas of the UK which have coverage from at least one but not all four MNOs.