4G: Rural Areas

(asked on 7th November 2023) - View Source

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether she has considered the potential merits of increasing mobile network sharing in rural 4G partial Not-Spots to help increase emergency call coverage.


Answered by
John Whittingdale Portrait
John Whittingdale
This question was answered on 15th November 2023

People living in rural 4G partial not-spots are already able to make emergency calls, as the Code of Practice for the Public Emergency Call Service requires that any call from a mobile phone is able to roam onto another mobile network free-of-charge to make an emergency call if they have no signal from their own provider.

In addition, through our £1 billion Shared Rural Network deal with the four mobile network operators, we will also be delivering new masts in total not-spot areas which will deliver 4G coverage for the first time. This will improve the safety of those living, working and visiting the area by enabling calls to 999 to be made through the mobile network for the first time as well as through the fixed telephone network.

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