- 50 SRN masts are now active in Wales, improving 4G coverage across rural communities.
- Satellite direct-to-device services are entering the UK market, challenging terrestrial rollout timelines.
What happened: SRN rollout adds rural masts but progress remains gradual
The UK government has confirmed that 50 mobile masts under the Shared Rural Network (SRN) programme are now live in Wales, improving 4G connectivity across rural areas. The upgrade expands coverage for residents and visitors in 16 towns and two national parks, including Eryri and Bannau Brycheiniog.
These sites were originally built by EE as part of the Emergency Services Network and are now open to all four UK operators through the SRN scheme. The programme is coordinated by Mova, which represents operators including Vodafone, Virgin Media O2 and Three UK.
The new Welsh activations contribute to a total of 119 upgraded masts nationwide, up by 19 since late 2025. Over the past eight months alone, 20 masts have been added in Wales.
The wider SRN programme has increased multi-operator 4G coverage across the UK from 66% to about 81% of the landmass, according to Mova. However, the project has missed its original target of delivering 95% coverage by the end of 2025.
Government investment currently stands at £184 million to upgrade Extended Area Service masts, while operators have spent more than £500 million to close partial coverage gaps.
Also read: Shared rural network expands 4G coverage to 100 more rural UK masts
Also read: VodafoneThree upgrades 100 rural masts under SRN programme
Why this is important
The Shared Rural Network was launched in 2020 as a £1 billion public-private initiative to eliminate mobile “not-spots” across the UK. The programme aims to extend reliable 4G coverage to remote communities, roads and tourist areas where connectivity has historically lagged behind urban centres.
Although the latest upgrades show progress, the pace highlights the structural difficulty of rural coverage. Building or upgrading sites in sparsely populated regions often delivers limited commercial return for operators. As a result, government support has been essential to justify infrastructure deployment.
At the same time, new technologies could reshape how rural connectivity is delivered. Virgin Media O2 recently launched a satellite-to-phone service backed by Starlink, initially supporting messaging and basic applications in areas without traditional mobile signal. The service claims to extend coverage to about 95% of the UK landmass.
Meanwhile, the forthcoming merger of Vodafone and Three UK plans trials of direct-to-device satellite connectivity using technology from AST SpaceMobile later this year.
If satellite services mature quickly, they could fill remaining coverage gaps faster than terrestrial rollout alone. That raises questions about whether the SRN’s final coverage target will ever be fully achieved or gradually overtaken by hybrid satellite-mobile solutions.
