PARTS of Herefordshire could see mobile signal improve over the next 12 months as EE announces plans to expand 4G coverage in six locations this year.

Rural areas of the county, including Pencombe near Bromyard and Lyonshall near Kington, are in line for an upgrade.

Mobile phone company EE, part of BT, said it will upgrade 17 sites to extend 4G coverage in rural areas of the West Midlands in 2021 as part of the shared rural network (SRN) initiative.

SRN is a programme between the UK’s four mobile network operators and the UK Government to extend 4G coverage to 95 per cent of the UK’s geography by the middle of this decade.

The upgrades announced on Thursday fall under the first phase of the shared rural network, where EE will invest to significantly reduce ‘partial not-spots’ by 2024.

EE has already upgraded its 4G network in 25 locations across England since the SRN deal was signed in March 2020 to bring improved connectivity to each nation.

Several sites have already been upgraded in the West Midlands in the past 12 months, including at Welsh Newton, with 17 in total to be completed by the end of the year.

The sites in Herefordshire set for an upgrade are:

  • A480, Lyonshall
  • Lea
  • M50, Linton
  • Pencombe
  • Peterstow
  • Stoke Lacy

Presteigne on the Welsh border has also been picked as one of the first sites to be upgraded.

Matt Warman, minister for digital infrastructure, said: "I'm delighted to see the great strides EE is making to boost 4G services in countryside communities as part of the shared rural network agreement, which was brokered and is part funded by the government.

"We're investing half a billion pounds in this landmark deal to extend mobile coverage to 95 per cent of the UK and it will help us build back better from the pandemic."

Philip Jansen, chief executive of BT Group, said: “Reliable connectivity is important wherever you live, work or travel, and we’re committed to improving and adding coverage to even the most remote areas.

"The investment BT has made in rural areas to date means we already have the infrastructure in place needed to extend our 4G coverage footprint further, minimising the number of new sites we need to build.

"There are many places where EE is the only provider with 4G coverage today, offering the other operators an opportunity to share our existing sites to plug gaps in their networks and improve mobile performance for everyone.”