How EE is Bringing 4G Mobile Coverage to Rural Communities

It is easy to assume that, in the UK, all landmass benefits from mobile coverage. However, according to Ofcom’s Connected Nations Report 2025, 96% of the UK’s landmass has 4G coverage from at least one operator – leaving 4% without any mobile signal. 

Residents and businesses in Penmachno, a small village in the valleys of Eryri National Park, Wales, now have access to reliable mobile coverage after EE installed a 4G mast on the edge of the nearby forest. 

The delivery of 4G in Penmachno supports the Home Office’s Emergency Services Network (ESN), which is rolling out 20,840 new and upgraded sites to provide life-saving coverage in remote areas.

Connecting the village makes EE the first UK operator to provide service to the community, ending years of isolation. Until now, Penmachno’s 600 residents had no dependable mobile signal from any operator. 

The installation not only delivers 4G for locals but also supports emergency services through the Home Office’s Emergency Services Network.

Daniel Tomos, Clerk of the local Bro Machno Community Council, says: “We’ve always been 100% behind the mast and that has helped our journey to where we are today, with a mast in the forest and signal for everybody.” 

Enhanced safety for residents and visitors

As part of a national park, Penmachno is popular with hikers and cyclists, but the lack of mobile signal has long raised safety concerns. 

Local residents David and Emma Dallimore, who regularly ride the nearby mountain bike trails, say: “Safety was quite a concern for people coming into the area because there was no mobile reception.

“If people were injured, particularly if they were out riding on their own, there was no way of getting hold of anyone to help. The fact it is now safer is a very good thing for all of us.”

They also welcome how connectivity allows wider use of technology: “There are people that we know in the village that have got mobile reception for the very first time and are chuffed to bits. 

“It’s important for mobile operators to come to places like this and offer what the rest of the country has, as it enables us to contribute and live and work in the way people in more urban areas can.”

Greg McCall, Chief Security and Networks Officer at BT Group, explains: “As part of our work to connect the unconnected, we’re going further and faster than anyone else to ensure every rural community in the UK has the reliable connectivity they need. 

“There is more to do to completely eradicate the UK’s digital divide, but our collaboration with the local residents of Penmachno is a shining example of what can be achieved when mobile operators and communities work together to tackle the issue head on.”

Boosting businesses, families and the economy

The new mast benefits local business owners, too.

Paul Huckstep, who runs Benar Cottages, a holiday let business in the village, says: “Now that we’ve got the mobile mast, it will make running our business easier. In the past we have had guests leave us negative reviews because of the lack of mobile phone service, but now all that has gone away. 

“Guests can arrive, open their phones when they get here, find out where they are staying on site and keep in contact with everyone they need to.”

Owen Davis, a long-time resident and co-ordinator of Penmachno’s Community Hub, says the connection helps families and creates new opportunities for local initiatives.

He says: “Having a mobile network here in the village is making an immediate difference to everyone who lives here, helping them feel that they have the same opportunities as other places.

“When I think of my family and particularly my younger children, it’s reassuring to be able to track them using tools like Find my iPhone and just know where they are, as we don’t want to restrict them when we live in such a lovely area.”

He also hopes the mobile signal will support new ideas at the Community Hub: “One of the opportunities we’re exploring with the Community Hub is starting a monthly local producer’s market, for people to sell their eggs and fresh vegetables. 

“The opportunity to be able to use the mobile signal to take online card payments will be a benefit to us.”

EE’s rural investment programme has improved coverage in over 1,800 UK locations. In Wales, more than 90% of landmass now has reliable signal.