More than 150 rural 4G mast upgrades have been completed.through the Shared Rural Network, bringing 4G coverage from EE, Virgin Media O2, and Vodafone and ThreeUK to some of the hardest-to-reach rural areas.

While many people head to rural areas to switch off, having access to 4G means they can still access support, services and loved ones if needed, for example by checking the weather, looking up a route or calling for help.

The UK government is working with mobile network operators through the Shared Rural Network (SRN) programme to bring reliable 4G mobile internet to rural areas where commercial rollout is harder and more expensive.

The upgrades are all delivered through existing infrastructure to protect views.

42 Shared Rural Network sites have now been activated across the UK’s national parks including 25 sites in England, including seven in the Lake District and six in the Yorkshire Dales; 16 sites in Wales, including 12 in Eryri/Snowdonia; and 1 site in Scotland, in Loch Lomond and The Trossachs.  

Minister of State for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Ian Murray, said: "You should be able to switch off in the countryside without being cut off from the help and services you need.  

"These 150 masts are helping change that – giving walkers, visitors and rural communities better access to signal when they are checking a route, contacting family, running a business or calling for help."