A farmer in a remote part of Eryri National Park says that the introduction of new high-speed 4G connectivity is “brilliant” for his business and the welfare of his animals.
Morien Jones, a sixth-generation farmer who manages 2,500-acres of farmland near Trawsfynydd, says he can now complete vital jobs like submitting VAT returns, monitoring machinery or livestock via GPS, or simply talking to customers or suppliers, while on the go.
This helps him farm more efficiently and means he no longer needs to manage his operations at home after a hard day’s work.
Mobile coverage ‘not spots’ used to be commonplace across the farm, meaning calls would regularly cut out. But, following a significant upgrade to a local EE mast in 2023, 4G coverage has improved across his land.
“I’ve got one section of the farm that used to be pretty much non-existent with any type of signal,” he said. “I’m now going up to that part on the mountain and surprised that I’ve got a signal on the call.”
Livestock is a main source of income for the farm, so keeping track of the health of their herd of pedigree Welsh black cattle and sheep is vital for the business.
“I can now use apps to record if a certain cow hasn’t been well, if she’s had certain injections and we can register where they’ve been grazing. Everything that’s done is through the phone,” said Morien.
“If I’m out in the middle of the mountain and I’ve got a cow and she’s had a calf, I simply put a tag in it and I can go online where I am, and register it straight away.”
Mobile signal is also important for health and safety, in an industry where farm workers often need to work in remote areas on their own.
Digital access across the farm is also helping him adhere to, in real time, the range of government regulations and environmental protection schemes that apply to the business.
Morien added:
“It’s brilliant because I’ve got access to the internet for mapping the land.
“If you’re in the middle of mapping for a certain field, I can get straight into the Government Gateway and look at what production type of field it is, or what management I must do to that field to stick to the rules.”
The upgraded 4G coverage from the mast in Trawsfynydd is featured in a new study, carried out by connectivity consultancy FarrPoint, looking at the socio-economic impact of upgrades to four EE 4G mobile masts on the rural communities they serve across the UK.
The study finds that reliable mobile signal is helping transform local industries, with small businesses, freelancers and tourist populations all deriving economic benefits from 4G coverage.
The report authors estimate that the improved 4G connectivity in and around Trawsfynydd could bring total benefits to the local community of between £249,000 and £383,000 over a 15-year period. Given the population covered by the mast is lower than other sites in the report, the magnitude of the economic benefits is smaller in comparison.
Greg McCall, Chief Networks Officer at BT Group, said:
“Every rural community can benefit from modern mobile connectivity. This report provides evidence of how it is helping local businesses grow, supporting rural employment opportunities, and enabling more people to experience the benefits of the digital economy.
“That’s why we’re proud to have delivered on the coverage targets we committed to, helping to close the digital divide and ensure that the benefits of 4G connectivity are more widely felt in every corner of the UK.”
In the last five years, EE has invested hundreds of millions of pounds to help improve coverage in rural communities, expanding its 4G network by a further 10,000 square kilometres and extending fast and reliable mobile connectivity to more than 1,700 additional rural locations.
This includes building more than 300 new 4G masts, strategically placed to support the needs of the UK’s countryside communities. This has enabled EE to meet its legally binding coverage commitments under the Shared Rural Network (SRN) and deliver 4G coverage to more than 50 isolated communities as part of the Scottish 4G Infill (S4GI) project.
In Wales, EE has delivered more than 150 upgrades and new masts to improve 4G coverage.
According to Ofcom, EE continues to have the highest levels of 4G geographic coverage across Wales’s landmass at 87%, with the next mobile operator being Three at 78%.
