Labour warned ‘grossly unfair’ prices on farmers putting 5G coverage target in doubt | UK | News

Labour has been warned it could miss its 5G target due to farmers and other landowners being offered “unfair” lower prices to host masts. A new report, shared exclusively with the Express, found the UK has slumped to the bottom of international league tables on mobile coverage and 5G rollout.

It blames this on reforms to the Electronic Communications Code (ECC) by the Tories in 2017 that slashed payments for those hosting masts, although some industry sources have disputed this. The Government is being urged to U-turn on plans to extend the approach to thousands of more sites. Rents have been cut by up to 90% since the changes, triggering more than 1,000 legal disputes and slowing down rollout as many landowners walk away, the report said.

Thomas Evans, from AP Wireless which commissioned the study, said the reforms have “backfired” – and Labour must act.

He said: “When landowners get a fair deal, sites stay open and networks expand quickly.

“When government tries to fix prices, it chokes supply and hurts the very people it is meant to help – mobile users.

“Britain now risks missing its 2030 goal for nationwide 5G, with businesses, communities and the wider economy paying the price. The new minister has a chance to correct a decade of failure and get rollout back on track.”

AP Wireless is a subsidiary of a major mobile phone mast site lease investment company.

The study, carried out by economic consultancy firm NERA, warned the UK ranks last out of major economies like Germany, France, Spain, Italy and the US for 5G coverage, download speeds and mast numbers.

It adds some Londoners are having to go back to using 2G due to shortages.

Ted Hobbs, trustee of the Aberbargoed Rifle and Pistol Club in Caerphilly, said it was offered 50% less by Vodafone to host a mast on its land.

He told the Express that Vodafone proposed a payment of £1,750 per annum, down from the £3,500 it had been spending for the last 30 years.

Mr Hobbs, 75, described the offer as “grossly unfair”.

“It’s not fair, it’s unjust and we just won’t accept injustice,” he said, adding the issue is to be heard in a county court later this year.

Ministers’ are planning to extend the ECC reforms to another 15,000 sites, with the report by NERA warning this will only deepen shortages and make things worse for mobile users.

Mr Hobbs said: “It doesn’t sound like a British Government does it? It does sound more like communism.”

A VodafoneThree spokesperson said: “VodafoneThree has a fully funded, regulated and committed network build plan, reaching 99.96% 5G Standalone population coverage by 2034.

“However, we can only build this network as quickly as the legislative and regulatory framework allows us to.

“Reforms to the ECC will enable us to agree terms with our landlords faster, reducing delays and so bring 5G coverage to UK communities quicker.

“It is crucial for us to deliver on the Government’s national 5G ambition. These reforms were passed as part of the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act with cross-party support.”

Peter Moore, a farmer from Essex, said he has hosted a mast for 20 years but when it came up for renewal it had been cut by thousands and was faced with legal and agency costs.

“The law has shifted the goalposts completely,” he said.

Pamela Robinson, a farmer from West Yorkshire, also told the study: “I’ve been approached by telecom companies to host masts, but the terms they offer are unfair.

“They expect us to sign leases of 50 or even 99 years for very low sums that don’t reflect the land’s value or the costs we take on. All we’re asking for is a fair and reliable income – not deals that leave us locked in and without proper control over our own property.”

Victoria Vyvyan, President of the Country Land and Business Association, told the Express: “This report confirms what we’re seeing everyday: slashing mast rents for landowners will only backfire.

“Landowners don’t want to walk away from these contracts, but they can’t stick with deals that no longer add up.

“At a time when farms remain under serious threat, they need to use the land for something that pays”

She added: “Government must pause, properly assess the impact of these changes, and commit to a system that works for the countryside before Britain falls even more behind.”

Ion Fletcher, Director of Policy for finance at the British Property Federation Group, said: “What should be a relationship based on collaboration and mutual benefit between property owners and operators has become adversarial and contentious.

“The Government urgently needs to review its approach to mobile telecommunications to stop the UK falling even further behind other countries.”

Mobile UK, the trade association for the UK’s mobile network operators, defended the ECC reforms.

A spokesperson said the changes are playing a “positive and essential role” in the upgrading of Britain’s mobile networks.

They said: “To date, the reforms have enabled 33,000 sites to be upgraded, significantly improving the coverage and capacity of networks to meet expanding customer demand for mobile data.

“Evidence shows the reforms are functioning effectively, fostering a high rate of consensual agreements and helping to minimise the use of the courts.”

A Government spokesperson said: “We are pushing forward with our ambition for higher quality 5G standalone coverage in all populated areas by 2030.

“We can only achieve this by delivering the infrastructure the country needs, removing planning barriers and supporting investment so everyone across Britain can benefit from next-generation connectivity.

“We have consulted on specific measures relating to renewal agreements to ensure they work for landowners, operators, and communities and will set out further updates in due course.”