{"id":8514,"date":"2015-01-21T13:26:14","date_gmt":"2015-01-21T13:26:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/?p=8514"},"modified":"2015-01-21T13:55:28","modified_gmt":"2015-01-21T13:55:28","slug":"vodafone-unveil-last-40-uk-rural-communities-3g-mobile-broadband","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/index.php\/2015\/01\/vodafone-unveil-last-40-uk-rural-communities-3g-mobile-broadband.html","title":{"rendered":"UPDATE Vodafone Unveil Last 40 Rural Communities for 3G Mobile Broadband"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mobile operator Vodafone<\/a> has today reportedly announced the final batch of 40 rural communities across the United Kingdom that will soon start to receive improved 3G<\/a> based mobile broadband and voice network coverage via their on-going Rural Open Sure Signal<\/em> project. But\u00a0where are they?<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The operators Rural Open Sure Signal<\/strong><\/a> (Femtocell<\/strong>) technology, which harnesses an existing fixed line connection in order to link with Vodafone<\/a>’s network and thus boost outdoor mobile coverage in a specific area (mobile “not spots<\/em>“), was first tested with 12 villages in 2011\/12 (here<\/span><\/a>) and last year the project was revived with the aim of helping up to 100 communities<\/strong> (here<\/span><\/a>).<\/p>\n

Since then the first\u00a0lot of 30 new rural communities to receive 3G<\/a> based mobile coverage via Vodafone<\/a>’s enhanced project have been confirmed (here<\/a>) and today the operator has announced a seemingly final batch of 40 more. Sadly there’s no support for the latest 4G<\/a> connectivity, which is perhaps at least partly due to the limits of the related fixed line data connectivity in such remote areas.<\/p>\n

The Sure Signal boxes themselves effectively behave like small wireless routers and can be installed on any number of buildings (e.g. village halls, pubs, shops, telegraph poles, payphones etc.), which then distributes the mobile signal over a wider area than might ordinarily be possible, or affordable, by building an expensive new mast.<\/p>\n

Jeroen Hoencamp, CEO of Vodafone UK, said:<\/strong><\/p>\n

“I am delighted to announce that we have now shortlisted all 100 \u2018not spot\u2019 communities who could benefit from Vodafone\u2019s Rural Open Sure Signal programme. We are pleased to be able to deploy our innovative technologies to deliver 3G<\/a> mobile signal to these rural communities for the first time<\/em>.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The Next 40 Communities (Unordered)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Ardfern
\nConnel
\nDunbeg
\nOrmsary
\nPort Askaig
\nHeriot
\nDunbeath
\nTrevose
\nDonemana
\nGilcrux
\nMungrisdale
\nUldale
\nLoggerheads
\nCeres
\nSilchester
\nMorvern
\nNewtonmore
\nSpean Bridge
\nBenbecula & Balivanich
\nLochboisdale
\nLochmaddy
\nApplecross
\nCromarty
\nCulbokie
\nEttrick
\nAith
\nBaltasound
\nFetlar
\nSandness
\nSkeld Sandsting
\nBenacre
\nLighthorne
\nIsle of Whithorn
\nWhithorn
\nBradfield
\nBuckden
\nMarkington
\nMelmerby
\nScorton<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The new communities include villages in and around Argyll & Bute, Borders, Caithness, Cornwall, Co Tyrone, Cumbria, Denbighshire, Fife, Hampshire, Inverness-shire, Outer Hebrides, Ross-shire, Selkirkshire, Shetlands, Suffolk, Warwickshire, Wigtownshire and Yorkshire.<\/p>\n

Assuming\u00a0that Vodafone’s original announcement last year still stands, then all of the planned communities should be connected up by the end of this year. We will update again when the big V responds.<\/p>\n