Latest news with #ElectronicCommunicationsCode
The Herald Scotland
11 hours ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
This is the row that could derail the UK-wide 5G rollout
A long-running dispute between landowners, telecommunication companies and government appears to be here to stay. The UK Government, then run by the Conservatives, updated the Electronic Communications Code (ECC) in 2017 in an attempt to accelerate action on 5G. But the government has acknowledged these changes were controversial. Rent dispute The ECC simplifies the process for network operators to access land and install infrastructure like phone masts and cables, while also balancing the rights of landowners. It allowed many telecoms companies to vastly reduce the rents they paid to landowners. Some landowners have reported rent reductions of up to 90%, which has led to many considering whether to continue as a hosting site. Read more: The proposals were described as "well intentioned" but in some areas have had the opposite impact, with landowners refusing to host the infrastructure. There has also been an explosion in legal disputes, with cases reaching over 1,000 since 2017, compared with just three in the previous three decades, from 1984. New changes? The row has escalated as the Labour-led government launched a consultation in May, which looks to extend the changes in the valuation mechanism to rental agreements entered into before 2017 as they come up for renewal. That would mean around 15,000 existing telecoms sites would be added, with landowner representatives arguing it would exacerbate the problem they face. Industry experts want the UK Government to pause the implementation to consider the consequences for landowners. Interestingly, Labour in opposition approved the changes, which would be made by amending the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure (PTSI) Act, which then updates the ECC. In 2022, shadow digital secretary Lucy Powell warned that the PSTI changes would "slow down, rather than speed up, the broadband and 5G rollout". But now, telecoms minister Chris Bryant confirmed the government wants to implement the provisions "as soon as possible". Connectivity stalled Broadband and 5G accessibility remains poor in many parts of the UK. In Scotland, Argyll and Bute and the Highlands and Islands are amongst he worst. However, in Scotland's largest urban hub - Glasgow - fibre coverage is now amongst the five worst cities in the UK. Just 57.8% of premises have access to full fibre broadband. The UK is also now ranked 30th out of 39 countries in terms of availability of 5G.
The Herald Scotland
11 hours ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Landlords threaten to walk away from 5G connectivity scheme
Private and public landowners warn they have already lost out on around £200 million each year following significant changes made in 2017. Changes to the Electronic Communications Code meant telecoms firms were no longer required to pay market rent to landlords, with some landowners witnessing a 90% reduction in annual fees. It affects landowners including farmers, but also affects councils, charities and small businesses. In some cases rents originally agreed at around £5,500 per year fell to £3.50 per year, with landowners also stating they feel trapped in the agreement. The UK Government is consulting on changes to the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure (PSTI) Act that could see landowners refuse to allow the equipment on their property and therefore slowing down key connectivity targets. Russell Glendinning, managing director of Cell:cm Chartered Surveyors, a firm representing landowners of telecommunications infrastructure , said the implications would be "chilling". Read more: Mr Glendinning told The Herald on Sunday: "Scotland's digital rollout is being undermined by a failed UK-wide legal framework. "Changes to the 2017 Electronic Communications Code has significantly strained the relationship between landowners and mobile operators. "Many site providers have been drawn into lengthy and complex disputes in an attempt to protect operational requirements at their property against operators' technical and operational needs, often coupled with steeply reduced rents - and in some cases, site owners have even been ordered to repay substantial sums. "This has created a chilling effect on the willingness of both private and public landowners to host infrastructure." Landowners have urged the UK Government to rethink the legislation and listen to industry voices. Read more: The National Farming Union (NFU) and the British Property Federation (BPF) has since written to the government, warning that if action is not taken, landowners will walk away and 5G ambitions will be missed, while Scotland's 'fragile' connectivity will deteriorate further. Underserved parts of Scotland, like the Highlands and Islands and Argyll and Bute are particularly at risk. However, official statistics also revealed that Glasgow is now amongst the UK's worst five cities for fibre coverage. While the city is Scotland's largest urban hub, just 57.8% of premises have access to full fibre broadband. The ongoing row between landowners and telecoms firms has also stalled the UK rollout of 5G, with the UK now ranked 30th out of 39 countries for availability. Legal disputes have also skyrocketed since the 2017 changes, reaching 1,000 compared to just 33 tribunal cases between 1984 and 2017. Landowners can challenge the rent cost once the lease comes up for renewal, however the tribunal stage can be costly and off putting. Mr Glendinning added: 'Understandably, many now view the process as high-risk and low-reward, which has led to real difficulties in securing new sites. That, in turn, has had a catastrophic impact on mobile connectivity – particularly in rural areas and increasingly in urban settings too. 'The PSTI Act doubles down on this framework and there is a serious risk that the dysfunction we've already seen will only escalate. 'In cities like Glasgow and Edinburgh, where the pressures on property and infrastructure are already more acute, the burden placed on landlord is often far greater – and without meaningful reform, it's hard to see how the necessary collaboration can be restored.' A DSIT spokesperson said: 'Our priority is to continue delivering high quality 5G networks across the UK, which is critical to boosting growth and improving public services for the British people.'
Pembrokeshire Herald
20-05-2025
- Business
- Pembrokeshire Herald
Pembrokeshire school site to be transformed into motorcycle showroom
A shock on the Carmarthenshire Farm A FARMER from Carmarthenshire is at the centre of a growing legal storm over the UK Government's controversial 5G rollout policy – a policy critics say is slowing progress, not speeding it up. In 2017, ministers promised a faster, cheaper path to mobile connectivity by changing the law to let telecoms companies pay landowners far less for installing masts. But instead of unleashing 5G, the new rules have triggered a wave of legal battles – and rural Wales is bearing the brunt. Thomas Richards from Llangennech, who agreed to host a mast in 2016 for around £5,500 a year, was stunned when the new rules allowed the telecoms company to revise their offer to just £3.50 a year. 'Negotiations were very stressful. I felt we were taken advantage of as a family,' he said. 'I can't believe the government is allowing this to happen. Who is going to want a mast on their land now?' His case is one of more than a dozen disputes across Wales, all stemming from the 2017 reforms to the Electronic Communications Code. Wales is now a legal hotspot for telecom disputes, with more than 14 tribunal cases since 2021. These include disputes with Cardiff International Airport, South Wales Fire and Rescue Authority, and farmers in Snowdonia and Powys. The number of mast-related legal cases across the UK has surged from just 33 in the 30 years before the code change to more than 1,100 since 2017. Many site owners – from farmers and churches to care homes and sports clubs – have reported rent drops of 90 percent or more, often with little say in the matter. Campaign group Protect and Connect say some landowners feel bullied and cornered. In one case, a hill farmer in North Wales saw his annual rent slashed from £5,500 to £3.50. A park visitor centre lost £9,800 a year in mast income, damaging their ability to operate. A church in mid Wales was left scrambling to pay heating bills after its mast rent collapsed. In response, telecom companies argue that the changes were necessary to stop landowners charging what they call ransom rents that stalled network upgrades. The UK Government insists the reforms are about making digital connectivity affordable and universal. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said it wants fairer, faster and more collaborative negotiations, and introduced the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act in 2022 to encourage dispute resolution. But critics, including the Farmers' Union of Wales, say the reforms have gone too far. One landowner was offered just £32 total for a 10-year lease – down from an earlier offer of £4,650 per year. In Pembrokeshire, the battle over connectivity has a familiar ring. Residents in Tenby have been complaining about poor mobile signal for years, with tourists flooding in each summer only worsening the problem. County Councillor Michael Williams said: 'All the providers are blaming visitor numbers, but that excuse doesn't justify the charges people are paying. It's the same problem every year.' One resident told The Herald he had missed hospital appointments because of poor signal. Businesses relying on card machines and mobile bookings say the network failures cost them money and reputation. Efforts to install a 20-metre mast in Tenby to ease pressure have stalled due to planning objections within the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. Officials say it's a difficult balance between connectivity and conservation. Another controversial mast plan in the Preseli Hills was recently rejected due to its visual impact. Despite the potential to improve rural signal, inspectors upheld objections that it would harm the landscape. In Cardiff and other urban areas, rooftop masts are also facing disputes over low renewal offers, showing this issue is not confined to the countryside. Official Ofcom figures show Wales lags behind on mobile coverage. Only 62 percent of land area in Wales has 4G from all four major networks. In some rural constituencies, that figure drops below 50 percent. Superfast broadband access in Pembrokeshire stands at around 93 percent, still below the Welsh average. Broadband tells a similar tale of two Waleses. Overall, about 96 percent of homes in Wales can access superfast broadband via fixed lines or wireless solutions – roughly on par with the UK average. But rural counties lag behind. Powys has the lowest superfast availability at just 84 percent of premises. Ceredigion is at 86 percent. Pembrokeshire stands around 93 percent – better, but still below the Welsh average. When it comes to future-proofed networks, the gap is starker: only 40 percent of premises in Pembrokeshire have access to full-fibre broadband so far, compared to nearly 70 percent of premises in Cardiff. Some relief for landowners has started to arrive via the courts. In a recent case, the Upper Tribunal increased the annual rent for a greenfield mast site from £750 to £1,750, after ruling that the earlier valuation was too low. Farming unions hailed the decision, but warned it was still far below the market rates common before 2017. Campaigners and MPs are now urging a review of the policy before new rules expand the same approach to 15,000 more sites across the UK. Legal experts warn the number of tribunal cases could double again if this happens. Telecoms industry representatives argue that the reforms were needed to break deadlock and reduce deployment costs. They say most landowners still agree terms without dispute, and that masts are essential national infrastructure, not just commercial equipment. But for rural communities, that message is wearing thin. Many feel they are being asked to sacrifice land, income and peace of mind – all while still waiting for improved service. In Tenby, local plasterer Ben Jones says poor signal is costing him work. 'I've missed bookings from clients because they couldn't get through,' he said. 'One customer said it took him five tries to make contact.' Another resident, Paul, told The Herald he had missed hospital calls and emergency transport arrangements due to unreliable signal. 'It's ridiculous that in 2025, my phone signal is worse than it was in the 1990s,' he said. Shops relying on mobile card machines also report frequent outages. One shop owner said: 'It's embarrassing having to explain to customers that we can't process a payment because the network's gone down again.' There is growing consensus that progress on connectivity must be matched by fairness for those who host it. As the Carmarthenshire farmer put it: 'I want better signal too. But not if it means giving up my land for pennies.' Bridging the digital divide in Wales may require more than telecom towers. It may demand trust, balance, and real partnership between the countryside and the companies trying to connect it.
Pembrokeshire Herald
20-05-2025
- Business
- Pembrokeshire Herald
Fresh plans to extend contentious Pembrokeshire holiday park
A shock on the Carmarthenshire Farm A FARMER from Carmarthenshire is at the centre of a growing legal storm over the UK Government's controversial 5G rollout policy – a policy critics say is slowing progress, not speeding it up. In 2017, ministers promised a faster, cheaper path to mobile connectivity by changing the law to let telecoms companies pay landowners far less for installing masts. But instead of unleashing 5G, the new rules have triggered a wave of legal battles – and rural Wales is bearing the brunt. Thomas Richards from Llangennech, who agreed to host a mast in 2016 for around £5,500 a year, was stunned when the new rules allowed the telecoms company to revise their offer to just £3.50 a year. 'Negotiations were very stressful. I felt we were taken advantage of as a family,' he said. 'I can't believe the government is allowing this to happen. Who is going to want a mast on their land now?' His case is one of more than a dozen disputes across Wales, all stemming from the 2017 reforms to the Electronic Communications Code. Wales is now a legal hotspot for telecom disputes, with more than 14 tribunal cases since 2021. These include disputes with Cardiff International Airport, South Wales Fire and Rescue Authority, and farmers in Snowdonia and Powys. The number of mast-related legal cases across the UK has surged from just 33 in the 30 years before the code change to more than 1,100 since 2017. Many site owners – from farmers and churches to care homes and sports clubs – have reported rent drops of 90 percent or more, often with little say in the matter. Campaign group Protect and Connect say some landowners feel bullied and cornered. In one case, a hill farmer in North Wales saw his annual rent slashed from £5,500 to £3.50. A park visitor centre lost £9,800 a year in mast income, damaging their ability to operate. A church in mid Wales was left scrambling to pay heating bills after its mast rent collapsed. In response, telecom companies argue that the changes were necessary to stop landowners charging what they call ransom rents that stalled network upgrades. The UK Government insists the reforms are about making digital connectivity affordable and universal. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said it wants fairer, faster and more collaborative negotiations, and introduced the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act in 2022 to encourage dispute resolution. But critics, including the Farmers' Union of Wales, say the reforms have gone too far. One landowner was offered just £32 total for a 10-year lease – down from an earlier offer of £4,650 per year. In Pembrokeshire, the battle over connectivity has a familiar ring. Residents in Tenby have been complaining about poor mobile signal for years, with tourists flooding in each summer only worsening the problem. County Councillor Michael Williams said: 'All the providers are blaming visitor numbers, but that excuse doesn't justify the charges people are paying. It's the same problem every year.' One resident told The Herald he had missed hospital appointments because of poor signal. Businesses relying on card machines and mobile bookings say the network failures cost them money and reputation. Efforts to install a 20-metre mast in Tenby to ease pressure have stalled due to planning objections within the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. Officials say it's a difficult balance between connectivity and conservation. Another controversial mast plan in the Preseli Hills was recently rejected due to its visual impact. Despite the potential to improve rural signal, inspectors upheld objections that it would harm the landscape. In Cardiff and other urban areas, rooftop masts are also facing disputes over low renewal offers, showing this issue is not confined to the countryside. Official Ofcom figures show Wales lags behind on mobile coverage. Only 62 percent of land area in Wales has 4G from all four major networks. In some rural constituencies, that figure drops below 50 percent. Superfast broadband access in Pembrokeshire stands at around 93 percent, still below the Welsh average. Broadband tells a similar tale of two Waleses. Overall, about 96 percent of homes in Wales can access superfast broadband via fixed lines or wireless solutions – roughly on par with the UK average. But rural counties lag behind. Powys has the lowest superfast availability at just 84 percent of premises. Ceredigion is at 86 percent. Pembrokeshire stands around 93 percent – better, but still below the Welsh average. When it comes to future-proofed networks, the gap is starker: only 40 percent of premises in Pembrokeshire have access to full-fibre broadband so far, compared to nearly 70 percent of premises in Cardiff. Some relief for landowners has started to arrive via the courts. In a recent case, the Upper Tribunal increased the annual rent for a greenfield mast site from £750 to £1,750, after ruling that the earlier valuation was too low. Farming unions hailed the decision, but warned it was still far below the market rates common before 2017. Campaigners and MPs are now urging a review of the policy before new rules expand the same approach to 15,000 more sites across the UK. Legal experts warn the number of tribunal cases could double again if this happens. Telecoms industry representatives argue that the reforms were needed to break deadlock and reduce deployment costs. They say most landowners still agree terms without dispute, and that masts are essential national infrastructure, not just commercial equipment. But for rural communities, that message is wearing thin. Many feel they are being asked to sacrifice land, income and peace of mind – all while still waiting for improved service. In Tenby, local plasterer Ben Jones says poor signal is costing him work. 'I've missed bookings from clients because they couldn't get through,' he said. 'One customer said it took him five tries to make contact.' Another resident, Paul, told The Herald he had missed hospital calls and emergency transport arrangements due to unreliable signal. 'It's ridiculous that in 2025, my phone signal is worse than it was in the 1990s,' he said. Shops relying on mobile card machines also report frequent outages. One shop owner said: 'It's embarrassing having to explain to customers that we can't process a payment because the network's gone down again.' There is growing consensus that progress on connectivity must be matched by fairness for those who host it. As the Carmarthenshire farmer put it: 'I want better signal too. But not if it means giving up my land for pennies.' Bridging the digital divide in Wales may require more than telecom towers. It may demand trust, balance, and real partnership between the countryside and the companies trying to connect it.
Pembrokeshire Herald
18-05-2025
- Business
- Pembrokeshire Herald
New Barti BBQ sauce launches at Angle's iconic Old Point House
A shock on the Carmarthenshire Farm A FARMER from Carmarthenshire is at the centre of a growing legal storm over the UK Government's controversial 5G rollout policy – a policy critics say is slowing progress, not speeding it up. In 2017, ministers promised a faster, cheaper path to mobile connectivity by changing the law to let telecoms companies pay landowners far less for installing masts. But instead of unleashing 5G, the new rules have triggered a wave of legal battles – and rural Wales is bearing the brunt. Thomas Richards from Llangennech, who agreed to host a mast in 2016 for around £5,500 a year, was stunned when the new rules allowed the telecoms company to revise their offer to just £3.50 a year. 'Negotiations were very stressful. I felt we were taken advantage of as a family,' he said. 'I can't believe the government is allowing this to happen. Who is going to want a mast on their land now?' His case is one of more than a dozen disputes across Wales, all stemming from the 2017 reforms to the Electronic Communications Code. Wales is now a legal hotspot for telecom disputes, with more than 14 tribunal cases since 2021. These include disputes with Cardiff International Airport, South Wales Fire and Rescue Authority, and farmers in Snowdonia and Powys. The number of mast-related legal cases across the UK has surged from just 33 in the 30 years before the code change to more than 1,100 since 2017. Many site owners – from farmers and churches to care homes and sports clubs – have reported rent drops of 90 percent or more, often with little say in the matter. Campaign group Protect and Connect say some landowners feel bullied and cornered. In one case, a hill farmer in North Wales saw his annual rent slashed from £5,500 to £3.50. A park visitor centre lost £9,800 a year in mast income, damaging their ability to operate. A church in mid Wales was left scrambling to pay heating bills after its mast rent collapsed. In response, telecom companies argue that the changes were necessary to stop landowners charging what they call ransom rents that stalled network upgrades. The UK Government insists the reforms are about making digital connectivity affordable and universal. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said it wants fairer, faster and more collaborative negotiations, and introduced the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act in 2022 to encourage dispute resolution. But critics, including the Farmers' Union of Wales, say the reforms have gone too far. One landowner was offered just £32 total for a 10-year lease – down from an earlier offer of £4,650 per year. In Pembrokeshire, the battle over connectivity has a familiar ring. Residents in Tenby have been complaining about poor mobile signal for years, with tourists flooding in each summer only worsening the problem. County Councillor Michael Williams said: 'All the providers are blaming visitor numbers, but that excuse doesn't justify the charges people are paying. It's the same problem every year.' One resident told The Herald he had missed hospital appointments because of poor signal. Businesses relying on card machines and mobile bookings say the network failures cost them money and reputation. Efforts to install a 20-metre mast in Tenby to ease pressure have stalled due to planning objections within the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. Officials say it's a difficult balance between connectivity and conservation. Another controversial mast plan in the Preseli Hills was recently rejected due to its visual impact. Despite the potential to improve rural signal, inspectors upheld objections that it would harm the landscape. In Cardiff and other urban areas, rooftop masts are also facing disputes over low renewal offers, showing this issue is not confined to the countryside. Official Ofcom figures show Wales lags behind on mobile coverage. Only 62 percent of land area in Wales has 4G from all four major networks. In some rural constituencies, that figure drops below 50 percent. Superfast broadband access in Pembrokeshire stands at around 93 percent, still below the Welsh average. Broadband tells a similar tale of two Waleses. Overall, about 96 percent of homes in Wales can access superfast broadband via fixed lines or wireless solutions – roughly on par with the UK average. But rural counties lag behind. Powys has the lowest superfast availability at just 84 percent of premises. Ceredigion is at 86 percent. Pembrokeshire stands around 93 percent – better, but still below the Welsh average. When it comes to future-proofed networks, the gap is starker: only 40 percent of premises in Pembrokeshire have access to full-fibre broadband so far, compared to nearly 70 percent of premises in Cardiff. Some relief for landowners has started to arrive via the courts. In a recent case, the Upper Tribunal increased the annual rent for a greenfield mast site from £750 to £1,750, after ruling that the earlier valuation was too low. Farming unions hailed the decision, but warned it was still far below the market rates common before 2017. Campaigners and MPs are now urging a review of the policy before new rules expand the same approach to 15,000 more sites across the UK. Legal experts warn the number of tribunal cases could double again if this happens. Telecoms industry representatives argue that the reforms were needed to break deadlock and reduce deployment costs. They say most landowners still agree terms without dispute, and that masts are essential national infrastructure, not just commercial equipment. But for rural communities, that message is wearing thin. Many feel they are being asked to sacrifice land, income and peace of mind – all while still waiting for improved service. In Tenby, local plasterer Ben Jones says poor signal is costing him work. 'I've missed bookings from clients because they couldn't get through,' he said. 'One customer said it took him five tries to make contact.' Another resident, Paul, told The Herald he had missed hospital calls and emergency transport arrangements due to unreliable signal. 'It's ridiculous that in 2025, my phone signal is worse than it was in the 1990s,' he said. Shops relying on mobile card machines also report frequent outages. One shop owner said: 'It's embarrassing having to explain to customers that we can't process a payment because the network's gone down again.' There is growing consensus that progress on connectivity must be matched by fairness for those who host it. As the Carmarthenshire farmer put it: 'I want better signal too. But not if it means giving up my land for pennies.' Bridging the digital divide in Wales may require more than telecom towers. It may demand trust, balance, and real partnership between the countryside and the companies trying to connect it.
