The National Rural Conference 2025

Bookings are now officially open for the National Rural Conference 2025, which will take place online from Monday 15 to Thursday 18 September.
This is the Rural Services Network’s flagship event of the year, bringing together rural decision-makers, practitioners, and advocates for four days of live, interactive sessions focused on the future of rural communities.
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Countryside being let down by mobile phone giants

The Telegraph and Mail both reported on Rural England’s biannual State of Rural Services report, which fund that a third of rural households are unable to make a basic mobile call across the main network, and that more than half are unable to access 4G.

The report also highlights poor transport links outside of urban areas, finding that almost half of those living in rural parts now need to leave at least 30 minutes to reach their nearest town centre if they do not have a car.

Brian Wilson, the report’s author, commented that ‘nearly a fifth of people in England live in rural areas, yet evidence shows that many of them face inadequate services, such as being unable to make mobile phone calls or being without transport options’.


Full article:

→ Rural England - State of Rural Services Report 2018

→ The Telegraph - Third of rural households unable to make mobile phone calls from their own home, finds new report

→ The Daily Mail - Cut-off countryside being let down by mobile phone giants: A basic call cannot be made from one third of rural buildings while more than half do not have 4G, report finds