03 October 2025

Cornwall could be at risk of losing vital mobile coverage as landowners warn they may refuse to host phone masts due to significant rent reductions. Local landowner groups and residents have expressed concern that recent government plans to extend the existing rules could further jeopardize connectivity across the region.

Changes introduced in 2017 to the electronic communications code granted mobile operators sweeping powers to slash payments to landowners — many of whom are farmers, small business owners, local authorities, and NHS trusts — resulting in rent cuts of up to 90%. These measures were intended to accelerate the rollout of mobile infrastructure but instead led to over 1,000 legal disputes, a stark increase from just 33 cases in the previous three decades.

This legal and regulatory turmoil has contributed to a slowdown in the deployment of new mobile masts, contradicting the policy’s original aim. The UK currently ranks near the bottom among European countries for 5G coverage, with only 45% of the population covered, compared to more than 80% in nations like Denmark and Finland. The prospect of further regulatory changes has raised fears that rural and underserved areas like Cornwall could face even greater connectivity challenges if landowners choose to withdraw their support for new infrastructure.