UK's O2, Three, Vodafone to jointly build mobile masts to improve rural coverage

British operators O2 UK, Three UK and Vodafone Group PLC teamed up to construct and share mobile masts, with the goal of improving coverage in rural areas in the U.K., according to a Jan. 27 release.

The partnership will see the operators sharing 222 mobile masts as part of their commitment to deliver the first stage of the £1 billion shared rural network project intended to boost 4G wireless network in rural locations.

The construction will begin this year and is expected to be completed by 2024.

Of the total number of mobile masts, 124 will be built in Scotland, 33 in Wales, 11 in Northern Ireland and 54 in England. Each operator will lead 74 new sites.

Under the shared rural network, the U.K. government pledged to deliver coverage to 95% of Britain by 2025 under an agreement with O2, Three, Vodafone and EE Ltd.

Telefónica SA owns O2 UK, CK Hutchison Holdings Ltd. owns Three and British Telecom owns EE.