⚠️ Archived Content
This page relates to the 2019–2024 National Park Management Plan, which is now archived. For the latest aims and objectives, please visit the 2025–30 Management Plan landing page.
Provide basic mobile phone coverage across the National Park to reduce ‘not-spots’, and ensure 4G (or better) services are available on all networks in the 4 service ‘hubs’ and their surrounding ‘spoke’ settlements by 2021.
How the local partners are doing on this objective
There are now more than 30 masts that have been constructed or granted planning permission and are awaiting installation, but most will not become active until the Emergency Services Network is completed at the end of 2027.
During the past 12 months there has been a significant increase in 4G coverage in the part of the National Park in Cumbria: up from 46% to 73% of the area being able to access outdoor services from all 4 Mobile Network Operators. Corresponding figures are not available for the part of the National Park in North Yorkshire. However, in March 2024, 4G services were available on at least 3 networks in each of the 4 main village ‘hubs’, and in 12 of the 20 ‘spoke’ settlements.
The area of the Park with no mobile service stood at 21% – a small drop from 23% in 2019. However, as previously reported, there are now more than 30 masts that have either been constructed or granted planning permission and are awaiting installation. Many of these are part of the nation-wide Emergency Services Network, and will not become active until the end of 2027.
Press releases & related articles:
1 August 2025 – 4G mast connects up parts of rural Yorkshire
21 August 2024 – Connectivity improvements across the National Park
1 July 2022 – Nine new mobile phones masts to bring 4G to Dales
9 February 2021 – Affordable homes and 5G mast approved
Rationale: Residents and visitors expect reliable, fast mobile communications and data services. The regulator may require lobbying in order to push providers to roll out services (and choice) into ‘not-spots’. North Yorkshire County Council is assessing the extent of current provision and discussing with commercial operators how to achieve improvements in areas with challenging topography and poor coverage.
Lead partner: North Yorkshire Council; Westmorland & Furness Council; Lancashire County Council;
Supporting partners: York, North Yorkshire & East Riding Local Enterprise Partnership; Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership;
Further information: North Yorkshire Mobile coverage; Mobile Access North Yorkshire
Cost over 5 years: £2,000,000
Funding shortfall: n/a
Related objectives: A4; E1; E2, E3; F1, F2; F3; F5; F7,
Ecosystem services: None
Trade-offs: To overcome ‘not-spots’ new or much bigger masts will be required. Impacts on landscape character (A3) will be identified and moderated through the application of the policies set out in the Yorkshire Dales Local Plan. Existing masts for emergency services use, have the flexibility to be shared by commercial operators to provide general network coverage. Improvements to broadband coverage (E1) can also overcome issues with poor mobile network coverage through less visually intrusive infrastructure.
Baseline: 45% of the National Park was covered by ‘not-spots’ in March 2018.