UK Govt's Expensive Mobile Coverage Project Builds Just 8 Masts In 4 Years

An anonymous reader points out a dismal report at The Register on a project intended by the UK government to connect lots of internet have-nots, but which has so far not accomplished as much as hoped. The Mobile Infrastructure Project is intended to provide last-mile connectivity, but the project has languished, and fallen short of its promises. This year, Department for Culture, Media and Sport has managed to erect only six masts, which can serve about 200 homes apiece. Originally more than 575 sites had been commissioned, following the publication of the “no coverage” database by watchdog Ofcom. At the rate seen so far of four masts a year it will take over 140 years to complete the £150m Mobile Infrastructure Project. The original deadline was to to have all the sites equipped and live by the end of 2015. However, that deadline was extended to March 2016 to "ensure that benefits of the program are maximized."

Comments

Re:Despite all evidence

[Shadow of Eternity]

It's easy to say government doesn't work when your side is busy doing everything in its power to ensure that outcome.

TL;DR version

[Mr_Silver]

UK network operators are castigated by the UK Government for not building out mobile coverage in rural areas.

Network Operators respond by pointing out that they don't because of the difficulty in finding locations to provide the required coverage, local planning applications, the availability of power and problems with site access.

UK Government says "amateurs, we can do it better than you" so sets up project to do just that.

Project spectacularly fails to achieve anything and sheepishly admits that the reasons for its failure are due to the difficulty in finding locations to provide the required coverage, local planning applications, the availability of power and problems with site access.