New campaign aims to fix UK mobile signal which is worse than Kazakhstan’s
Key Points
- Buffering Britain is a new UK campaign launched to fix Britain's mobile signal
- The UK ranks 59th globally for mobile download speeds, behind Kazakhstan, Peru and Vietnam
- Poor mobile signal costs the UK economy at least £785 million a year in direct impact
- Local authorities approve only 51% of UK mast planning applications, compared to 86% of planning applications overall
- Only 2% of UK mobile connections use standalone 5G, the version that powers low-latency applications like self-driving cars and remote surgery
A new campaign has launched to overhaul UK mobile signal after Britain slipped to 59th in the world for download speeds, behind Kazakhstan, Peru and Vietnam.
Buffering Britain, led by Director Ben Cope and Head of Operations Jack Rowlett, is targeting the planning system, coverage measurement and public engagement as the three pillars holding back better connectivity.
The campaign said that poor signal costs the UK economy at least £785 million a year in direct impact, with London alone losing up to £260 million. South Korea’s median 5G download speed runs more than three times Britain’s.
Planning approval is one of the campaign’s main targets. Local authorities approve around 51% of mast applications in England compared with 86% of planning applications overall, according to House of Commons Library figures cited by the campaign.
Some councils reject more than 80% of mast bids, and decisions in the worst cases stretch beyond 500 days.
Coverage measurement is the second focus. Ofcom data suggests most of the UK has 4G coverage, but 9% of the country’s landmass has no mobile connection, and 87% of large UK organisations say poor indoor mobile connectivity causes daily disruptions.
London ranks last among major British cities for 5G download speed at 115 Mbps, over 60% slower than Glasgow on 185 Mbps.
Only 2% of UK connections use standalone 5G, the version that delivers the low latency needed for applications including self-driving cars, drone deliveries and remote surgery.
The UK held its first mmWave spectrum auction in October 2025, years behind the US, Japan and South Korea. The campaign warns Britain risks being locked out of next-generation technology if standalone networks fail to scale.
The campaign also points to the Electronic Communications Code reform of 2017, which cut typical rural mast site rents from £5,000 to £7,000 down to around £750 a year.
Around 35% of site providers are considering withdrawing from hosting altogether, and the reform has triggered more than 1,000 legal disputes. From 7 April 2026, the same valuation rules will extend to thousands more sites.
“Poor connectivity is a choice. It’s time to make a different one,” Buffering Britain said.
