Wales has some of the most popular beauty spots in Europe - from coastal gems to rural idylls. But many are in more remote areas where visitors can't get mobile access. This sometimes impacts things like using car park phone apps or posting pictures on social media of the stunning location.
This has now been addressed in 21 parts of Wales - including a number of sites in North Wales. More than 20 remote tourist destinations now have access to reliable mobile connectivity for the first time thanks to a UK government-backed project. The 5G DRIVE project, led by Virgin Media O2 and part funded by DSIT, has successfully rolled out new technology to bring mobile connectivity to 21 popular tourist destinations across Wales that previously had no cellular coverage.
The locations which include national parks and famous beauty spots are sparsely populated but attract large numbers of visitors and previously lacked any Wi-Fi or mobile coverage. The introduction of mobile coverage for the first time will have a significant impact on each location, improving safety for visitors and residents while providing new opportunities for businesses. In some areas the new networks have already been used to carry emergency calls that have led to lives being saved.
This builds on the recent success of the Shared Rural Network programme, which is focused on delivering connectivity to rural communities. One of the locations to benefit from the project is South Stack, a picturesque nature reserve manag.