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Video calling the family for Christmas just got a little easier, with over 100 mobile network masts now upgraded to deliver 4G coverage from all major mobile network operators – a major milestone in the government’s drive to end mobile total-not-spots through the Shared Rural Network programme.

Families will enjoy their most connected Christmas yet, tourists visiting for festive breaks will have better connectivity for their journeys, and emergency services will have enhanced coverage during the winter months.

From guest houses and holiday lets, to village halls and coffee shops, businesses across previously unconnected parts of the UK can now more reliably process contactless payments, take online bookings and stay in touch with customers during the festive period.

The Shared Rural Network is a joint programme between the government and the UK’s mobile network operators EE, Virgin Media O2 and VodafoneThree to improve rural coverage across Britain.

Telecoms Minister Liz Lloyd said:

More of Britain’s rural communities are finally getting the connection they’ve been waiting for as we deck the hills with 4G coverage.

These 100 upgraded masts mean businesses can ring up sales, families can video call their loved ones this Christmas without buffering mid-conversation, and our beautiful rural areas can attract the investment, jobs and tourism they need to thrive.

Whether you’re in the Welsh valleys, the Scottish Highlands, or England’s national parks – rural communities are finally getting the connections they deserve, boosting opportunity and growth as we drive forward plans for national renewal.

These improvements are already transforming connectivity in areas that were previously not served by all mobile network operators. Across Wales, Scotland and England, 105 masts have been upgraded – 44 in Wales, 33 in Scotland and 28 in England – providing reliable coverage to over 400 businesses and wrapping up a year of significant progress in rural connectivity.

The 100 masts are predicted to bring outdoor 4G signal coverage from all mobile networks to over 4,000 square kilometres of the UK – an area equivalent to 2.5 times the size of Greater London, or 9,600 Hyde Park Winter Wonderlands.

Among the businesses now enjoying improved connectivity, an eco-friendly guest house in the Scottish Borders can now keep guests connected during Christmas breaks while they enjoy the exceptional dark-sky location, perfect for tracking Santa on Christmas Eve.

A village hall at the heart of a community in Northumberland has vital infrastructure keeping locals connected, with events such as the local drama society’s production and regular weekly sessions of the community choir and ceilidh band.

New coverage will also be available in 10 national parks across England, Scotland and Wales, including Eryri National Park, and the Lake District.

Notes to editors

John Holland, Chairman of Tarset Village Hall Committee said:

We operate all year round and the availability of new 4G connectivity from the mast now means it is possible for Hall users to contact committee members in the event of an issue. It has also improved public safety and led to financial benefits as well.

Ben Roome, CEO of Mova, the Shared Rural Network delivery partner said:

Christmas is a time for connection and this year more rural communities than ever can share that spirit. With the 100th site activated, in Llanfair on the border between England and Wales, these publicly funded masts can connect families, friends and businesses across a cumulative area of over 4,000 square kilometres, irrespective of mobile provider.

This achievement is testament to what can be accomplished when government and industry work together. Since the Shared Rural Network began, 4G coverage from all four operators has grown from 66% to over 81% of the UK, an increase equivalent to the size of Wales and Northern Ireland combined.

About the Shared Rural Network

The Shared Rural Network is a partnership between the UK government and mobile network operators. It aims to improve mobile coverage in rural areas across the UK. The programme reached its target of delivering to 95% of UK landmass a year ahead of schedule. The latest Connected Nations report (published on 17 November) shows that 96% of the UK now has coverage from at least one mobile network operator which is up from 91% when the programme started in March 2020.

Recent achievements

The SRN programme has delivered mobile coverage to:

• An extra 9,500 premises
• 1,400 km of roads
• 4,019 square kilometres is the cumulative area of the UK predicted to be reached with an outdoor 4G signal from all mobile networks from the 100 masts

Future SRN rollout

The programme will continue until January 2027. During this time there will be:

• 85 government funded mast upgrades planned across Britain
• Up to 44 new publicly funded masts built across Scotland with the first already live in the Western Isles

This new infrastructure will expand reliable mobile coverage to more rural communities throughout Britain.

Emergency Services Network (ESN)

The government masts referenced in this press notice are being built by the Home Office to first and foremost facilitate the new Emergency Services Network (ESN). The government and mobile network operators have been working with the Home Office and the mobile network operators to upgrade these masts to provide commercial coverage from all UK mobile network operators.

Mobile Network Operator investment

As part of the Shared Rural Network the mobile network operators have also invested in their own mast network tackling ‘partial not spots’. These are areas where customers can only access 4G if they are signed up with a mobile network operator that is active in that area. This work has already delivered significant coverage improvements across the UK and successfully completed last year.

More information

For more information on the Shared Rural Network, visit https://srn.org.uk

The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) is extending targeted property tax relief for diamond mines into the 2026–27 fiscal year to support near-term economic stability for workers, businesses, and northern communities during a period of continued global market and trade uncertainty.

The extension builds on temporary measures introduced in 2025 and reflects ongoing pressures facing the global diamond industry, including volatile markets, trade disruptions, and elevated operating costs. The GNWT’s decision is intended to reduce the risk of sudden economic disruption while longer-term economic transition and diversification work continues.

Diamond mining remains the Northwest Territories’ largest private-sector industry and a cornerstone of the territorial economy. Extending the property tax relief into 2026–27 is expected to reduce total diamond mine property tax revenues by approximately $8.8 million, representing a 45 per cent reduction compared with projected revenues without relief.

As with the 2025 measures, this extension is time-limited and comes with clear expectations around transparency and accountability. The GNWT expects mine operators to continue directing the benefits of this relief toward sustaining NWT-based employment, meeting obligations to local contractors and Indigenous business partners, and maintaining safe and responsible operations.

The Government of Canada recently announced a $115 million loan to the Ekati Diamond Mine through the Large Enterprise Tariff Loan facility to help maintain operations and protect northern jobs amid trade uncertainty. The GNWT’s extension of property tax relief complements this federal action and reflects a coordinated effort to support workers and communities while broader transition and diversification efforts continue.

Quotes

“The diamond sector remains central to the Northwest Territories’ economy, and the people who depend on it continue to face uncertainty driven largely by forces beyond their control. Extending targeted property tax relief is a pragmatic step to support economic stability and help northern families and communities weather ongoing pressures. As with our previous measures, this relief is temporary and comes with clear expectations that benefits support NWT workers, businesses, and Indigenous partners.”

— Caroline Wawzonek, Minister of Finance

“This extension is about maintaining stability today while planning responsibly for what comes next. By working alongside Indigenous governments, industry partners, and the Government of Canada, we are supporting workers and local businesses now while laying the groundwork for longer-term economic resilience, diversification, and new opportunities for Northerners.”

— Caitlin Cleveland, Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment

Quick Facts

• Extending property tax relief into 2026–27 is expected to reduce total diamond mine property tax revenues by approximately $8.8 million, or 45 per cent, compared with projected revenues without relief.
• The relief applies to all operating diamond mines and is limited to the 2026–27 tax year.
• Diamond mine property taxes are paid directly to the GNWT, not to municipalities.
• In 2025, the GNWT introduced additional temporary measures to support the sector, including doubling local diamond valuations and releasing remaining balances from the Large Emitter Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Reducing Investment Fund to support mine cash flow.

For media requests, please contact:
Cabinet Communications
Government of the Northwest Territories
PressSecretary@gov.nt.ca

A federal judge has temporarily blocked a new Texas law adding restrictions on children’s use of app stores.

Senate Bill 2420, which was supposed to activate on Jan. 1, establishes age verification requirements and mandates parental consent before a minor is allowed to download or make purchases within apps. Its supporters say the law is needed to protect children as they navigate social media and online spaces, while critics say it would violate free speech rights.

U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman, an Obama appointee, on Tuesday sided with the law’s opponents, saying that parts of it are “unconstitutionally vague” and “exceedingly overbroad.”

“The Act is akin to a law that would require every bookstore to verify the age of every customer at the door and, for minors, require parental consent before the child or teen could enter and again when they try to purchase a book,” Pitman wrote in a 20-page ruling granting a preliminary injunction.

“As set out below, the Court finds a likelihood that, when considered on the merits, SB 2420 violates the First Amendment.”

But state Sen. Angela Paxton, the McKinney Republican who authored SB 2420, is confident that the law will prevail.  

“We built this bill to equip parents with common sense tools to protect their kids AND to survive court challenges by those who may have lesser priorities,” she said in a written statement. 

The Computer & Communication Industry Association, which filed the lawsuit in October, cheered the decision.

“This Order stops the Texas App Store Accountability Act from taking effect in order to preserve the First Amendment rights of app stores, app developers, parents, and younger internet users,” Stephanie Joyce, director of CCIA’s Litigation Center, said in a news release. “It also protects parents’ inviolate right to use their own judgment in safeguarding their children online using the myriad tools our members provide.”

The law also faced a legal challenge from two Texas teens and Students Engaged in Advancing Texas, a youth-led advocacy organization.

“App stores allow anyone with a smartphone and an internet connection to access the accumulated sum of virtually all recorded human knowledge and expression,” Adam Sieff, an attorney representing them, said in a statement Tuesday. “Banning students like SEAT’s members, M.F., and Z.B., from accessing these massive libraries without parental consent, just because the government thinks that’s what their parents ought to want, has never been a constitutionally permissible way to protect kids or support families.”

Under SB 2420, developers must assign age ratings to their apps, disclose the reason for the rating, and notify the app stores of any significant changes. Parental consent is not required for specific emergency or educational applications, such as those providing access to crisis hotlines.

Gov. Greg Abbott signed the proposal into law in May.

“Safety and online privacy for Texas children remains a priority for Governor Abbott, which is why he signed SB 2420 into law. Texas will empower parents to have more control over the online content their children can access,” Andrew Mahaleris, his press secretary, said earlier this year.

Beyond this law, Texas lawmakers have generally made regulating the internet for young people a priority in recent legislative sessions.

In 2023, the state began requiring companies that operate websites where more than one-third of the material is harmful to minors to use “reasonable” age verification measures to ensure users are at least 18 years old. This law, House Bill 1181, was part of a broader push to prevent children from being exposed to pornography.

A group of adult entertainment websites sued, arguing the 2023 law violated free speech and privacy protections.

Texas countered that the state had a right to protect children with what Solicitor General Aaron Nielson framed as “simple, safe and common” restrictions.

The U.S Supreme Court sided with Texas, deeming the law constitutional in a significant win for the online security movement.

However, a federal district court has issued several temporary blocks on provisions of another 2023 law — House Bill 18 — that restricts what kinds of materials and advertisements minors can see on social media and the age verification requirements, signaling that courts are not unified on how to regulate social media and online youth presence.