Arqiva, the communications infrastructure and media services company, has won the Government tender to deliver the Mobile Infrastructure Project (MIP), which aims to enable mobile services in rural areas where there is no commercial business case to deploy these services. Up to 60,000 premises and sections of road will be covered using the £150m funding allocated to the project.

MIP is an important part of the Government’s policy to reinforce the UK’s position as a leading digital economy. It is designed to help connect rural communities, create local jobs and contribute to national growth. The project sits alongside other initiatives, including the £530m Rural Broadband project and the £150m ‘super-connected cities’ programme.

Arqiva will be responsible for a full scale mobile network roll out. The scope includes network planning, site acquisition, the deployment of site infrastructure, and installation of equipment. It is expected that an announcement will be made on which locations will benefit from improved mobile coverage in the summer.

“Arqiva’s appointment today is great news for rural communities throughout the UK, who stand to benefit enormously from this £150m project to improve mobile phone coverage,” said Culture Minister, Ed Vaizey. “Good mobile connectivity is becomingly increasingly important, and it is crucial that businesses and individuals are not left struggling with poor and intermittent coverage.”