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Welcome to this issue of Connected

I am delighted to provide an update on what’s been going on at Cornerstone and, more generally, in the industry over the last few months.

Our work on the Shared Rural Network (SRN) programme continues at speed. As you are aware, this programme will provide 4G mobile coverage in hardto-reach rural areas. We have already made significant progress and are working hard with rural communities across the UK to help them understand the benefits of improved mobile connectivity and coverage in their area. Many of these areas are national parks or areas of outstanding national beauty, and we recognise the importance of protecting the environment whilst at the same time providing the necessary infrastructure that is required to provide the connectivity. This can be challenging, but by working closely with the local community and the local planning authorities, we have made good progress and found solutions that protect everyone’s interests whilst delivering all the benefits that the enhanced connectivity will bring, including:

Greater social interaction with family and friends.
Better access to public facilities, e.g., GPs, educational and emergency services.
Enhanced growth opportunities for rural businesses.
More innovative and productive ways to boost the local economy.

In May, The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) published its UK Wireless Infrastructure Strategy. The strategy promoted a new ambition for the UK to have nationwide coverage of standalone 5G to all populated areas by 2030. As a mobile digital infrastructure provider, we are pleased to see the importance given to digital connectivity to help our communities. The report states that the Government will lead by example and ensure that we build infrastructure fit for the digital age. We will be giving you more updates about this in the coming issues, but if you are interested in reading the report, visit: www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-wireless-infrastructure-strategy

As a provider of critical infrastructure, we act responsibly by ensuring we work with the Government to help them understand our industry better and what is required to move forward.

In April, Cornerstone was invited to the All-Party Parliament Group (APPG) meeting, consisting of MPs, the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) and an Access Industry chairperson. Our Head of Health, Safety, Quality and Environment (HSQE), Lindsey Roberts and our Generalist and Incident Manager, Kevin Wright, attended the meeting, which discussed the UK Health and Safety legislation. With Cornerstone working at height on sites, we contributed to the discussions by sharing our field expertise and were able to impress on the Government the importance of retaining robust regulation and legislation in this important area.

You can read more about this on our media hub: www.cornerstone.network/resource/cornerstone-day-in-parliament

In a previous issue, I mentioned the National Connectivity Alliance, a forum for the site provider community and telecom operators/infrastructure provider community to collaborate. The aim continues to make it easier for us to acquire, build and maintain telecom sites. There have been some recent outputs from this Alliance that can help answer some of your queries. You can find out more at: www.ncalliance.org.uk/documents

Thank you to all who took part in our Landlord survey. Listening to your feedback is essential to building our relationship with you.

As always, we will look at making improvements, but we also appreciate the constructive feedback you kindly shared. Remember, you don’t have to wait for our bi-annual survey to provide feedback. We are always open to hearing from you. You can find out more on page 10. If, for any reason, you want to submit a complaint to do with your site, Cornerstone or our suppliers, we have a formal complaints procedure, which intends to resolve any issues. This can be found at: www.cornerstone.network/procedure-complaints

I hope this update has given you a flavour of recent activities within our industry and Cornerstone. Please enjoy reading the rest of this magazine.

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