Waverley Borough Council has received encouraging updates on mobile coverage improvements across the borough, following a meeting last week with representatives from VodafoneThree. The discussion provided an overview of progress made throughout 2025 and outlined the extensive programme of further upgrades scheduled for 2026.
The mobile network operator reported that the borough has already benefited from strengthened 4G capacity and growing 5G coverage. These improvements form part of a national rollout of enhancements required by Ofcom following the merger of Vodafone and Three, with Waverley seeing tangible local gains as a result.
VodafoneThree confirmed that, while early improvements have already been delivered, a comprehensive programme of upgrades is planned for 2026, bringing benefits to a wider part of the borough and helping to address longstanding connectivity gaps.
Councillor Liz Townsend BEM, Portfolio Holder for Planning and Economic Development and Deputy Leader of Waverley Borough Council, said:
“It is really encouraging to hear the progress that is being made, with residents hopefully starting to see improvements in mobile coverage and, also, to know that more upgrades are planned this year. However, we know there is still work to be done to help those in more rural communities, some of whom continue to experience poor or unreliable service, and we will continue to push hard for providers to deliver the improvements those residents and businesses need.
“We would also like to acknowledge the part that Cranleigh and Godalming BIDs are playing to improve the Wi-Fi connectivity on local High Streets. There will be 7 Public Wi-Fi hotspots at strategic locations throughout Cranleigh High Street whilst Godalming hotspots will go ‘live’ this week.”
Improving digital infrastructure remains a priority for the Council and forms a key theme of its Economic Development Strategy. Reliable mobile coverage plays a vital role in supporting local businesses, attracting investment, and ensuring residents can access essential digital services.
Last year, the Council wrote to the Minister of State for Data and Digital Infrastructure, calling for stronger oversight and support to speed up the delivery of improvements and hold providers to their commitments.
A Vodafone spokesperson, added: We are working at pace to deliver improvements to all residents across Waverley. Using our innovative ‘Multi-Operator Core Network’ technology, we have already switched on over 8000 sites across the UK, representing the next stage of VodafoneThree’s £11 billion investment programme. This means customers’ devices will automatically connect to the best coverage available – whether that’s on the Vodafone or Three network – effectively giving them access to two networks at no extra cost. This will see customers of VodafoneThree brands experience improved coverage, reliability, and speed when using 4G and 5G.
“Specifically in Waverley, we have activated 27 of these sites with a mixture of 4G coverage and capacity improvements and additional layers of 5G connectivity. We hope these benefits are being felt by our customers across Waverley.”
Image:Matt Gordon