Church spires across the UK will be used to boost digital connectivity in rural areas following an agreement between the Government and the Church of England.
The accord, signed by the the Church of England, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and Defra encourages the use of churches to improve broadband and mobile connectivity for local communities.
Sixty-five percent of Anglican churches and 66% of parishes in England are in rural areas and their locations at the heart of their communities mean they are often well placed to address connectivity and coverage problems.
It follows news of the government announcing the delivery of superfast broadband to 95% of UK premises, but "significant areas" of the countryside are said to still be left without a decent connection.
The use of churches, as well as other church properties and farm buildings, to host digital infrastructure will help rural areas and farming communities receive good quality mobile connectivity.
'Isolation'
The agreement will mean that even a 15th century building can help make Britain receive connectivity in some of the country's hardest-to-reach areas.
The Dioceses of Chelmsford and Norwich are already supporting programmes which use Church buildings to improve connectivity in rural areas.
The Bishop of Chelmsford, Rt Revd Stephen Cottrell, said: "We know that rural churches in particular have always served as a hub for their communities. Encouraging churches to improve connectivity will help tackle two of the biggest issues rural areas face - isolation and sustainability."
The Diocese of Chelmsford has been pioneering this approach with County Broadband since 2013. The work has significantly improved rural access to high-speed broadband.
Guidance set out by both the Church and Historic England ensures that any telecoms infrastructure deployed does not impact on the character and architectural or historic significance of churches.
