Connectivity milestone for a rural community
Residents in Clocaenog can use mobile phones at home and around the village for the first time after a partnership between Denbighshire County Council, BT, Clocaenog Community Council and the Welsh Government switched on EE’s network. The scheme, which also drew support from the Brenig Wind Farm Community Benefit Fund, ends years without reliable coverage and brings the village into the county’s connected map.
The service is being delivered via a compact “mini mast” mounted on an existing lamppost in the village centre, an approach designed to reach locations where conventional towers are difficult to secure or install. The network is now live, providing voice and data access around the settlement and on nearby walks.
What the change means on the ground
- Day-to-day contact: Residents can make and receive calls from home without travelling to find a signal.
- Work and business: People working remotely can keep up with calls and messages away from their desks.
- Resilience: A mobile connection offers a back-up if fixed broadband fails and improves the ability to reach services and family while out and about.
"Before, getting a mobile signal meant travelling outside the village, whereas now I can make calls around my home and stay connected while out walking locally."
That was the experience described by Clocaenog resident Kris Longworth, who said the new coverage had changed daily life and provided reassurance if home broadband drops. BT Business’s Susi Marston said the collaboration gives residents and firms opportunities not previously available, strengthening links between people and helping with future planning.
How the project came together
The initiative rests on a shared model: national and local government support, a telecoms operator’s network and a community fund contribution. By using existing street furniture to host the equipment, the partners have sidestepped many of the siting and construction issues that typically hold back rural deployments.
| Partner | Role in project |
|---|---|
| Denbighshire County Council & Clocaenog Community Council | Local partnership and delivery support |
| Welsh Government | Backed the scheme as part of connectivity efforts |
| BT / EE | Provided and activated the EE mobile network |
| Brenig Wind Farm Community Benefit Fund | Financial contribution to the rollout |
Why it matters for Denbighshire
Much of Denbighshire combines market towns with dispersed rural communities. In such areas, poor coverage restricts access to healthcare portals, banking, education platforms and emergency contact when away from landlines and Wi‑Fi. Clocaenog’s upgrade shows how targeted, lower-impact infrastructure can address longstanding not-spots without large masts.
For households and small enterprises, the benefits are immediate: incoming and outgoing calls work reliably, messages arrive in time rather than in a lump when passing a known signal point, and outdoor activities are safer with a dependable connection. As more services default to digital, the new coverage reduces the gap between rural and urban users within the county.
Next steps and local expectations
The partners characterise the project as a model for locations where traditional rollouts have struggled. While no specific expansion programme has been announced in this update, the Clocaenog installation demonstrates a working template: compact equipment, community partnership and mixed funding. The approach could be attractive to other villages across Denbighshire that continue to face weak or patchy reception.
For now, the switch-on gives Clocaenog residents a practical gain in connectivity and confidence. The test will be how consistently the signal performs through seasonal conditions and whether similar collaborations can close remaining gaps on the county’s rural fringes.
