Farmers are facing growing connectivity challenges as more agricultural services and technologies move online
Just 17% of farmers and growers surveyed have reliable mobile coverage across all outdoor areas of their farms, raising serious concerns about emergency communications and rural business growth.
A new NFU survey of 642 farmers and growers found that mobile coverage and broadband speeds remain major obstacles, with some connectivity measures deteriorating despite growing demand for digital services.
The findings, published on Thursday 12 November, show the proportion reporting reliable outdoor mobile coverage fell from 22% in 2024 to just 17% in 2025.
NFU vice-president Robyn Munt warned that poor connectivity was putting farmers at risk, particularly when working alone or in remote locations.
“Poor connectivity can leave farmers vulnerable in emergencies,” she said.
The NFU's Digital Access Survey, conducted in February and March 2026, also revealed worsening broadband performance for some farming businesses.
Some 14% of respondents reported download speeds of just 2 Mbps or less, almost double the 8% recorded the previous year.
More farmers were also restricted to standard broadband speeds, despite increasing reliance on digital technology across the agricultural sector.
Only 32% of those surveyed reported access to fibre broadband.
By comparison, Ofcom figures show full-fibre broadband was available to 79% of residential properties in England, although the two measures cover different populations and are not directly comparable.
There were some improvements, with access to 5G rising from 23% in 2024 to 38% in 2025.
However, 5% of respondents still lacked access to either 4G or 5G, while access to ultrafast broadband remained unchanged at 12%.
Superfast broadband availability also fell by two percentage points.
The findings come despite 96% of respondents identifying mobile coverage as important to their business, while 82% said the same about broadband.
The proportion of farmers who believed their broadband speeds were sufficient for business needs also fell by 9%, reversing four consecutive years of improvement.
Munt acknowledged improvements in mobile technology but warned that progress was falling short of what farming businesses needed.
“these results show progress is stalling”, she said.
Poor connectivity can disrupt everyday farming operations, from submitting digital records and accessing government services to using connected machinery and livestock monitoring systems.
It also creates barriers to adopting precision farming technologies that depend on reliable connections to collect and transfer data.
The NFU warned that these difficulties risk holding back productivity, innovation and the competitiveness of British agriculture.
Concerns are growing ahead of the January 2027 digital landline switchover, which will see BT's Openreach network retire traditional analogue telephone services.
The transition will increase reliance on digital communications, potentially creating additional challenges for farms already struggling with unreliable broadband.
Digital landlines also require electricity, meaning they may stop working during power cuts unless suitable backup arrangements are in place.
Farmers using landline-connected alarms, monitoring equipment or other essential systems may need to check their compatibility and discuss backup arrangements with their providers.
Ofcom requires providers to ensure that customers dependent on their landlines can contact emergency services during power outages.
The NFU is urging the government to prioritise the Shared Rural Network programme, including commitments to eliminate areas without mobile coverage from any operator by 2027.
It also wants broadband support schemes to cover technologies beyond fibre, alongside greater investment in digital skills training tailored to agriculture.
The union is calling for clear delivery deadlines and regular progress reporting to ensure rural connectivity commitments are met.
Munt said improving digital infrastructure was essential to ensuring farming businesses could access the same opportunities as other sectors.
“Rural communities are not asking for special treatment.”
The NFU maintains that reliable broadband and mobile coverage are now essential to farm safety, business resilience and the future competitiveness of British agriculture.