Expert Telecom Mast Advice

• Date25th February 2016
• AuthorHall Baird
• Categories
  • Agricultural Law
  • General News

Farmers and Landowners

We are urging all landowners across Dumfries & Galloway and Scotland not to give in to pressure from telecom companies seeking to reduce the rental on telecom mast sites. Our advice is given in the wake of a recent joint venture between telecommunications giants Vodafone and O2 called ‘Cornerstone‘ which seeks to rationalise existing telecoms equipment in order to reduce network costs.

David Hall says the venture could lead to pressure on farmers and for a number of years the suggestion that joint ventures could lead to telecom mast sites being rendered surplus to requirements has resulted in many farmers and landowners:

1. breaking their lease
2. under-valuing their asset
3. voluntarily agree to a rent reduction
4. forgo a rent review
5. fail to renew leases which have reached the end of their term.

Telecoms companies, however, are viewing these joint ventures such as Cornerstone and EE as a way of increasing their coverage, to provide 3G and 4G services to more phone and tablet customers and over larger areas. Maintaining this level of coverage will require more not less telecoms mast sites and the value of current sites could actually be worth more.

Our Recommendation:

We recommend now is the time to get a law firm who specialise in rural law to look at telecoms mast leases and seek advice before entering into new or renewing agreement with the telecom giants.

We have particular expertise in telecoms mast negotiations, leases and rent reviews. In recent months, David has negotiated several telecoms mast reviews, all of which have resulted in increased rents. Recent reviews have resulted in between 25 and 43 per cent increases in rental payments, with the rental increases being backdated, in one of the cases over nine years.

Featured in Farming Review Galloway News and Dumfries & Galloway Standard.