// BBC UK NEWS — CRONACA
Farmer says hosting 4G mast is a 'nightmare' as fees cost him thousands
Alan Watson has had a mast on his land for more than 20 years but says negotiations with telecoms has become a "nightmare"
A farmer says hosting 4G masts on his land has become a "nightmare" after the rent he receives was halved, and it costs him £5,000 in fees.
Alan Watson, 68, from Llanbadarn Fynydd in Powys, has had a mast on his land for more than 20 years, but claims farmers are being "bullied" into accepting worse terms due to legal changes between telecoms operators and landowners.
The Farmers' Union of Wales (FUW) said it was concerned a cut in rent would put people off putting up masts, affecting connectivity in rural Wales.
The UK government's Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) said its reforms ensured landowners were "treated fairly when negotiating with mobile operators".
Nearly a quarter of Wales lacks 4G coverage from every mobile network operator, according to Ofcom, external - leaving some communities reliant on masts hosted by farmers and landowners.
Watson said he had been left with "no negotiation" about how much rent was paid to him for his land, and warned landowners tempted to host masts not to "touch it with a barge pole".
"It feels like landowners trying to do their bit are being bullied into accepting worse terms, putting people off hosting the infrastructure the country needs," he said.
"When I tried to get my agreement finalised, the process ended up costing me more than £5,000."
At the centre of the dispute are changes made to the Electronic Communications Code in 2017, external, which governs agreements between telecoms operators and landowners hosting their infrastructure.