Want more bars on your phone? Well, head over to the actual bar!

British mobile provider Vodafone has announced a new initiative to offer better mobile signals for locals pubs in towns that might otherwise have rather poor signal.

Internet and mobile connections in rural towns in the UK are lagging far behind other towns and cities, despite government plans to tackle the problem. While some plans involve erecting new mobile towers, Vodafone is instead offering local building signal-boosting stations, which are called femtocells.

The plan is part of a partnership with rural pubs organization Pub is the Hub, and will see Vodafone's Premium Sure Signal femtocells in a number of select pubs. The femtocells will connect to existing broadband connections and provide 3G voice and data coverage.

The first pubs that will see connectivity are the Cross Keys and the Mermaid Inn in Elsing, both of which are located in Norfolk, however, more are set to be added to that list as time goes on.

The announcement comes at a time when mobile providers are racing to offer faster mobile signals in large cities and towns, focusing on that rather than on connecting those that aren't already connected.

Of course, a decent Internet connection isn't just so customers can log in to Facebook while having a beer. It is also how businesses communicate with customers and suppliers.

Via: Cnet