Time to tackle Shropshire's 'Third World' mobile phone signal crisis
The poor mobile phone reception in Shropshire is something that could be expected in a Third World country and must be dealt with, Shropshire Council leader Keith Barrow said today.
Councillor Barrow spoke as the Shropshire Star launched a Get Us Connected campaign to improve reception in the county.
He will be raising the issue at a full council meeting next week – and, along with the Shropshire Star, will be launching a petition calling for urgent Government action to tackle the mobile network crisis.
Councillor Barrow today said he was "shocked" at the number of replies to his tweet venting anger at poor coverage from EE.
He said people from across the county and Telford & Wrekin had complained about EE, Three, O2 and Vodafone, and said it was an "industry-wide problem".
And residents echoed those frustrations. When the Shropshire Star spoke to people, they said their calls were being dropped, messages were not being received and most did not even bother trying to browse the web while out and about.
When the Star finally managed to contact Mr Barrow on his mobile to arrange a meeting, he said: "I am proposing to set up a petition and get as many signatures as we can, and get our MPs down to London to present it to the Government.
"It is like living in a Third World country and it should not be. A lot of people are feeling aggrieved at paying their monthly bills and not getting the same services as other people are.
Star comment: Time they received message over Shropshire's mobile phone signal crisis
"Mobile phones are a vital and important part of everyday life for people, especially those in rural areas. We are very fortunate to live and work in a beautiful county but this is an issue we have got to deal with."
He said the problem also affected main roads. "You get nothing on the A5 from Oswestry to Shrewsbury for example," he said.
"The road is renowned for accidents and if you have an accident you more than likely will not get a signal."
Councillor Barrow's motion before next Thursday's full council meeting calls for council support for a petition to Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Sajid Javid demanding action to improve coverage. The petition will be organised in collaboration with the Shropshire Star.
He said: "I would suggest the minimum I would want is full coverage on all the main roads. Of course we want 100 per cent but we have to be realistic."
O2 spokesman Sarah Taylor said the firm was investing £1.5 billion in its network over the next three years which would include modernising its 2G and 3G networks as well as continuing the rollout of 4G.
A Three spokesman said: "We continue to add new sites and more capacity to our network, which will improve rural coverage." He added Three was on track to bring 4G to Shrewsbury by the end of next year.
Jane Frapwell, Vodafone spokeswoman, said: "In rural and remote location, networks can struggle to deliver coverage via traditional means. This may be due to the geography of the area or difficulties with planning permission."
She said users could visit vodafone.co.uk/rural to apply for a programme which aims to improve the network's rural signal.
Click here to sign our 'Get Us Connected' petition
Shropshire Star launches petition over county's mobile phone signal crisis
