MP Paterson tells mobile phone firms to improve reception across Shropshire

He has been in touch with the major networks this week expressing concern about the lack of a consistent signal in the Oswestry and north Shropshire area in particular.

He wants them to ensure that mobile reception is improved to allow north Shropshire's businesses can compete on equal terms.

The former minister says the Government wants to ensure that 4G speeds become the norm, and has signed a deal with the four main mobile networks to invest £5 billion in the UK communications network, guaranteeing that 90 per cent of the UK's landmass will have mobile reception by 2017.

However in north Shropshire, Mr Paterson says, the problem is worsening.

"It is incredibly frustrating that it is not possible to drive between any of the five market towns in north Shropshire without losing signal," he said.

"Unbelievably the service is actually deteriorating. Our new, data heavy phones are slowing down the networks in north Shropshire to a snail's pace. Not only is the patchy coverage in north Shropshire frustrating, it is potentially harmful for local businesses.

"Better reception is vital for families and businesses but above all in emergencies."

In Oswestry Vodafone has been told it can modernise its mobile reception by upgrading its base station in Oswestry Road.

In a letter to Shropshire Council the company said that the Vodafone 2G digital network was set up in the early 1990s and upgraded to 3G in 2000.

In 2013 it won the right to use 4G communications but to do this was having to upgrade base stations.

Mr Paterson said: "It is important to note that mobiles can only work with a network of base stations which transmit and receive calls from mobile phones using radio waves. Without base stations the mobile phones we rely on simply won't work."

He praised the Connecting Shropshire project.

"Since May, Connecting Shropshire has continued to roll out fibre optic broadband to more and more homes," he said.