Firms told to improve mobile phone signal in Mid Wales or face a fine

Bosses of EE, Vodafone, O2 and Three have vowed to boost signal and introduce high speed 4G services following a meeting with Montgomeryshire AM Russell George.

Mr George said thousands of customers have been left with sub-standard signal in the region for months after phone masts in Newtown were disabled. He called a meeting in the town which was attended by the four networks and industry regulator Ofcom.

He said: "I was pleased Ofcom confirmed it would issue financial penalties, where appropriate if improvements were not made."

Mr George called the meeting after he received hundreds of letters from concerned residents. Now he said he is hopeful the service will improve following the meeting.

He said: "In recent months, my postbag has been dominated by frustrated residents and businesses from across North Powys asking why, in the 21st century, they are unable to make a simple phone call or receive a text message.

It is astonishing that a campaign for improved mobile telephone signals in Shropshire and Mid Wales has not yielded better results.

Fast, wireless communications are an essential part of our daily lives.

They help to keep us safe, enable businesses to function to their true potential and allow us to lead what would be regarded by many as a 'normal' existence in the communications age.

Yet bosses of EE, Vodafone, O2 and Three have still not provided the level of service that many consider to be a basic requirement.

Progress is being made, however. In Montgomeryshire, Assembly Member Russell George has received assurances from Ofcom that it will fine operators if improvements to the signal are not made. It is to be hoped similar progress can be made in Shropshire.

It is disappointing, of course, that big businesses are insufficiently customer-focused to take such steps of their own volition. They ought to be more pro-active in providing the standards of service that people rightly expect.

If the only way to make them accountable is to pursue them via the regulator, then so be it. All legitimate means must be brought to bear to ensure that individuals and businesses in our part of the world no longer lose out.

"From Newtown to Llanwddyn, residents have complained in their hundreds about the deterioration in mobile coverage in recent months.

"As a result, I thought it was important to bring all four network operators and the regulator, Ofcom, to Mid Wales so that they could hear directly from community leaders about the day to day difficulties which residents experience due to the lack of a reliable mobile signal.

"It was also so the operators could also explain the reasons behind recent issues which have been partly attributed to the roll-out of new 4G services and new network sharing agreements between the operators."

Mr George added: "I was encouraged to learn that all operators are intending to improve the experience of mobile users in the area by providing additional capacity on their networks and that in some parts of Montgomeryshire, high speed 4G mobile services will soon be available.

"There was a commitment from EE that all of Newtown will receive 4G during January and that this will also ensure that the current difficulties are all resolved."

Mr George said the networks were also warned that big improvements have to be made to the way customers are dealt with.

Last month, North Shropshire MP Owen Paterson met bosses from Vodafone and BT to urge better service across the county. Mr Paterson said he believes poor signal in Shropshire is putting lives at risk, with a lack of coverage leaving many unable to make an emergency call.