Mobile phone signal boost trial welcomed by Shropshire MP

A trial to boost mobile phone signal in a county village has been welcomed.

Wrekin Conservative MP, Mark Pritchard, visited the location of a new, small cell mobile trial site in High Ercall.

Mr Pritchard was joined by Ercall Magna councillor Steve Bentley, chairman of Ercall Magna Parish Council Kevin Connor OBE, and Matt Smith, programme manager for the River Severn Partnership.

Research by the partnership, as part of its advanced wireless innovation region programme, found that High Ercall suffers from poor mobile connectivity from all the major mobile networks.

As a result they have launched a 'small cell' trial site in the village to see if it helps boost mobile signal for local residents.

A small cell mobile site is a wireless base station which boosts mobile network capacity and coverage over a short range - anything from 10 metres to a few kilometres.

They have previously been used largely in urban areas, but the River Severn Partnership has chosen High Ercall for a trial site to see if the technology can also boost mobile signals in smaller, more rural communities.

Ercall Magna Parish Council has supported the scheme, and allowed the small cell technology to be installed on one of its streetlights this summer.

The River Severn Partnership expects O2 to be the first network to use the cell, and hopes EE will also use it within the first six months.

According to the River Severn Partnership, once O2 and EE are using the small cell site in High Ercall, it will be the UK's first multi-operator small cell site.

It would mean the performance of both those networks should significantly increase in High Ercall.

Mr Pritchard said: “I want to thank the River Severn Partnership for launching this trial site.

"There are still too many mobile 'not spots' throughout the borough of Telford & Wrekin and the county of Shropshire, so I am glad this technology might help to address that issue.

"I am glad Councillor Steve Bentley and Ercall Magna Parish Council are supporting me in seeking to improve mobile signal for local residents and businesses.

"Good mobile signal is not a luxury; it is a necessity, especially for rural and semi-rural areas. I will continue to campaign for improved mobile signal and broadband coverage for my constituents."