Star comment: Coverage continues to be poor
It is three years since the Shropshire Star launched its Get Us Connected Campaign. During that time, progress has been made in highlighting areas of Shropshire and Mid-Wales that are poorly provided for.
Reporters, MPs and campaigners have investigated the quality of existing provision and written to those able to improve coverage. No stone has been left unturned as we have led from the front to bring about positive change for all in our area.
And yet a reality check is called for. The quality of mobile phone coverage and broadband speeds remains a cause for concern.
Put simply, our rural areas are not catered for with anything like the level of service that businesses or residents might expect. We remain the poor relation to those who live in metropolitan or urban areas. Mobile phone companies and businesses that provide broadband services frequently fail to invest because their resources are diverted to more lucrative towns and cities.
And while such a pattern may be understandable in the short term, companies have a responsibility to step up to the plate and deliver. The promise of jam tomorrow is not enough. We have waited long enough: it is time for action.
A quarter of a century ago, mobile phones may just have been a novelty. Twenty years ago, internet reception might just have been the preserve of the wealthy or technologically-savvy. But just as radios and TV sets became ubiquitous, so have mobile phones and the internet.
All homes now have a basic need for such services. We find news and information online, we are able to stay safe and remain connected using our mobile phones. And that is why it is simply unacceptable that swathes of Shropshire and Mid-Wales continue to go without.
Accordingly, we are surveying locals to find out more about their experiences.
We want to know about parents unable to make emergency calls to their children, business people unable to do deals because of missed calls, community groups unable to access information that should be freely available.
The state-of-the-nation survey is important in finding out information and we would encourage all to participate.
Broadband and mobile phone coverage are an essential of modern life. They are not just useful as social tools, but are also essential for business and a life-saver in the event of an emergency.
It is no longer acceptable to be the poor relation.
