Why I am campaigning for better mobile phone signal
Have you ever struggled to make a call? Or picked up a call but only caught every other word?
In South Cambridgeshire, you are not alone. Responding to my survey, 83% of South Cambridgeshire residents rated signal across the constituency as poor or very poor. Many of our workforce work from home, including the life sciences workers. They need a reliable mobile phone signal to stay in touch with colleagues and share information.
Fortunately, the Government does have a solution - the Shared Rural Network. The network would allow all four mobile network operators to deliver 95% combined coverage across the whole of the UK by the end of 2025 and consumers can rely on their own provider’s network wherever they are.
It will also provide guaranteed coverage to 280,000 premises and 16,000km of roads, with further indirect improvements over time including a boost to ‘in-car’ coverage on around 45,000 km of road and better indoor coverage in around 1.2m business premises and homes.
So far, I have
- Met with the Digital Connectivity Minister, to urge prioritising improvements in South Cambs
- Launched a constituency-wide survey to find areas of low signal
- Met with campaign groups like the Country Landowners and Business Association to discuss rural broadband and mobile phone coverage
- Wrote to Mobile UK and Digital Mobile Spectrum Limited asking them to prioritise South Cambridgeshire as the SRN is rolled out.
- Called on operators to prioritise our area as a "mission-critical" location, both for scientific research and as a key driver of the economic recovery.
- Asked the Secretary of State fin Parliament to improve mobile phone reception in South Cambridgeshire.
Campaign success
I am glad to say that the Shared Rural Network Scheme will prioritise South Cambridgeshire as a 'mission critical' centre for the UK's life sciences sector and a key driver of our economic recovery.