Mobile Phone Signal In The East Riding Branded A 'Nightmare' By Councillors

Mobile phone coverage across the East Riding has been branded a nightmare by local councillors demanding action over poor signal that leaves some residents unable to even receive a text message.

Daily life, business operations, and emergency responses are being severely hindered by inadequate mobile phone signal across the East Riding.

Senior officials have criticised the current telecommunications coverage in the region, with one describing the situation as a nightmare.

Local representatives say the lack of reliable connectivity is unfair on residents, who are paying for services they cannot access. The region spans over nine hundred square miles, yet average network coverage sits at just sixty-five per cent.

Councillor Richard Meredith highlighted the stark reality of the poor signal for those travelling on rural roads or needing urgent assistance:

"Did you know that the worst companies, the worst providers are at 53.5% coverage of the 930 square miles of the East Riding? What if you have a car crash on a rural road which makes up the vast majority of the two and a half thousand miles of road in the county? What if you need to call for an ambulance? What if you need to check on a loved one or someone you provide care for? What if you are a child and you've missed the bus and you can't get home from school? The government has set a target of 99% coverage of super fast broadband across the country by the year 2030, and that is a laudable ambition. So why is it phone signal, that can be a life-saving provision, doesn't have that same requirement? Even the best providers only have 80% coverage in the East Riding and the average is 65%."

The disparity between government targets for broadband and the lack of equivalent goals for mobile networks has drawn sharp criticism.

Councillor Meredith added:

"The government has got an ambition targeted that the previous government and the previous previous government set out that said there'll be 99% coverage of superfast broadband to every property and the well, to 99% of the properties in this country by 2030. Now 99's not 100 but it's a good start. It certainly leaps and bounds ahead of where they're aiming for with phone signal. And to me that's the problem. You can't talk about communication being crucial. You can't talk about living in a modern and digital age. You can't talk about competing internationally. How is someone supposed to run a business in this global stage in which we live and work if they can't compete with the other other other people, even ones down the road? Although not in this part of the world. But the fundamental principle is we all pay for a phone that we can barely use."

Communication with major network providers has reportedly yielded little progress, leaving communities frustrated by stalled infrastructure projects.

Councillor Philip Redshaw spoke about the direct impact the unreliable networks are having on his constituents:

"I'm very pleased to support this motion. For many of our residents, poor mobile poor mobile phones coverage is not a minor inconvenience. It affects daily life, access to services, business activity, and importantly, people's ability to stay connected in an emergency as as mentioned. Uh in my ward, the situation is absolutely unacceptable. I myself have contacted all the major providers on numerous occasions, yet meaningful responses have been very hard to come by. Um EE for example, recently installed a new telecommunications mast which serves not only EE, but um customers of three and Vodafone."

Despite the installation of new equipment, residents are still waiting to see any improvements to their daily connectivity.

Councillor Redshaw continued:

"Residents have been given no indication as to when it's going to be switched on and begin providing the service that people desperately needed. This has been about 2 or 3 months ago. In the meantime, some EE customers, particularly around areas around the Wolds and the Dales, struggle even to receive a text message. That means that something as routine even as online shopping can become impossible when a verification code cannot be received. Yes, we rightly celebrate investment in superfast broadband. We must recognize that reliable mobile connectivity is now just as essential. Whether people are working from home, running a business, accessing public services, or just getting in touch with family, they shouldn't be disadvantaged because of where they live, and that seems to apply across large sections of these Riding."

Local authorities are continuing to press telecommunications companies to switch on dormant masts and upgrade their regional infrastructure to ensure rural communities are not left behind.