Bin lorries used to find mobile phone 'not spots'

Bin lorries are being fitted with technology to map mobile phone signal in South Yorkshire

Bin lorries are to be used to help identify areas with poor or no mobile phone signal in South Yorkshire.

Refuse trucks and street sweepers will be fitted with technology to collect data about connectivity as part of a project run by mobile analytics company Streetwave.

The year-long research scheme has been given £34,000 from the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA), which says it will help residents make an informed choice about which network operator to use.

Data collection has already begun in Barnsley, and data for all towns and cities including Doncaster, Sheffield, and Rotherham is expected to be made public before the end of the year.

As part of the project, a free online map will be created with a postcode checker, to show users which of the UK's four main service providers - EE, O2, Three, and Vodafone - offer the best coverage in their area.

'Not Spots'

George Gibson, from Streetwave, said phone and internet access was one of the most important forms of infrastructure, but it had not been "mapped out" like roads and railways.

"We don't understand which of our communities are suffering from digital exclusion," he said.

He added that bin lorries were ideal for the project because as they already had to drive to every residential and commercial property in the region.

Similar projects have been carried out in places including Norfolk, Dorset and Gloucestershire.

South Yorkshire's Mayor Oliver Coppard said: "Digital connectivity isn't a luxury, it's a necessity, whether it's accessing public services, running a business or just staying in touch with friends and family.

"Too many people in South Yorkshire are still stuck in mobile 'not spots' where coverage is patchy or non-existent.

"That's why it's important this project is giving us the data we need to change, to make sure everyone in South Yorkshire can get the signal they need, wherever they live."

Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds or catch up with the latest episode of Look North.