Residents 'walking to end of garden' to use phones

Residents in some parts of Gloucestershire are not happy with their mobile reception

Mobile phone operators have been encouraged to improve connectivity across parts of Gloucestershire to help communities who struggle to with reception.

A major survey tested mobile signals in the county, using tracking equipment fitted to bin lorries.

It found one of the four main operators covered just half of the county's road network.

Gloucestershire County Council said it was "working actively with the mobile phone companies" to improve things, while a spokesperson for mobile operators said "record investment" was being made to networks.

George Gibson said the collected data is available on an online mobile checker

George Gibson, from Streetwave, which carried out the study, said: "These vehicles go to every single address, so we can visit every single house and business at least once to take a reading.

"We looked at what percentage of the county has a basic level of service, [meaning] not very fast but enough to do an email, or send a WhatsApp message".

The results showed a range in performance between the four main operators, he added.

"EE was the best performing operator, they had 89 per cent of the road network covered, Vodaphone was second with 71 per cent, Three had 63 per cent and 02 came in fourth with 54 per cent," Mr Gibson said.

Vera Goodhinds said her phone signal "is absolute rubbish".

Vera Goodhinds, 94, has lived in Gotherington since the 1970s and uses a smartphone, but says the mobile signal there "is absolute rubbish".

"If I want to use the phone, at one point I had to go to the back bedroom or walk to the end of the garden. I know lots of people in the village who are just the same," she said.

"I tried to pay the gas man when he serviced the boiler, we went around the house [to use a card machine] and finished in the back bedroom."

CllrJulian Tooke said Gloucestershire County Council "desperately want it to improve"

Gloucestershire County Council said it plans to use the data to help lobby for improved connectivity.

Councillor Julian Tooke said "We desperately want it to improve and we're working actively with the mobile phone companies to do that.

"What we can do is support them and make it easier for them to get the infrastructure in place.

"We can make the planning process easier and we can help them locate to sites where infrastructure can be put in."

'Record investment'

Gareth Elliott, Director of Policy and Communications, Mobile UK said on behalf of the industry: "Mobile operators are committed to improving coverage nationwide and ensuring consumers have clear information about the mobile coverage they can expect in areas like Gloucestershire – particularly at a time when consumers are increasingly using data intensive applications.

"With record investment planned across the industry, we look forward to working with Government to build on its commitments to enhance the framework for deployment."