Rural areas near Grantham 'left behind' over lack of mobile phone coverage
A resident in Ingoldsby fears that the village is being ‘left behind’ due to lack of mobile phone coverage.
Tim Arnold, who has lived in the village for three years, says not being able to get a mobile phone signal is having a big impact on residents and small businesses in the area.
He added: “It’s all very well that some areas of the country now enjoying 5G but some of us here in South Kesteven can’t even get a 2G mobile phone signal indoors. It is a big issue in terms of running small businesses, arranging deliveries and so on.”
Tim, who lives in the former rectory, has even offered to have a phone mast placed in a field he owns on Humby Road in the north of village but says that none of the phone companies that he has spoken to seem interested.
He is also concerned about the safety risks of having no emergency access, adding: “The council want to make Lincolnshire into a tourist hub and this area is perfect for walking holidays and ramblers but who would organise a walk here without being able to access emergency services if they need to.
“We are an important part of Lincolnshire’s rural economy and it feels like we are being left behind by the digital revolution.”
The Country Land and Business Association (CLA) an organisation for owners of land, property and businesses in rural England and Wales, are working to close the divide between mobile phone coverage in rural and urban areas.
CLA east regional surveyor Claire Wright said: “4G coverage in the UK varies greatly between rural and urban areas and the CLA is working hard to close that divide, and putting pressure on Ofcom and the mobile operators to raise their game.
“4G coverage adds an estimated £75bn to the UK economy and rural businesses should be receiving their fair share of this dividend, instead of being left in a digital dark age.
“For more than a year the CLA has been running its #4Gforall campaign that calls for real action that delivers a better service for landowners, farmers and rural businesses. We will continue to highlight the injustice felt by those living, working and visiting rural areas who continue to struggle with poor mobile coverage.”
Lincolnshire County Council is also backing plans for better network sharing between UK mobile phone operators.
The authority has written to Sharon White, chief executive of Ofcom, supporting proposals for the creation of a new organisation of UK mobile operators.
The new organisation would enable better sharing of infrastructure between mobile providers, helping increase coverage of 2G, 3G, 4G and, in future, 5G in rural locations.
Councillor Richard Davies, executive member for IT, said: “Many of our rural areas simply don’t have adequate mobile coverage and that needs to change. We’re keen to work closely with the operators to improve connectivity locally, ensuring our residents can enjoy the same benefits as those in more urban areas.”
