Helen slams Government over failure to deliver on rural mobile pledge

North Shropshire MP Helen Morgan has slammed the Government for failing to keep their promises over the rollout of improvements to rural mobile coverage.

This comes after the publication of a National Audit Office Report which shows the rollout of the Shared Rural Network is behind schedule, leaving rural consumers with poor signal and a highly limited choice of provider.

Helen has led from the front campaigning on rural mobile signal in Parliament, an issue which is of particular importance to rural and isolated communities which rely on copper landlines that are set to be phased out.

The MP has called for faster action to end total ‘not-spots’, which are areas where no signal is available from any provider. She has also presented legislation calling for ‘Rural Roaming’ – whereby mobile phones can tether to other providers in areas with no signal – if the rollout of the Shared Rural Network is not as fast as it should be. This would drastically cut down on the number of partial ‘not-spots’ across the country.

Shropshire is one of the worst connected places in England. Just 31% of premises in rural North Shropshire have 4G phone coverage from all four network operators, and 7% have no signal from any network. Across England just 50% of rural premises have 4G data from all operators, compared to 92% of premises in urban areas.

A petition started in December has received nearly 1000 signatures from North Shropshire constituents concerned by a lack of signal and supporting a change to the law.

She has also repeatedly pressed ministers for improvements to the rollout of the Shared Rural Network, most recently raising the total not-spot between Cockshutt and Welshampton. Helen highlighted the lack of signal in the area with Julia Lopez MP, Minister for Science, Innovation and Technology, in the House of Commons on Tuesday.

Helen Morgan, MP for North Shropshire, said, “I’m disappointed, but not surprised, to see the Shared Rural Network running so far behind schedule. Almost anyone who lives in rural Shropshire could have told you they’ve not seen the improvements we were promised.

“Mobile signal is still a lottery across swathes of Shropshire and there are too many places where you can’t get signal at all. Combined with the phasing out of copper wire landlines, the Government are letting down rural communities when it comes to connectivity.

“The Government needs to act to end total not-spots and, if the telecoms firms aren’t playing their part to end partial not-spots, the law should change to bring in rural roaming and make them share their signal. That has to be the ultimatum, or we will see more and more rural areas left behind.”

Questioning Minister Julia Lopez MP, Helen Morgan said, “The area between Cockshutt and Welshampton in my constituency is one of the many total not-spots in North Shropshire. Can the Minister update us on the progress she is making on total not-spots? Will she meet me to discuss the progress of the shared rural network in North Shropshire?”

The Minister responded, “I thank the Hon. Lady for raising the issue of total and partial not-spots. Our amazing shared rural network programme has £500 million from industry and £500 million from Government. We are going through all of those coverage areas that are shown wanting, and we hope to make progress in her own constituency.”