AN INNOVATIVE use of bin lorries is helping Worcestershire County Council take action to tackle the growing issue of poor mobile connectivity across the area.
As part of the UK’s largest mobile connectivity survey, the scheme will temporarily equip waste collection lorries with advanced technology to monitor and collect data on street-level mobile connectivity throughout the county.
To further help understand where the overall picture is across the county, a new survey has been launched for residents and businesses to log location and times where connectivity is poor.
Councillor Adam Kent, Worcestershire County Council’s cabinet member for economy and skills highlighted the importance of the project. He said: “We know that issues with mobile connectivity have a huge impact on businesses, people and communities. I hear from many people around the county that the mobile signal in certain areas is worse than it was 12 months ago.
He said it was the priority of the council to do what it could to understand the where, why, and what was needed to improve this current situation and urged residents to respond to the online survey.
“We also would like to hear from people across the county to fill the gaps in data which will enable us to work with Ofcom and providers to improve the signal in those areas,” he added.
The bin lorry data collection initiative is being funded from the River Severn Partnership Advanced Wireless Innovation Region (RSPAWIR) which has been awarded £3.75m of Government funding to support the growth of wireless innovation and technology.
The partnership has enlisted Streetwave to support the information gathering.
Henry Rutland, operations director at Streetwave, added: “Streetwave’s partnership with the River Severn Partnership marks a significant milestone in the UK telecoms industry.
“This initiative represents the largest mobile coverage survey ever undertaken across the UK with data being collected across 31,780km of roads across the River Severn region.
“This information will be used to identify communities and businesses that may not have access to effective mobile signals so that connectivity improvements can be made, ultimately benefiting the 3.5 million residents in the region.”
This information gathered will offer a clearer picture of mobile connectivity throughout Worcestershire, and the wider region, and support more informed choices businesses, and residents when selecting mobile service providers.
Visit worcestershire.gov.uk/news/county-council-mission-improve-mobile-connectivity-across-worcestershire-0 to complete survey.
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