Plaid Cymru Westminster candidate for Ceredigion, Penri James, has called on mobile phone operators to enable roaming between networks in order improve reception in rural areas.
Penri James believes that moves should be made to require networks to introduce automatic roaming where mobile users can use the signals of competing operators when their company’s own signal isn’t available.
Penri James believes that moves should be made to require networks to introduce automatic roaming where mobile users can use the signals of competing operators when their company’s own signal isn’t available.
Commenting on this idea, Plaid Cymru’s Penri James said:
“As a society, we have become increasingly dependent on our mobile phones and, as the recent snowy weather has shown, we they can be invaluable in emergency situations. However, there remain many areas of Ceredigion which cannot receive a mobile phone signal, and many more which don’t receive a service from all network operators.
“Over recent months, we have also seen many of our rural phone boxes disappear due to insufficient use – the reasoning being that everyone now owns a mobile phone. Unfortunately, it is often difficult to use a mobile phone in these rural areas.
“I therefore believe that it’s important to look at the need to require networks to introduce automatic roaming in rural areas, as is already the case in some other countries. This move would certainly improve mobile reception in many areas and allow customers to make greater use of their phones, which would be good news for both the users and mobile networks”.
“As a society, we have become increasingly dependent on our mobile phones and, as the recent snowy weather has shown, we they can be invaluable in emergency situations. However, there remain many areas of Ceredigion which cannot receive a mobile phone signal, and many more which don’t receive a service from all network operators.
“Over recent months, we have also seen many of our rural phone boxes disappear due to insufficient use – the reasoning being that everyone now owns a mobile phone. Unfortunately, it is often difficult to use a mobile phone in these rural areas.
“I therefore believe that it’s important to look at the need to require networks to introduce automatic roaming in rural areas, as is already the case in some other countries. This move would certainly improve mobile reception in many areas and allow customers to make greater use of their phones, which would be good news for both the users and mobile networks”.
3 comments:
Great idea. Never thought of it before. Is each mast exclusive to each network provider? Any notion of the number and location of masts across Ceredigion? The county or the Welsh government could work with providers to rationalise and improve the network. Your idea might cut down the total number of masts too. I see the "Penri's Phone Plan" headlines now.
In terms of boosting/re-generating the rural economy I would have thought that there was a desperate need for mobile roaming to be introduced and for areas such as Ceredigion. When I've worked in Aberystwyth I've been really surprised how slow the broadband connection is, surely this is hampering people both who want to set up business and those who want to use media, such as films. This in some respects will lead to a digital divide, even in a Uni town like Aber. I would have also thought that all the major areas in Ceredigion would have been ideal to install free wireless covering town centres.
Can anyting be done to get better/faster connection speeds
Thought that this story was quite relevant. It would be a fantastic idea if there was some level of investment in rural areas. Even free wi-fi access points at the nearest town could ease this a little.
'£56,000' bill to connect Ceredigion home to broadband
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