A CAMPAIGN to improve ‘dreadful’ phone signals in Upton-upon-Severn has taken a step forward after a mobile giant announced plans to deliver 4G coverage in the town centre.
EE, the largest mobile network operator in the UK, has confirmed it will be upgrading its signal levels in the town following discussions with concerned MP Harriett Baldwin.
The Observer reported last month how the West Worcestershire MP urged phone operators to ‘step up’ and improve the town’s poor signal problems and had written to company bosses demanding assurances over the future.
And since then EE chief executive Olaf Swantee has written back confirming that the roll out of a 4G signal was planned, allowing better signals both outdoors and indoors in the town.
The phone giant, formerly known as ‘Everything Everywhere’, said 4G coverage was expected to run in the town in the coming months.
An EE spokesperson said: “Mobile coverage in the UK has never been better. We’re investing £1.5billion in our network and infrastructure to further improve rural coverage for basic voice calls and we’ll be bringing 4G coverage to areas like Upton in the coming months, all as part of the industry’s £5billion investment pledge which is being made without Government support.”
Mrs Baldwin, who has described current phone signals in Upton as ‘dreadful’, welcomed EE’s response and hoped it would encourage other big firms to respond in similar fashion.
“I am pleased that one of the mobile phone operators that I contacted has been able to offer good news and I look forward to hearing more detail on this roll-out in due course,” she said.
“I haven’t yet heard of any other plans to upgrade signals so I would urge EE users to let me know when they get access to 4G in Upton and to encourage local people to then switch to that network.
“Rather like energy providers or banks, large organisations like Vodafone, 02 and Three only tend to get the message when they start losing customers so maybe this will nudge other operators to take this issue seriously.”
