Lib Dem MEPs sign up to campaign to improve mobile phone coverage in Yorkshire and Humber

Lib Dem MEPs for Yorkshire and the Humber, Edward McMillan-Scott and Rebecca Taylor, have backed a campaign to help improve mobile phone coverage in the local area.  The Countryside Alliance is asking people to become ‘phone detectives’ this summer and using a specially designed app help the organisation to map actual mobile phone reception across the region.

Both Edward and Rebecca regularly travel across the Yorkshire and the Humber region and know from their own experience how variable reception can be in some areas compared to others.

Edward McMillan-Scott said: “Mobile phones are now part of most people’s daily life and we rely on them both at work as well as in our free time.  Sadly, the service can be really variable from one area to another, so there is a real need to see improvements in the quality of coverage, particularly in rural areas.

Rebecca Taylor added, “You don’t get a cheaper deal for your phone even if you use it mostly in an area with poor coverage, which can leave many feeling ripped off.  The mobile network providers and the government need to do more to ensure everyone can get good network coverage regardless of where they live or work.”

As part of the campaign, mobile phone users are being encouraged to download the free RootMetrics app onto their smartphone or tablet and use it while they are at home as well as while they are out and about.

As well as testing the strength of the signal and automatically recording the results, the app can also be used to check which company provides the best service in an area.

Ultimately, it is hoped that the information will help make the case to phone companies and the Government to improve mobile reception, especially in isolated rural areas.

Edward McMillan-Scott added: “Downloading the app and using it over the summer will only help pull together the best possible information to take to the Government and phone companies in the autumn.”

ENDS

For further information on how to use the app and to see results so far, visit www.rootmetrics.com/uk/ or contact Countryside Alliance press officer Charlotte Cooper  on 0207 840 9220.