Monday, November 17, 2014

Tackling Partial Not-Spots in Mobile Phone Coverage

There is a government consultation under way in regards to the lack of coverage of some areas of the country by mobile operators.   I found some of the wording in this consultation interesting as it is very relevant to our situation:

Here is the introduction for the consultation by Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport:
Mobile phones are no longer the luxury they once were. Today they are a central part of our modern lives and are widely viewed as an essential service. Consequently, we expect to be able to use our phones no matter where we are in the UK for work or pleasure. This isn’t just about lifestyle, it’s vital for our modern economy.
Substitute reliable high speed internet for mobile phones:
Reliable high speed internet is no longer the luxury it once was. Today it is a central part of our modern lives and is widely viewed as an essential service. Consequently, we expect to be able to use our high speed internet connection for work or pleasure. This isn’t just about lifestyle, it’s vital for our modern economy.
To that end I responded to the consultation with the below message.

Dear Sir,

While I do support the idea of universal coverage for mobile devices I would also call your attention to another matter of connectivity.   As I know you are aware the government is currently assisting with the roll-out of SuperFast broadband across the country.  This is a welcome program given that access to an affordable and dependable high speed broadband, is in my opinion, even more crucial than access to a mobile signal.   With high speed broadband I can be my own mobile operator, have access to Skype and other like products, as well as partaking in a wealth of other services offered via broadband, services that are impossible to appreciate without a reliable and fast connection. 

Unfortunately I live in an area that is under served by broadband in that we suffer from speeds in the range of 1.5 to 2.5Mbps.    BT has bypassed us for their commercial roll-out of high speed broadband and we have also been bypassed by the initial phase of the government program to extend the reach of SuperFast Broadband (BDUK).  

While we are hoping that a followup program might be able to address our needs this is far from certain.   We are in danger of being left with a low speed internet connection that is incapable of supporting much of what we would like to be able to accomplish via the Internet.  Skype becomes a challenge if possible at all and streaming video something that we can only wish for.  The situation here in Temple is so bad that we fear it could start to impact on the value of our homes as more and more people are considering high speed internet in their buying decisions.

I sincerely hope that the government will continue to champion the roll-out of broadband connectivity.   Every home should have access to affordable high speed internet.   While this may mean Superfast speeds for some, I would be more than happy with 5-10Mbps as that would be a huge improvement over my current situation.  

Will Kostelecky
6 Temple Mill Cottages
Temple Lane
Temple, Marlow
SL7 1SA

cc:  Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport

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