Latest news with #mobilecoverage
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Network Rail and partners to tackle Britain's rail signal blackspots
Network Rail, Neos Networks, and Freshwave have announced a partnership called Project Reach, aimed at eliminating mobile signal blackspots across Britain's major rail routes. The commercial model of Project Reach combines public and private sector investment, with anticipated savings for taxpayers of around £300m ($411.7m). The project will initially involve Neos Networks laying 1,000km of ultrafast fibre optic cable along key rail lines, with plans to expand to more than 5,000km. The rail lines will include the East Coast, Chiltern, West Coast, and Great Western Main Lines. Freshwave will work with mobile network operators to improve mobile coverage in 57 tunnels and their adjacent cuttings. This includes tunnels such as Chipping Sodbury near Bristol and those surrounding King's Cross station. The company will target investment to address coverage gaps in rail tunnels and upgrade wireless infrastructure at major railway stations. The deal includes a commitment from mobile network operators to invest in new 4G/5G infrastructure at 12 of Network Rail's largest stations, including Birmingham New St and Manchester Piccadilly. The upgraded infrastructure will enable Network Rail to better monitor railway assets and support the adoption of new technologies. Secretary of State for Transport Heidi Alexander said: 'This is a game changer for passengers up and down the country and will revolutionise journeys from Paddington to Penzance and Edinburgh to Euston. 'By boosting connectivity and tackling signal blackspots, we are also ensuring a more reliable and efficient service.' Neos Networks will commercialise spare fibre capacity as part of the project, enhancing Network Rail's critical telecoms infrastructure. This will not only provide the necessary future capacity for digitally driven railway benefits but also create a digital connectivity backbone for businesses, connecting data centres and high-performance edge facilities. Network Rail chief financial officer Jeremy Westlake said: 'I'm delighted that we have now signed this innovative deal with our partners Neos Networks and Freshwave. This investment model will deliver the necessary upgrades to our telecoms infrastructure faster whilst offering significant value-for-money for the taxpayer and stimulating wider economic benefits across the country.' The multi-year Project Reach is set to commence mobile infrastructure installations in 2026, with full rollout expected by 2028. Recently, Network Rail entered a contract worth £500m with British Steel for the provision of over 337,000 tonnes of railway track for the coming five years, starting from July 1st. "Network Rail and partners to tackle Britain's rail signal blackspots" was originally created and published by Railway Technology, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
BBC News
4 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Dorset's best phone coverage found by bin lorries
An area's best mobile phone coverage providers have been found in a street-by-street survey by bin Council is the latest authority to use devices on waste vehicles to check signal results have been published in an online checker, where users can enter their postcode to find data for the four main council said a previous tool promoted by communications regulator Ofcom was not accurate, while mobile phone company websites could not always be relied on. Thirty-two food waste collection trucks surveyed 2,400 miles of roads, the council vehicles carried equipment from technology firm Streetwave to check coverage by EE, O2, Three and Vodafone, as well as download found less than half of the area had good signal strength, whereas Ofcom put the figure at 90%, the council said. The BBC checked data for its office in rated coverage as "likely" for all four companies, while Streetwave described the signal strength from two providers as "poor".Dorset Council's project leader Gary Littledyke said Ofcom used data from computer simulations, whereas Streetwave took a snapshot of actual signal strength on the day of said: "It's not foolproof, but it gives an indication of likelihood. We will continue to gather data during the pilot."If you go on to the coverage checker of any provider's website, it will largely tell you everything is fine, whereas we know that's not the case in Dorset."Dorset councillor Richard Biggs, in charge of economic growth, said: "We have known for many years that the mobile coverage data provided by Ofcom does not give an accurate picture for Dorset."This checker... will help us lobby the government and suppliers for better coverage in areas we know are currently struggling."Ofcom said: "We're working to overhaul our mobile coverage checker, which we will relaunch very soon with new and improved data to better reflect what people can expect."The Streetwave postcode coverage checker can be accessed via this link, while Ofcom's tool is available here. You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
BBC News
4 days ago
- Automotive
- BBC News
Teesside bin lorries to help tackle 'rubbish' mobile signal
Bin wagons are being used to help tackle "rubbish" phone coverage in digital vehicles have been fitted with smartphones to monitor signal strength as they travel on their rounds in Darlington, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Stockton.A partnership between five councils in the area, the Tees Valley Combined Authority and digital mapping firm Inakalum, data will be collected from each of the four major mobile results will be used in the development of a mobile coverage checker aimed at helping people understand signal quality in their area as well as identify areas where changes are needed. Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said it was time to "go further to tackle digital blackspots that hold back people and businesses"."Whether you're on a farm in East Cleveland or running a business in Darlington, decent signal shouldn't be a luxury - it should be the bare minimum."If we want to build on our potential as a digital powerhouse, we need to make sure everyone is properly connected."Steve Harker, leader of Darlington Council and cabinet member for transport and infrastructure, added: "We're using our bin wagons to sort more than just our rubbish - we're sorting rubbish signal out, too."This will give us hard evidence of problems people who have poor signal know only too well and arm us to go to providers and government to get it sorted."Lisa Evans, leader of Stockton Council, warned "many people still struggle with poor signal and slow data speeds".The project has been funded with the help of £32,490 from the government's UK Shared Prosperity Fund and follows similar programmes elsewhere in the country, including Liverpool. Follow BBC Tees on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
The Sun
5 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Free tool reveals which mobile network is best for YOU based on where you live
A NEW free-to-use tool reveals which mobile network is best for you based on where you live. Ofcom has unveiled a new "Map Your Mobile" checker which tells you how good 4G and 5G coverage is in your local area. 2 You enter your postcode which draws up a map of which networks are available near you and which phone operator's network offers you the best performance. Mobile phone users can find the new tool via Ofcom said home movers can use the tool to suss out whether the coverage in an area they plan to move into is good enough. It also said commuters can use it to figure out what network best suits them on the way in and home from work. The checker features data based on previous customers' reviews on coverage in certain areas, combined with data from the major networks on how strong their signal is in selected zones. Ofcom said at a local level, data from the major networks can be unreliable due to factors like the weather, or whether you're in a certain type of building or area. Phone users will also be told how good coverage is down to a 50-square metre radius, equivalent to a postcode of up to 20 homes. Ofcom said the checker will be updated with fresh data after its launch to improve the service for users. Rocio Concha, Which? director of policy and advocacy, said: "In the crowded market of UK mobile networks, consumers need access to accurate mobile coverage and performance information to choose a plan that meets their needs and represents good value for money. 'Ofcom's new tool will help consumers make informed decisions with crowd-sourced data and predictive data from mobile network operators, which should increase the reliability of coverage information available to consumers. 'It's important that the tool continues to incorporate user feedback to stay relevant, accurate, and responsive to the changing needs of consumers." Tom Luke, vice president at Opensignal, which helped make the tool with Ofcom, added: "Our partnership with Ofcom shifts the focus to real-world experience, using independent analysis of over 20million tests across the UK. "By putting this data directly into consumers' hands, we're helping them make smarter choices about which network truly delivers consistent quality where they live and work." There are other ways to check mobile phone internet coverage in your area, including for free via Which? also has a list of the major firms' mobile phone coverage checker tools available on its website. Best and worst broadband and mobile phone providers The launch of the new tool from Ofcom comes after the regulator last month unveiled the best and worst telecoms firms in 2024 based on customer satisfaction. In terms of mobile phone providers, Tesco Mobile and giffgaff came out on top with overall scores of 94%. Lebara came in third with a score of 91%, EE fourth with 90%, then Sky and Three in joint fifth with 87%. At the bottom of the pack was O2 with 85% then Vodafone with 84%. Tesco Mobile experienced the fewest complaints to Ofcom in 2024, with just four complaints per 100,000 customers. However, Ofcom said that the average number of complaints reduced in 2024 across all providers. Elsewhere, the average call waiting time for mobile customers decreased in 2024, from 2mins 24s in 2023 to 1min 52s in 2024. CUT YOUR TELECOM COSTS By James Flanders, Chief Consumer Reporter Switching contracts is one of the single best ways to save money on your mobile, broadband and TV bills. But if you can't switch mid-contract without facing a penalty, you'd be best to hold off until it's up for renewal. But don't just switch contracts because the price is cheaper than what you're currently paying. Take a look at your minutes and texts, as well as your data usage, to find out which deal is best for you. For example, if you're a heavy internet user, it's worth finding a deal that accommodates this so you don't have to spend extra on bundles or add-ons each month. In the weeks before your contract is up, use comparison sites to familiarise yourself with what deals are available. It's a known fact that new customers always get the best deals. Sites like MoneySuperMarket and Uswitch all help you customise your search based on price, allowances and provider. This should make it easier to decide whether to renew your contract or move to another provider. However, if you don't want to switch and are happy with the service you're getting under your current provider - haggle for a better deal. You can still make significant savings by renewing your contract rather than rolling on to the tariff you're given after your deal. If you need to speak to a company on the phone, be sure to catch them at the right time. Make some time to negotiate with your provider in the morning. This way, you have a better chance of being the first customer through on the phone, and the rep won't have worked tirelessly through previous calls which may have affected their stress levels. It pays to be polite when getting through to someone on the phone, as representatives are less inclined to help rude or aggressive customers. Knowing what other offers are on the market can help you to make a case for yourself to your provider. If your provider won't haggle, you can always threaten to leave. Companies don't want to lose customers and may come up with a last-minute offer to keep you. It's also worth investigating social tariffs. These deals have been created for people who are receiving certain benefits.
News.com.au
18-06-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Donald Trump to launch a golden smartphone
The Trump family is launching a mobile phone and mobile coverage plans in the United States. The Trump Organisation's press release stated the T1 phone will be a 'sleek gold smartphone' that will be 'proudly designed and built in the United States'.
