Currently, a phone mast is broken and there is inadequate indoor coverage for Pilling – and not enough connectivity for good for mobile broadband.
I was last in contact with the telecommunications company Telefonica UK (O2) who run the infrastructure last October, who advised that:
“…there are no current plans in place to build any new masts within a closer proximity to Pilling. We will keep this under continual review based on customer demand”
Now a mast is broken, with residents cut off.
One resident has shared with me how a neighbour was unable to access morphine because emergency ambulance staff were unable to open the safe storage box due to a lack of mobile signal, resulting in them unable to assist the patient who was in agony.
I have written once again to the telecommunications company Telefonica UK (O2) to ask they fix the mast urgently, and to ask what they are doing to improve the mobile signal in Pilling, and my letter to them is below.
UPDATE: 23/05/2025: Response from Virgin Media O2
I have investigated this matter with our network engineering team and our team has confirmed that the mast that provides connectivity to our customers in Pilling is working as it should with no known issues and our existing 4G coverage in Pilling currently exceeds 50% indoor coverage levels. In addition, our team has confirmed that this site has not had any recent issues or outages. We inform our customers if there are ever any issues or upgrade works occurring at any surrounding sites in proximity to their home or near masts that they use frequently. As you know customers bring their mobile devices with them, which is why your constituent may have received a text message, information on O2’s website advising them that there may have been some issues to a site nearby.
In regard to emergency calling, it’s worth noting that in an emergency, 999/111 calls can be connected when no network signal is available from O2 as the device should automatically roam/ connect to the nearest available signal from any mobile provider. Emergency calls also take priority over ordinary mobile calls which means that, even with limited capacity or coverage, an emergency call is more likely to be successful.
With regards to the 3G Switch Off programme, it’s worth noting that 3G has been superseded by 4G and 5G networks over recent years, with the 3G network carrying less and less traffic. By focusing our investment on 4G and 5G, we’ll be able to further expand and upgrade services, while being more energy efficient and better for the environment. Plus, it means our customers will be able to benefit from quicker download speeds and higher quality voice calls. More information on our 3G switch off can be accessed here, and the following from Ofcom may also help your constituents.
I’m disappointed that private telecommunication companies continue to leave rural communities high and dry, and appear to have no interest in investing to improve mobile signal in areas like Pilling, as their reply to me last year indicates.