Agenda and minutes
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Question:
I received an email today from the Council with a link to a press release notifying the public about the launch of the Growing Mid Wales Mobile Coverage Checker.
Link: https://www.growingmidwales.co.uk/article/17082/Growing-Mid-Wales-launches-Mobile-Coverage-Checker
The article states that waste collection vehicles across Powys and Ceredigion have been installed with data capturing devices to carry out coverage surveys, every week, across every address in Mid Wales.
As a Councillor who has been active by successfully working closely with the Home Office and service providers over the last 7 years to improve mobile phone connectivity in and around my Council ward, I followed the link to explore its effectiveness and accuracy.
The first address I tried was my own, yet to my disappointment, the website revealed that there were no results available. Therefore, I think the Council should remove the claim that every address in Mid Wales is recorded.
As there are numerous more accurate mobile network coverage websites available, such as: https://www.signalchecker.co.uk https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/coverage-and-speeds/ofcom-checker/ https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/cheap-mobile-finder/coverage-checker/ and
can Cabinet members please confirm the cost of this project, and confirm why taxpayers' money was used for equipment to provide data to an inferior website when other more accurate and widely available sources are available?
Can you also please confirm what meaningful work is being carried out by this Council, over and above the work being carried out externally, to improve poor mobile phone connectivity throughout Powys, together with a plan indicating which areas will receive coverage upgrades, and when?
Minutes: Response by the Cabinet Member:
Thank you for bringing this to our attention.
As suggested, we have amended the wording. Currently we have around 95% of properties covered and this is increasing. Looking at the data we have (copied below), we have data very close to but unfortunately not your property.
As mentioned in the article, we have initially placed these in waste collection vehicles, so it is dependent on how close it gets to each address. In your example it is very marginal. So much so, that by using another property on the same postcode such as Beacon Lodge it returns data, see attahced pdf.
This project is part of the Growing Mid Wales portfolio, this mapping and data collection element has cost £59k for the Mid Wales region for a 12-month collection period funded by Shared Prosperity Fund. The public web checker wasn't initially in scope of our work but given the opportunity we felt it was useful for our residents and businesses to be able to use the data we have.
It is important to note, although your initial experience of the postcode website was below satisfactory, the data we have collected through this exercise is vastly superior to the checkers already available. These other checkers are generally based on modelling which I am sure you will recognise as often being over exaggerated. The results we have are real world examples, over a range of dates so we can also account for capacity issues where networks slow down due to large events; Brecon County Show, Hay Festival, RWAS to name a few. I would welcome the opportunity for an officer to show you the data we collect as I am sure you will find it useful with your conversations. Similarly, we are able to provide you access to the system if you would find that useful.
In terms of areas of intervention. The outline business case has recently been submitted for a gateway review as required by Welsh Government, there are 4 main areas where it is anticipated that the GMW Digital Programme will add value:
Regarding the question of "where?". This methodology is currently being finalised, but it is essential that we get the real-world data first in order to make any recommendations. Based on the data we have, we are identifying areas which are either TNS Total Not Spots or PNS Partial Not Spots (not covered by all 4 MNOs), we are then overlaying this mapping with property and business information to work up a prioritised list where direct intervention is sensible. Of course, like you have mentioned there are also a number ... view the full minutes text for item 1. |