Poor Mobile Signal Prompts Call for Action

Residents across South Cheshire and North Shropshire – including Malpas, Farndon, Marbury and Whitchurch – are being urged to share their experiences of poor mobile phone coverage.

Former MP Antoinette Sandbach and Liberal Democrat representatives have raised the alarm over ongoing signal blackouts.

Antoinette Sandbach, former MP for Eddisbury, recently contacted Rob Herd, the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Spokesperson for Chester South & Eddisbury, after experiencing several days without mobile signal. Ms Sandbach raised the issue with EE, her mobile provider, who confirmed they were aware of the fault. Initially, EE indicated that compensation would be due, but later reversed that position without explanation.

Despite local customers being privately informed that cell towers have been out of service, there is no publicly available record of outages in the area – an issue Mr Herd says reflects a worrying lack of transparency from mobile providers.

Rob Herd said:

“This is yet another example of rural communities getting a second-rate deal. Residents in SY13 and SY14 are paying the same as people in urban areas, but getting a fraction of the service. It’s unacceptable. We need openness from the mobile companies and real investment in rural connectivity.”

The SY13 and SY14 postcodes include parts of North Shropshire, represented by Liberal Democrat MP Helen Morgan, who also chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Digital Communities. The group is currently conducting an inquiry into mobile coverage across the UK.

Helen Morgan MP said:

“People across Shropshire and Cheshire deserve better. We are pushing hard in Parliament to improve digital infrastructure in rural areas and ensure no community is left behind. Good mobile coverage is essential for safety, businesses and everyday life.”

Nationally, a recent survey showed that over 50% of UK mobile users have experienced signal problems at home, with rural areas consistently the worst affected. While urban centres benefit from high-speed 5G rollout, many countryside communities still struggle to make a basic phone call.

To help build the case for action, Rob Herd and Helen Morgan are asking residents to share their stories.

Rob added:

“We’re asking everyone in Malpas, Farndon, Marbury, Whitchurch and the surrounding areas to come forward and give us permission to contact mobile companies on their behalf. Together, we can demand better service.”

Residents can share their experiences and give permission to be included in this community action by visiting: 

www.cwaclibdems.org.uk/mobilephone

Pictured - Helen Morgan and Rob Herd.