Murdo Fraser MSP, has welcomed proposals from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to eliminate poor mobile phone coverage throughout the UK.
The Mid-Scotland and Fife MSP has also encouraged residents in Perth and Kinross, Fife, Stirling and Clackmannanshire to make their views knows to the UK Government.
Amongst the proposals is the suggestion that users should be automatically transferred to rival networks when they lose signal. The document also proposes allowing networks to put transmitters on each other’s masts and obliging networks to cover a certain percentage of the UK.
The news comes after an Ofcom report, published in August, showed that coverage varied widely depending on which mobile phone provider was used. This research showed that the percentage of failed calls in rural areas in Scotland varied from more than 15% to less than 4%.
Mid-Scotland and Fife MSP Murdo Fraser said:
“Rural residents in Mid-Scotland and Fife are at the thin end of the wedge when it comes to mobile phone and digital coverage, and will welcome these latest proposals from the UK Government.
“The UK Government is taking strong action to improve the situation and has made it clear that it will not stand by and let poor coverage continue to blight rural areas of Perth and Kinross, Fife, Stirling and Clackmannanshire.
“Dropped calls, failed texts and a lack of internet access is not just a nuisance it’s a serious problem. Without better digital infrastructure the divide between countryside and city will only get bigger.
“I’d encourage residents and businesses in Perth and Kinross, Fife, Stirling and to respond to the UK Government’s consultation and make their views known.”