Carmichael calls on Government to use ‘once-in-a-generation’ opportunity to improve mobile coverage

Alistair Carmichael MP has called on the UK Government to use the spare capacity on the emergency services network (ESN) to improve coverage for all mobile customers.

The “Extended Services Network” used by the emergency services is a Westminster-funded investment in the EE phone network.

But according to the Minister for Policing and Fire Services the ESN sites will only be available to the emergency services and EE customers — despite the fact that they were built under a UK Government contract, and funded by £1.2 billion of public money.

Mr Carmichael gone back to the minister urging him to take urgent action to use the “once-in-a-generation” investment to improve phone signals for all.

He said: “It is a mistake for the Government not to take every possible step to ensure that where mobile phone masts are being built with public money, they should be available to every member of the public.

“In many communities in the Northern Isles their phone signal is barely strong enough to make phone calls, let alone benefit from 3G. The UK Government, when they fund these new masts, should ensure that all signal providers can use them.”