Debate contribution: Mobile Coverage in Rural Areas

Debate contribution by Mrs Linda Dillon on 24 September 2024.

MLA

Mrs Linda Dillon

Party at the time

Sinn Féin

Date

24 September 2024

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

Mobile Coverage in Rural Areas

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4644968

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I thank the Members who have spoken already, because some of them have covered my points. However, it is worthwhile talking specifically to the lack of mobile coverage in some areas of Mid Ulster, the rural community that I represent. Mobile service is vital for everyday use and for people to make phone calls. If you are doing so on the road, I certainly hope that you are using hands-free. It is important for business. Business in Mid Ulster tends to be in rural areas. Many of our big engineering companies are in rural areas, and it is vital for them to have that connectivity. As others have outlined, it is also extremely important for those who need to get in contact urgently with any of our blue light services. Whether it is for a business or a resident in the Washing Bay area of Killeen or Derryloughan or whether it is in an emergency on a rural road, mobile connectivity is a lifeline. In speaking to the motion, it is important to address the key issues: the responsibility of mobile providers and the role of the planning process. First, I emphasise that the planning process exists for a reason. As others have outlined, it ensures that we maintain a balance between the need for infrastructure and the rights of residents and rural dwellers. We cannot bypass those protections in a rush to build more masts or roll out new infrastructure. We must consider the impact on local areas and the residents who live there. They deserve to be part of the conversation about how infrastructure is developed; Mark Durkan mentioned that. It is about communication and talking to those communities. They are up for it, but they need to understand what is happening and why. Planning safeguards are critical to ensuring that mobile masts and other infrastructure are introduced in a way that respects local character, the environment and the well-being of residents. That said, the real issue lies with the mobile providers. In Mid Ulster and, particularly, Killeen and Derryloughan in the Washing Bay area, there already is the physical infrastructure, but the mobile companies are choosing not to upgrade or properly invest in it. That goes back to points that have been made around collaboration and everybody working together. Mobile providers are choosing not to invest in rural areas. They need to be answerable as to why that is. Whether it is in a rural area in Mid Ulster, Strabane or Derry, it creates a digital divide that is leaving our rural communities behind. Our local council has been very supportive of residents in areas that have no mobile coverage, but, thus far, there has been no satisfactory response from the companies responsible. The lack of investment from mobile phone companies leaves rural areas with substandard service compared with urban areas, and we cannot allow that urban/rural divide to grow. The providers reap the benefits of serving urban customers — I acknowledge that there are issues in some urban areas too — while neglecting many of our rural communities and thus the businesses and residents who depend on it. Reliable mobile coverage is crucial for emergency services, as I have outlined. In rural areas, where the response times can be longer, the ability to make a phone call in a crisis can make all the difference.

Again, however, our residents are left vulnerable because of the lack of infrastructure and lack of investment from mobile providers. I welcome the amendment and acknowledge the work that the Department for the Economy and the barrier busting task force are doing. I have no doubt that more work needs to happen in that area, but, again, it comes back to what we have talked about: collaboration between all the stakeholders, including Departments, councils, mobile network companies and local communities, about which we have talked. The amendment reinforces the idea that:

"no community should be left behind".

It emphasises the need for a well-rounded approach that ensures that rural communities receive the mobile coverage that they need. As I said, that will be done only through collaboration by all stakeholders, including government, councils, elected representatives and the communities that we represent. The communities need to be part of the conversation. As I said, they are always up for improvements being made and for moving forward, but they need to be involved in the conversation. I thank the proposer of the motion and the proposer of the amendment.

746 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not qualifying

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Assessed 21 October 2026 at 11:06 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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