Council waste trucks help signal a better future for connectivity

A new street-by-street mobile phone coverage checker is now available to residents and businesses in Dorset.

It’s been made possible thanks to Dorset Council’s 32-strong fleet of food waste collection trucks and tech company Streetwave.

Streetwave’s equipment records the coverage provided by the four main mobile phone network operators (MNOs). It has been installed in collection trucks to ensure almost every street and road in the council area was covered.

That has resulted in a new online checker where residents and businesses can discover which provider has the strongest mobile signal for their address.

Dorset Council’s Cabinet member for Property & Assets and Economic Growth, Cllr Richard Biggs, said: “Digital is so important in today’s world and it’s essential that businesses and residents have access to the best possible connectivity.

“We have known for many years that the mobile coverage data provided by Ofcom does not give an accurate picture for Dorset.

“This checker will help empower people to understand which network provides the best service in their area and help improve mobile coverage experience.

“Crucially, it will help us lobby the government and suppliers for better coverage in areas we know are currently struggling. For our economy to grow, we need the best possible access to digital.”

Ofcom’s data, which includes estimates from the MNOs, says 90% of Dorset has good coverage from all four MNOs, whereas the data collected by Streetwave to date suggests the reality is below 50%.

The Dorset Council survey, which covered 2,400 miles of network and undertook more than one million tests, has gathered data based on actual on-street measurements.

It allows people to see the quality of coverage EE, Vodafone, Three and O2 provide. 

On the checker people will see if there is excellent, good, essential or poor coverage in their area. It will also show the upload and download speeds for each MNO.

The Streetwave equipment will also soon be used to check the connectivity of the council’s green spaces, including country parks, to provide even more coverage data for Dorset.

And the data will also help some frontline staff know which SIM could be best to use when working across Dorset.

Cllr Biggs added: “The Streetwave data has huge potential to help public services carry out frontline duties more efficiently and safely.

“And by looking at our green spaces as well, we’ll be going beyond providing data just for roads and streets.”

People can view the online checker on the Dorset Council website.