Adam Price

Carmarthen East and Dinefwr MS, Adam Price, has called for the Welsh Government to bridge the gap for rural communities who do not have sufficient mobile phone reception. The recent Coronavirus restrictions have resulted in a dramatic increase for those working at home or away from the office, and subsequently, the need for quality mobile phone signal.

Adam Price said: “The last few months of the pandemic have demonstrated that there is clearly a gap in connectivity, both for mobile phone signal and internet speeds, across Wales. This gap, particularly for mobile phone signal, is not something that we can continue to entertain, as the importance of a good phone signal in an area increases.”

“My growing concern is that the strategy of the Welsh Government will mirror their work on superfast broadband – that improvement of coverage will be seen predominantly in urban areas, as they present the most connected people per £ spent. This approach inevitably creates a dearth of coverage in Wales’ more rural areas, and extends the digital divide within our country. A change of strategy is needed so that our rural communities are not left behind. When the Welsh Government talk about percentages of Wales receiving coverage, I am worried that it is always the same locations who are not in that percentage”