Fahey receives assurance from mobile phone operators on motorway coverage improvement

After enquiring about efforts being made to improve coverage along the new interurban routes, Chairman of the Transport Committee Frank Fahey has been assured that efforts are being made to upgrade coverage for the befit of mobile phone-using travellers.

Deputy Fahey highlighted the issue after the Dublin to Galway motorway was opened in January and had received assurances from a number of mobile phone operators about their efforts.

“I was happy to receive assurances from both Meteor and O2 that, following my contact with them earlier his year, they have investigated the coverage of their transmitters along the M6.

“Meteor has confirmed to me that it has identified six new sites along the motorway that require network rollout. These sites are at Tyrellspass to Rochfordbridge; Moate to Athlone; Aughrim to Kiltullagh; Athenry to Oranmore; Kiltullagh to Athenry; and Athlone to Newtown.

“Meteor informs me that it hopes to have the coverage improves in these areas by the autumn.

“The O2 mobile phone operator also contacted me and said that they investigated a number of sites along the M6 route using a range of 2G and 3G devices and are satisfied that full coverage is available under their network. In advance of the M6 opening it invested in upgrades at Rahally, Casla and Kiltullagh along the route.

“They informed me that they are also currently investigating coverage strength on other interurban routes which are coming on stream.

“I have yet to hear from Vodafone but I am hopeful that that they will take the concerns I have highlighted seriously.

“Significant investment has been made by the Government to construct inter urban routes connecting Galway, Cork, Limerick and Waterford with Dublin.

“Around seventy per cent of the programme is now completed and the rest is under construction and on target for completion this year.

“However the mobile phone coverage on the motorway is still extremely patchy on some of these routes and this is very inconvenient for some motorists, particularly business people who may need to be contactable as they travel.

“Equally, along the railway lines coverage can be very poor and, as we are trying to encourage more people to use public transport in their personal and business travel, it is important that coverage on these routes is also improved.

“In Europe it is commonplace for mobile phone coverage to be clearly available on motorways and even in tunnels.

“Given that Ireland is the most profitable country in Europe for mobile phone operators they owe their customers comprehensive coverage.

“I will be inviting the mobile phone operators to come before the Transport Committee in September.

“I would be particularly interested in asking them about the technologies that are available in other countries to provide telephone coverage in black spot areas such as tunnels and whether this technology could be used to defect coverage in localised situations here in Ireland such as the black spots along new roads,”concluded Frank Fahey TD.