Mobile coverage ‘notspots’ in Norfolk found after county council uses bin lorries for study

A new study has revealed where the worst places for mobile phone signals are in Norfolk.

Devices have been attached to fleets of bin lorries to find ‘notspots’ in the county, which has shown the villages badly affected by having poor connections.

Communities in north Norfolk are among the worst affected, with Happisburgh, Horning and Gunthorpe having the biggest coverage problems.

Areas around Norwich and King’s Lynn are places with the best signal.

The study has also shown which of the four biggest mobile operators offer the best service depending on where you live in the county.

The new maps have been created by Streetwave – a firm that monitors network coverage – as part of a Norfolk County Council-led project.

NORFOLK’S NOTSPOTS

The coverage maps have calculated signal strength for EE, Three, Vodafone and O2 networks to reveal areas of poor coverage.

Areas with ‘excellent’ and ‘good’ phone signal are indicated by dark and light shades of green, while ‘essential’ coverage is yellow-shaded and ‘poor’ signal areas are red.

‘Notspots’ – areas where there is limited or no wi-fi or mobile phone signal – are mostly found in rural areas.

The worst-hit are in north Norfolk.

Happisburgh, Eccles on Sea, Neatishead, Horning, Tunstead, Sloley and Swanton Abbott all endure poor coverage.

Thurning, Hindolveston, Saxlingham and Bagthorpe are also badly affected.

In south Norfolk, people living between Kenninghall and Old Buckenham also struggle with connections.

In the west of the county, old Hunstanton and Brancaster have poor signal.

EE – a subsidiary of British Telecom – offers the most comprehensive mobile coverage in Norfolk.

Three and Vodafone have the weakest signal, with large areas showing ‘poor’ or ‘essential’ coverage.

Bad phone signal can frequently be a nuisance for people living in Norfolk.

It can leave vulnerable people feeling unsafe due to being unable to call for help.

This was highlighted recently after Storm Darragh left people living in north Norfolk struggling to speak with friends and family after suffering power cuts for several days.

People can find out more at app.streetwave.co/coverage-checker/55/map.