Reepham’s businesses frustrated by mobile phone ‘not spot’

Business owners in Reepham have expressed their disappointment at the news that the government’s Mobile Infrastructure Project (MIP) has identified just one specific “not spot” area to target for improvement in Norfolk. The project will be concentrating on a single road in the county – the A143 between Great Yarmouth and Haverhill.
 
Reepham’s business community has been campaigning for some time for improvements to the mobile phone signal provision in the town. Signal from any operator is virtually non-existent in the historic market place and surrounding area.
 

Members of Reepham’s business community desperately seeking a mobile phone signal in Reepham Market Place. Photo: John Tym

 
Reepham Chamber of Commerce chairman Brenda Gostling expressed the town’s frustration: “We had hoped that the MIP would benefit “not spots” in small rural business hubs like Reepham, but we have been told that this is unlikely to happen. We have over thirty businesses based in and around Reepham Market Place and the lack of mobile signal has an impact, to some degree, on them all.”
 
James Ellis, marketing director of Norfolk Country Cottages, which is located in Market Place, finds the lack of mobile phone signal challenging. “Visitors to our offices are delighted by Reepham’s rural charm, but find it almost inconceivable that somewhere that has a significant business presence can exist without mobile phone communication,” he said.
 
“For our own teams, we have had to invest in Vodafone signal boosters, which are limited on the number of mobiles that can use them, not always very good quality and use up our internet bandwidth. A proper mobile phone signal would be much more effective.”
 
Claire Tuck from Bonhams auctioneers, whose Norfolk office is also located in Reepham’s Market Place, also supports the campaign to improve Reepham’s mobile phone signal. “I am reliant on a fixed network connection to my laptop in order to communicate with the outside world and unable to benefit from all that smart phone technology offers,” she said.
 
“Secondly, and just as importantly, we are unable to fit a smart meter at the office to monitor our electricity usage. Smart meters work on a minimum mobile signal being present and would really be of benefit, not just to us, but the rest of the residents and businesses around the Market Place too.”
 
Reepham Chamber of Commerce will continue to lobby Norfolk County Council to ensure the Market Place area is recognised as an important “not spot”.

Related stories: