A new scheme is helping people in rural areas stay connected.
A mobile signal booster kit loan programme is improving connectivity in the River Severn Partnership catchment area, benefiting both residents and businesses.
The scheme, offered by the River Severn Partnership Advanced Wireless Innovation Region (RSPAWIR) and Warwickshire County Council, allows people to borrow antennas and routers for up to two months to test their effectiveness in boosting weak mobile signals.
Rob Wilson, cabinet member for economic growth at Shropshire Council, said: "The RSPAWIR on-street survey of connectivity, which was carried out by Streetwave, highlighted a vast difference in results provided by the mobile network operators and Ofcom.
"The survey highlighted how the rurality of the River Severn Partnership catchment affects people’s real experience of connectivity and the number of ‘not spots’ that exist.
"The signal boosting loan scheme has allowed people to test their options and help themselves before facing the outlay of investing in their own solution."
To date, nearly 150 kits have been loaned out.
In Shropshire’s Batch Valley, one of the identified ‘not spots,’ resident Janet Ferguson said the scheme resolved a long-standing problem.
She said: "The lack of signal was increasingly becoming an issue, especially with working from home.
"At our gate we have a signal, but once you are inside the house it goes."
The scheme is part of a wider effort to improve digital connectivity across the region.
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