Three is rapidly expanding its 4G coverage, with Bury St Edmunds next in line to get a mobile speed boost. 4G masts should be turning on in the town within a month and many other areas in the region should also have 4G soon according to a Three spokeswoman.
The addition of 4G should bring the historic market town into the 21st century and help people stay in touch and work more efficiently.
But while it’s good news for residents of the town, it’s leaving those in surrounding rural areas to feel increasingly left behind according to EADT24.
Carl Birkley, director of Hewicks Haulage, in Cockfield, said “Using mobile phones is a very important part of modern life, never mind my business. We are always using mobiles to keep in touch with our drivers.”
“You can have an okay signal in one spot and then 400 yards away you can’t even make a phone call. It is poor and it does not seem to be getting any better.
“As soon as any bad weather sets in you have no signal at all, and that is when you are most likely going to need it in an emergency. We are suffering in all walks of life in rural areas, getting more and more cut off. We don’t have good broadband in most places either.”
That’s certainly a problem, though hopefully the agreement by UK networks to eradicate two thirds of ‘not spots’ 2017 will help substantially. That still won’t totally fix the problem, but, as Mr Berkley attests “we are getting left behind, but I guess I wouldn’t want to live in a town, maybe it is the price you pay.”