No sign of end to poor border phone coverage

Seamus Enright

“The problem is here and the problem is real,' said Cllr Sean Smith referring to the quality of phone coverage in the border region. 'It was bad after the G8 took place but it is now a major problem.”

Cllr Smith was speaking at a recent meeting of Cavan County Council, where the members responded to a letter from the Department of Communications following their passing of a resolution seeking change.

The elected members had passed a resolution earlier this year demanding intervention to improve phone coverage quality along the border, which they said had been seriously damaged since infrastructure was put in place ahead of the G8 meeting of world leaders in Fermanagh last year.
The letter from the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources outlined that the provision of network coverage was a matter for the service providers.
The regulation, including the allocation of radio spectrum for mobile telephone services and the imposition of binding conditions, are functions for the Commissioner of Communications Regulations (ComReg), which is independent in the exercise of its functions.

The letter, signed by Minister Pat Rabbitte, it was said, was therefore forwarded by the department to ComReg for “further attention”.

Infrastructure

Fianna Fáil’s Sean Smith maintained that the infrastructure put in needs to be “looked at again”, and he again proposed that the council write once again to the department seeking assistance on the matter.
Fine Gael’s Peter McVitty said that he could drive from Ballyconnell to Glan Gap without loss of phone signal, but attempt to travel to Enniskillen or even Cavan and the signal would drop at least once.
He asked that a member of the Department be invited to the chamber to explain further the ongoing situation, with fellow party member Maura Maguire Lynch seconding the proposal.