Craster residents launch campaign for mobile reception

Jul 3 2009 by Brian Daniel, The Journal

PEOPLE in a Northumberland seaside village which has no mobile phone coverage have launched a campaign to get a signal.

Craster has no mobile reception, because it is in a hollow surrounded by rocky crags.

It is understood mobile phone masts work on a line of sight basis and because of this the nearest one, around half a mile away, misses out the village.

The lack of coverage poses problems to all aspects of the community, which is so popular with tourists.

People running businesses from within the village do not give out a mobile number as they can not be contacted when in the village. Those working in Craster cannot ring their employers when a problem arises with the job.

Those walking in the area cannot contact the emergency services in the event of an accident.

And people who become separated from their children are unable to ring them and arrange where to meet. Those living in the village are unable to contact their friends and family via mobile phone calls or text messages.

Now, Craster Development Trust has launched a petition in a bid to address the situation.

The document, which has already attracted more than 100 signatures, is to be presented to Craster Parish Council at its meeting this month. The council has already written to all the main phone providers asking them to give Craster mobile coverage.

The trust hopes the parish will pass the petition onto the providers to prove how many people would use mobiles. Chairman Michael Craster said: “Mobile telephones are now part of everyday life for most people, yet residents and visitors to Craster are cut off from this service.

“We hope that the parish council will be able to persuade the operators to improve their service and benefit those residents and visitors.

“We don’t think the mobile networks are aware of the huge number of visitors who come into Craster, so our petition will help the parish council by showing the real level of demand.” Neil Robson, director of L Robson & Son which produces Craster’s famous kippers, said it would be handy for the village to have mobile reception but said it would not “make or break” the community.

Mr Robson said villagers have adapted to not having coverage and that it is visitors who struggle, often when they can not stay in touch with family by mobile.

His company’s van drivers have mobile phones but can only use them when out of the village. He said: “We have never had a phone reception signal here so we have never been able to give out mobile phone numbers. People have to ring us on landlines all the time.”

The nearest mast to Craster is operated by O2. Jim Stevenson, the company’s communications manager, last night said the village does have some coverage although not of a level O2 or its customers are happy with.

He was confident the company’s existing network can be “optimised” to improve signal at Craster.

Mr Stevenson also said the company would be looking at erecting new masts in the vicinity of the village in the near future.