Residents and businesses in Warwickshire will benefit from a state of the art, accurate mobile coverage checker that shows the signal strength of all major mobile operators in their area.
The River Severn Partnership Advanced Wireless Innovation Region (RSPAWIR), of which Warwickshire County Council is a member, partnered with Streetwave, who have developed a web-based tool for residents and businesses, allowing them to enter a postcode, and receive information on the best networks for their area.
The tool allows users to see results based on real data, collected locally by partners, and enables them to make a more informed decision on their choice of mobile operator, as this is a known point of interest for many residents in the local area. This is opposed to standard mobile operator coverage maps, which are usually based on algorithms, and therefore may not give the most accurate and up to date information.
Residents and businesses that may be relocating, purchasing new mobile contracts, or looking to improve their access to mobile networks will benefit from the tool. One of the innovative ways that partners have been bringing strength to the partnership, is in the mapping of coverage strength. Each residential road in Warwickshire has been mapped out thanks to expert surveyors, Streetwave. Surveyors installed equipment in local Warwickshire bin lorries, to gather the most comprehensive street-by-street information possible, with minimal cost and disruption to the roads.
This method of mapping has not only kept costs down by reducing vehicles, drivers, and fuel, but also helps towards the wider council goal of achieving net zero, as no extra vehicles have been added to the road, and no unnecessary miles driven.
Councillor Martin Watson – Economy Portfolio holder, said:
“It’s important to stress that Warwickshire County Council has no affiliation with, or preference to, any mobile network providers, this tool illustrates which provider would offer the best solution for local residents and businesses.
The way in which they have gathered data, working with our partners at district and borough councils, by using their refuse vehicles, is an exemplar in working together, keeping costs and emissions down, whilst providing the best possible service for our residents and businesses.”
To check connection strength by postcode through the RSPAWIR survey visit: https://app.streetwave.co/coverage-checker/60 ".