November 27, 2019
Begley welcomes funding package to improve rural mobile coverage

Sinn Féin’s Órfhlaith Begley has welcomed confirmation of a significant funding package to improve mobile phone coverage in rural parts of West Tyrone. 

The West Tyrone candidate said: 

“I led a party delegation that met with Vanessa Higham, Government Affairs Manager of Vodafone to discuss wider plans for improving provision in the many ‘notspots’ in West Tyrone. 

“At the meeting it was confirmed that a Shared Rural Network has now been put in place with Vodafone being joined by 3 other main providers: O2; EE and 3 in a €1.3bn partnership with government with the aim of providing 95% 4G coverage in ‘notspots’. 

“The project is now in its final stages of sign-off with work on the ground scheduled to start next year with working groups being set up to plan and prioritise the roll-out of the Rural Network Initiative. 

“Sinn Féin will submit a response to this working group on the basis that postcodes, many of which are in this constituency have little or no network coverage and should therefore be given priority.

“We made the case strongly that the north has proportionately more ‘notspots’ than other regions with rural areas of West Tyrone and west of the Bann being particularly affected.

“Sinn Féin pressed the case strongly that Vodafone along with other providers should prioritise the roll-out of the initiative in the north with first priority being given to worst ‘not spot’ areas.”

Follow us online

Latest Tweets

The Defence Forces; the Naval services & Army Ranger Wing deserve every bit of praise they have received since the operation off our coast yesterday.
The successful operation again demonstrates the benefits of and need to invest in naval capacity and wider Defence Force.

Government to hike petrol and diesel TWICE next month! In most counties driving a car is not a luxury, it is essential to get to work or drop kids to school

All Fianna Fáil & Fine Gael are doing is making peoples lives more difficult. It's time for change! – @MattCarthy

.@Padraig_Delargy and @Farrell_Mairead met and listened to the voices of students today at the Queens University Freshers' Fair.

Sinn Féin will continue to have the backs of students, and work to ensure that there is affordable accommodation for students right across Ireland.

📻 Sinn Féin spokesperson on Disability and Carers @PaulineTullyTD will be live on @LatedebateRTE tonight, from 10:00pm.

Listen here: http://rte.ie/radio1

Load More