News Release

10th August

SOLVING MAST MAYHEM

Michael Fabricant is putting forward a plan to the DTI that would do much to solve the proliferation of mobile phone masts and the health worries that ensue.

"The problem is that while some new phone mast construction is for the new 3G - third generation - networks, some is to fill in holes in the existing 2G - or GSM - service which most people use. And it is that latter problem to which there is a solution" Michael explains. "In Lichfield, for example, a major mobile phone network does not have good coverage in the City centre while some other rival networks do. I am discussing with the DTI a plan whereby mobile phone operators would allow their customers to 'roam' within the UK just as they can abroad. It would mean that if, say, a Vodafone network user could not pick up a Vodafone signal, but could receive a rival network, the phone would automatically switch to the new network.

"At the moment, roaming is only allowed for SOS or emergency calls, but not for general use. This is madness. Roaming within the UK would mean that no new 2G phone masts would need to be built except in the very few remaining rural areas where there is still no signal at all. Every 2G phone has the capacity for roaming: it works abroad when you take your phone to another country. There is no technical reason why it shouldn't work here either.