Senior Council official backs criticism that mobile phone providers not doing enough to improve signal for customers in Co. Tipperary

A senior Tipperary Co. Council official has agreed with a local politician's criticism that mobile phone coverage in this county is inadequate and the providers are not doing enough to improve it. 

Carrick-on-Suir Municipal District Director Pat Slattery said he totally agreed with Carrick-on-Suir Cllr Kieran Bourke's complaint about the standard of mobile phone coverage throughout the county. 

He told Carrick-on-Suir Municipal District's monthly meeting he believed the mobile phone companies were "leaning back a bit" in terms of ensuring their Co. Tipperary customers received a good signal on their phones. 

Mr Slattery, who is also the Council's Director of Community & Economic Development Services, said the Co. Council needed to keep pushing the phone companies to improve their service because they were not going to do it otherwise. 

He pointed out the Council was happy to allow mobile phone companies erect masts and antennae on council owned land in order to improve coverage for mobile phone users around the county. 

He made his comments after Cllr Bourke declared he considered that most of Co. Tipperary was a mobile phone coverage "blackspot". 

"As soon as you move outside the large urban areas the coverage is poor," he declared. " It varies from day to day. You have good days and bad days. My criticism is the mobile phone providers make huge profits but the mobile phone service was better in the county ten years ago.

"I am deeply suspicious they are more into broadband. I feel they are not putting in the effort. They have the customers and they have taken their money. They need to step up to the mark," the Fianna Fail councillor added.