'Huge deterioration' in phone signal in north-west Cork

Local councillors want communications regulator Comreg to investigate the problem

Mobile phone coverage is reported to be very poor in Rockchapel and Lismire and in parts of Banteer, Kanturk (above), Knocknagree, and Cullen. Picture: Denis Scannell 

Communications regulator Comreg is to be asked to investigate a “huge deterioration” in mobile phone coverage across large swathes of north-west Cork, which is hampering people trying to work from home as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Members of the council's Kanturk/Mallow Municipal District Council have complained that in recent weeks, many parts of Western Duhallow in particular have seen their coverage become poor or even non-existent.

Standing orders were suspended at their meeting at the request of Fianna Fáil councillor, Bernard Moynihan, to discuss the issue.

“Several people have contacted me over this, especially during the holiday period. Mobile phone coverage is very poor in Rockchapel and Lismire and in parts of Banteer, Kanturk, Knocknagree, and Cullen. We need to make representations to phone companies about this,” Mr Moynihan said.

Fine Gael councillor, John Paul O'Shea, agreed with him and maintained the council should write to the governing body Comreg asking it to investigate the problem.

“There has been a huge deterioration of phone coverage in north Cork in general. We have written to the phone companies before and we got little satisfaction. Vodafone and Eir are particularly poor, even though they have said that they have upgraded their masts,” Mr O'Shea said.

Mr Moynihan said he would go along with that.

We need to put on maximum pressure at the highest level and therefore maybe we should also write to whatever minister is in charge.

Municipal District Council chairman, Fianna Fáil councillor Geraoid Murphy, said the situation wasn't acceptable as a large number of people were trying to work from home to fit in with public health advice.

He said he was aware that there are also problems with mobile phone coverage in the Charleville and Milford areas.

“It's a very pressing issue,” Mr Murphy added.

Fine Gael councillor, Gerard Murphy, said he'd no doubt that the increase in the number of people working from home “was putting pressure on the (mobile phone) system,” but it was all the more important now that the companies addressed this urgently because without proper coverage “people feel isolated and vulnerable”. 

Fine Gael councillor, Liam Madden, and Fianna Fáil councillor, Ian Doyle, both said the coverage problems in the region are huge and had to be tackled as a matter of urgency.

Councillors also expressed concerns about slow broadband rollout in the region, although they agreed with Mr Moynihan's assertion that at present mobile phone coverage is a far bigger issue.

Mary Hayes, the council's senior executive officer for the region, said they would compile a full list of the areas affected and then write to the mobile phone providers and Comreg.