Galway callers left hanging on the telephone

Galway has the second highest number of mobile phone blackspots in the country – with 64 areas identified as having poor coverage by Galway County and City Councils.

Of the 17 local authorities that submitted data, Galway was second only to Longford where some 84 locations were noted as having inadequate mobile signal.

Galway East Deputy Anne Rabbitte (FF) issued a call for the Ministers for Communications, Local Government and Rural and Community Development to examine these blackspots and to urgently intervene to “plug the gaps in the delivery of fibre broadband to rural parts of the county”.

“While certain parts of the country are making huge digital advances, Galway is being left behind once again. From the closure of our banks, post offices and rural shops, we are now being left stranded with no mobile phone coverage.

“The Government is ignoring the requirements of the people and communities in Galway. While the mobile phone blackspots have been identified, we need to see a similar analysis of broadband blackspots across the country,” said Deputy Rabbitte.

The need for mobile phone coverage and access to good broadband was universal, she added.

See full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale now.