Residents Demand Urgent Action to Improve Mobile Phone Signal Across Waverley
Residents Demand Urgent Action to Improve Mobile Phone Signal Across Waverley
Residents, businesses, and visitors across Waverley have had enough of inadequate mobile phone signal. A petition spearheaded by Lib Dem Cllr Liz Townsend is calling on Chris Bryant MP, Minister of State for the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, to take immediate action to resolve the persistent issues with poor or non-existent mobile coverage, particularly in rural areas.
Sign the petition today if you don't need to read any more.
The Impact of Poor Connectivity
Rural areas and villages like Cranleigh and Ewhurst, as well as towns such as Godalming, are among the hardest-hit. For residents, unreliable connectivity isn’t just an inconvenience—it’s a barrier to accessing essential services, staying connected with loved ones, and ensuring safety in emergencies. Local businesses are suffering too, as poor signal deters customers from using parking apps and searching for local goods and services, impacting their ability to thrive.
Rural Areas Worst Affected
Waverley's rural communities bear the brunt of these connectivity challenges, leaving many isolated and underserved compared to their urban counterparts. The frustration of residents continues to grow as they feel abandoned in an increasingly digital world.
The petition highlights “not spots”—areas with weak or no mobile signal—including Cranleigh, Ewhurst, and other rural locations. It demands urgent government intervention to hold mobile network providers accountable and compel them to upgrade their infrastructure to deliver reliable coverage for all.
A History of Broken Promises
Mobile coverage issues in Waverley have dragged on for years. Despite promises made by network providers to us in 2018 to explore improvements using existing infrastructure, little to no progress has been made.
A glimmer of hope once came from the well-advanced Gigabit Fibre Spine Initiative (2020), which aimed to link Basingstoke and Guildford, with a successful push to loop the main spine through Farnham and Godalming and connect Cranleigh via a fibre spur. However, Surrey County Council abandoned the project in 2024, claiming digital infrastructure had “improved very significantly” since the initiative was first proposed.
Currently, the Waverley Economic Development team is working to explore the potential of a small cell network solution to at least improve coverage in high streets using public assets. However, this is only a stopgap measure, and more decisive action is urgently needed.
Sign the Petition Today
The people of Waverley are demanding better—and they need your support. By signing the petition, you’ll be adding your voice to a growing movement urging the government to bridge the digital divide and ensure no community is left behind.
Improved mobile connectivity is not a luxury—it’s a necessity for individuals, families, and businesses alike. Let’s send a clear message: Waverley deserves better.
Click here to sign the petition and demand better mobile phone signal across Waverley.