Ashford Residents Sign Petition to Get 5G Mast

Ashford residents sign a petition calling for the installation of a 5G mast near their homes.

12:53 16 August 2022

More than 140 residents of Park Farm and Bridgefield in Ashford have recently signed a petition asking for a 5G mast to be installed near their homes to improve signal in the area. 

 

John Hopley, who has lived in Park Farm for 26 years, said: "I have a home office but if I'm on my mobile, the signal can just drop out which isn't ideal," 

 

"I can do wi-fi calling and I use the good old-fashioned landline but these days a lot of people just use mobiles so if I happen to be in the wrong part of the house when the calls come in, it just cuts out completely.

 

"Phone companies provide a coverage map. Most of Park Farm is showing as perfectly fine for 4G inside and out but that is not the reality.

 

"That's why we're campaigning for a mast which is about 20 years' overdue."

 

Park Farm North Cllr Trish Cornish backs the petition as she has first-hand experience with just how poor phone coverage can cause inconvenience. 

 

She said: "Ashford is a thriving town with an international station, it's served by two motorways, why is it we can’t achieve better signal in the area?

 

"During lockdown, lots of residents and families of resident's couldn't get through to their doctor's surgery because their signal is bad and they can't hear.

 

"Some don't have wi-fi calling, and even for those who do, it doesn't always work.