Mobile Phone Coverage

Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:37 pm on 23 January 2018.

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Photo of Carwyn Jones Carwyn Jones Labour 1:37, 23 January 2018

(Translated)

Yes, we have to ensure that. What I've noticed in other countries—. I was in Uganda three years ago, and the network there was much better than the United Kingdom's. I was in very rural areas that were very difficult to access by road, but when you got there, there were five bars of 4G available. Why? Well, there hadn't been any investment at all in landlines and so they only had mobiles. Therefore, that's where the investment had gone. But we must ensure that we don't pretend that there is a network of lines there already that have been there for many years, and use that as an excuse not to progress with a stronger mobile phone network. We want to see a situation where there are many more places in Wales that can get a signal. At the moment, it is true that it's difficult in rural areas, but the same is true of some urban areas as well. For example, people complain to me—I don't know as I don't live there—about the Pontcanna area. There is no mobile phone signal right in the centre of Cardiff. So, there is a lot of work to be done in rural areas as there is in urban areas.