Health-care services in Norfolk need better broadband and mobile access

Lack of mobile phone and broadband coverage affect health-care services in Norfolk and Suffolk, with patients unable to call emergency services when needed, it was reported.

Doctors find it difficult to contact staff or arrange urgent visits to patients’ homes due to patchy mobile networks and poor reception in the region and sometimes they need to drive half a mile or more in search of signal to make a call.

Although, there are a couple of mobile broadband providers – O2 and Vodafone – having coverage in the county, they connect different areas so a single network does not ensure better mobile phone coverage, the EDP24 reports.

“If you are on call then that is an issue. It can be difficult and we’ve had to get two phones on different networks to get around it.” says Dr Ian Hume, chairman of the Norfolk and Waveney Local Medical Committee.

It can be difficult to get hold of doctors when they are out in low signal areas, according to Lynn Cranshaw, practice manager at Long Stratton Medical Practice.

The County will discuss on improving the coverage and quality of mobile phone and broadband in this region by looking at different solutions like installing more mobile phone masts and satellite broadband, Ann Steward, the cabinet member of the Council said.

Many rural areas in the County also lack faster broadband infrastructure with farming communities need to cope with slower broadband speeds

East of England Development Agency has launched EREBUS or Eastern Region Broadband Uplift Scheme to get support from public to bring faster broadband services to the region. More than 2,000 people from Norfolk have joined the project, so far.

Currently, major UK broadband providers opt for economically viable areas like cities for fibre rollout and leave many rural areas without quality broadband access.