News / Vodafone offer to trial mobile 3G
IMPROVED mobile phone coverage could come to at least one Shetland community if they are accepted for a trial by Vodafone.
The communications giant is looking for 12 communities across the UK to pilot the latest “femtocell” technology, that could allow 3G mobile coverage in areas which are currently “not spots”.
Shetland MSP Tavish Scott is encouraging individuals, groups, businesses and public agencies to get in touch with him if they are interested in becoming part of such a trial.
Vodafone will decide early next year where they will extend a pilot scheme for “open femto”, basing their choice on the level of interest. They want communities to communicate with them via their local MSP or MP.
“Femtocell” works like a mini-network based around a transmitter within the community that is linked to Vodafone via a broadband connection.
Shetland Islands Council’s telecoms development manager Marvin Smith said he has been requesting “open femto” facilities in Shetland for the past 12 months.
“I have told Vodafone the second that these become available commercially, we want one. They could be run off any council property to extend the mobile signal, and would be really useful at a ferry terminal, for instance,” Mr Smith said.
Vodafone are currently operating a single pilot in the West Berkshire village of East Garston, near their headquarters, and want to run 12 more trials in the spring.
They say that “ideally trial communities will have up to 1,000 people, will be mobile coverage not-spots but will have access to good broadband connectivity”.
Larger communities could be considered, but Vodafone say they may not be able to guarantee coverage at every home, instead concentrating it around community hubs, such as public halls.
“We have been asking interested Members of Parliament to contact us with the names of communities in their constituency that would like to be included in our list of potential candidates for a trial, in order to signal their support for the project. Good collaboration will be key, and enthusiastic people at local level are vital,” a spokeswoman said.
“We are currently collating a list of interested communities which will go to the open femto team for further analysis. They are planning to draw up a potential shortlist in December/ January.”
Vodafone UK chief executive Guy Laurence said: “Bringing mobile coverage and the benefits of the mobile internet to rural areas involves not just us, but local people, politicians and other infrastructure players all working together.”
Tavish Scott has already held discussions with Vodafone to extend coverage in Shetland and is urging local people to contact him to increase the chance of success.
“It would be very helpful if individuals, businesses and public sector organisations got in touch so that we can make the point that this new technology could make all the difference to the mobile phone coverage we get in Shetland,” he said.
Mr Scott can be contacted by email at Tavish.Scott.msp@scottish.parliament.uk, at his constituency office at 171 Commercial Street, Lerwick ZE1 0HX or by phone at 01595 690044.
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