Mobile phone signal joy for Sabden residents

A Ribble Valley village’s mobile phone “dead zone” has been sparked into signal life after a new mast finally went live.
Coun. Newmark in SabdenCoun. Newmark in Sabden
Coun. Newmark in Sabden

The long-running issue for Sabden residents was recently highlighted by Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans after local councillors could not get through to the providers.

Mr Evans contacted the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Jeremy Wright, to provide answers to the poor mobile connection in Sabden.

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Last week the mast sparked into life to the delight of local villagers.

Business owners in Sabden have expressed their delight at finally being connected to a phone network, which will dramatically improve the way in which their business can operate on a day-to-day basis.

Speaking from Sandwitches Café in the village, owner David Moore, said: “We’ve never been able to use a mobile before and have been so isolated. People looking to order a takeaway from us can’t call in – even the lads on the building site down the road struggle to get through. For business people in Sabden it is so vital, as a business we are going from strength-to-strength and getting mobile signal means so much for the people of the village.”

Diane Murphy, owner of Mille and Ruby’s Dog Bakery, added: “I’ve lived in Sabden for 10 years and all of those 10 years there has been no phone signal in the village. I also run a business from home and now it means my customers can actually reach me when they need to. Sabden has finally reached the 21st century!”

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Speaking on the connection of mobile signal, Nigel Evans, added: “The people of Sabden have waited so long to be connected to mobile signal, I am so pleased that they now have the connection they need to run business and talk to friends and family. Significant efforts have been made to achieve this outcome, particularly the tireless efforts of Cllr Newmark, who has campaigned for better mobile signal in Sabden since before the mast was constructed last year.

“Telecom and service providers now need to ensure that other rural areas across the UK are not kept in the same predicament as Sabden, this result has made it clear that mobile ‘dead-zones’ need not exist in the modern age.”

Coun. Newmark said: “It’s a huge relief to finally get it switched on. This represents over two years of constant pressurising to get a mast constructed chasing and chasing the authorities and finally switched on.”

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