Rubbish Trucks to Help Map 4G Mobile Coverage in Mid Wales

The Growing Mid Wales (GMW) programme has launched a major new project in Mid Wales, which aims to identify areas with poor 4G mobile (mobile broadband) coverage and network capacity (“mobile not-spots“) by installing “advanced mobile data-capturing devices” on waste collection vehicles across Powys and Ceredigion.

Under this approach, the waste collection vehicles will continue their regular routes, while ensuring thorough data collection and without the additional logistical costs of needing to hire a specialist team and vehicles to achieve a similar outcome. This cost-effective approach provides an efficient solution for mapping mobile coverage across the region.

Data from the four main Mobile Network Operators (MNO) – EE, O2, Three UK, and Vodafone – will be collected. GMW will then use this data to develop targeted projects and interventions to address connectivity challenges in key areas, which will help to enhance digital infrastructure across the mid-Wales area.

Supported by local authorities in Powys and Ceredigion and funded by the UK’s Shared Prosperity Fund from the UK Government, the project will also produce a coverage checker tool. This free tool, to be launched on the Growing Mid Wales website “later this summer“, will allow people to check mobile coverage in their areas and determine the most suitable mobile providers for their needs, enhancing digital transparency.

GMW Team Statement

“We are thrilled to launch this groundbreaking project in Mid Wales. Identifying and addressing ‘mobile not-spots’ and areas of poor network capacity is crucial for the region’s development.

This initiative aligns with GMW’s overarching goals, supporting decision-making for digital infrastructure deployments, regional economic development, and innovation. Having better information about coverage will increase our ability to work with commercial providers to address genuine not-spots and problem areas in coverage. In turn, this will help us pinpoint the areas where public intervention may be required to accelerate and/or enable deployment to ensure we have safe, reliable coverage across the region.”

Admittedly rubbish trucks can’t reach every location and so this sort of mapping will invariably have its limits, but it’s still an interesting and novel approach that should produce some useful results. GMW is understood to be collaborating with mobile network analysts at Streetwave, who have been chosen for their “groundbreaking and cost-effective approach“, crucial to the project’s success and impact.

No doubt if this works, we might well see similar projects cropping up elsewhere in the UK.