'˜Disgraceful' mobile phone coverage in Inishowen

During a discussion on telecommunications during this week’s Municipal District meeting, Councillor Martin Farren, who lives in Moville, outlined how his coverage had been a “disaster” in recent weeks.

He said his provider, through Donegal County Council was Vodafone and “over the last few months there has been absolutely terrible coverage in the peninsula.”

He added: “I’ve missed so many phone calls and people think we’re not answering our phone. It’s disgraceful.”

Councillor Martin McDermott pointed out how there is also an issue with the provider ‘Three.’

Colr John Ryan said it was “impossible” to hold a phone call between Burnfoot and Buncrana, as coverage cuts out going through Tooban and Fahan.

He added: “But something else seems to have happened recently. Over the last couple of weeks the coverage has been outrageous. It honestly seems like we’re going backwards in Inishowen.”

Brian Boyle, head of Information Systems with Donegal County Council, told councillors how the Department of Rural Affairs had set up a task force on mobile phone coverage. He suggested councillors write to the department with information of where coverage is poor in the peninsula.

Colr Nicholas Crossan also proposed a letter be sent to Vodafone and Three querying why coverage is so bad in Inishowen and Donegal. This was adopted.

A spokesperson for Three told the Journal they did have a fault with their site in Moville recently and engineers are onsite this week to correct this. They said Three is upgrading sites in Claggan and Buncrana in October and Moville in November. This will provide improved 2G, 3G and 4G services in these areas.

Vodafone have yet to respond.