Stop damaging London's mobile phone signal, Sadiq Khan tells developers

Sir Sadiq Khan has told developers not to harm London’s mobile phone signal by unnecessarily forcing operators to take down antennas.Commuters at busy rail and Tube stations can suffer from poor mobile phone connectivityAFP/GettyMobile phone operators are struggling to maintain signal coverage due to the number of “notices to quit” (NTQs) which have risen in recent years, forcing them to remove antennas as developments take place.Finding an alternative site can take on average two-and-a-half years, possibly up to seven.Faced with this growing problem, Sir Sadiq has laid out requirements on developers in the draft London Plan.A spokesperson for the Mayor told The Standard: “Reliable mobile connectivity is essential to how Londoners live and work, and the Mayor is committed to improving coverage across the capital.“His draft London Plan treats mobile connectivity as essential infrastructure and requires it to be considered from the outset of new developments. “It also protects existing infrastructure and supports action by boroughs and operators to tackle mobile not-spots and strengthen network resilience.”The draft London plan warns of “unintended consequences” of new housing, offices and other schemes. It states: “This is a particular issue with digital infrastructure, for instance, where development may result in ‘notices to quit’ that have eroded London’s overall mobile connectivity compared to other equivalent cities.”It then stresses: “Provision for continuity of service means there is an expectation that notices to quit should not be issued without other arrangements being put in place to ensure service continuity during construction and beyond, in dialogue with affected providers.” Read MoreData, rather than phone calls, is being impacted, making it harder to access Whatsapp, to connect to websites, social media and stream videos.Mobille UK, which represents operators, is keen to work with developers to resolve the issue.Gareth Elliott, director of policy and communications at Mobile UK, said: “The Greater London Authority has already led the charge, writing into the London Plan draft guidance an expectation that NTQs should not be issued without alternative arrangements in place to maintain service continuity. “Ministers must now follow through nationally to turn these principles into practical policy.”He added: “Mobile connectivity underpins London’s economic dynamism. “By bringing developers, local planning authorities, and mobile operators together early, we can turn network disruption into a win-win for urban regeneration.”Mobile phone signal can be poor in the cityElliot WaglandThe Government has taken a first step in response to the problem.The recent National Planning Policy Framework says that in considering proposals for expansion or upgrading of electronic telecommunications networks “substantial weight” should be given to the benefits of maintaining or improving network coverage, capacity, reliability and resilience.A Government spokesperson said: "We recognise that maintaining mobile coverage during redevelopment can present challenges where telecoms infrastructure needs to be relocated. “That’s why we’ve been exploring targeted planning reforms to speed up the rollout of telecoms infrastructure, including making it easier to temporarily relocate masts when sites are lost and expanding permitted development rights.”