- Streetwave project maps mobile phone signal from three main
providers
- Measured using devices on recycling trucks and street
sweepers
- Walking surveys for major attractions
- Free, clickable map shows signal quality and data speeds for
each network at street-by-street level
- Results to help improve coverage for residents, visitors and
businesses
- Helps visitors stay connected at big events like Grand
National
A major survey using bin lorries and street sweepers to track
mobile phone signals is helping improve some of Liverpool City
Region's biggest visitor attractions.
Launched in March, the project installed scanners on bin lorries
across the city region to check connectivity down to street level
and create a free, interactive map.
The Combined Authority initiative has also been widened to cover
more inaccessible areas, including visitor attractions such as
Knowsley Safari, the BrewDog Stadium in St Helens, Aintree
racecourse, the Southport Flower Show and the River of Light.
The survey will identify ‘not-spots' – where poor signal can
prevent visitors and residents using their phones.
The scheme is the latest in a series of measures by the Combined
Authority aimed at creating the best digitally connected region
in the UK.
Cllr , Cabinet Member for
Innovation at the Liverpool City Region, said:
“This is a smart, data-driven project that's improving
connectivity where it matters most - for our businesses,
residents and the visitor economy. By mapping mobile coverage
street-by-street, we're helping people stay connected at home, on
their commute and at major attractions and events across the city
region.
“The map will be a useful tool for anyone looking to find the
most suitable provider and the results of the survey could help
businesses plan even better for big events.”
The signal detection units have been developed by mobile analysts
Streetwave. They contain mobile phones, each linked to one of the
three main UK providers – EE, O2 and VodafoneThree.
The mobile connectivity mapping creates a visual overview of
coverage and capacity in an area for 4 and 5G.
The survey has been largely carried out using local authority
waste collection vehicles as a cost-effective way to assess
coverage down to address level.
For inaccessible areas, such as beaches, paths and shopping
centres, walking surveys have been performed using portable units
carried by volunteers.
Volunteers walked the Aintree course during Ladies Day at the
Grand National festival in April. The results will be used to
improve connectivity next year while Knowsley Safari staff
surveyed the park and drive with the aim to use the data to
inform their work to improve visitor experience around its
enclosures. During this year's River of Light, volunteers
surveyed the route to see how high demand can impact the quality
of our network performance.
Jon Turley, General Manager, Knowsley Safari,
said:
“There is no better place to take a selfie than Knowsley
Safari so we understand that our guests want to stay connected
while they are here on site.
“We are set in 550 acres with a five-mile drive so it's
really important for us to know where our signal is great and
where we have got not-spots so we can keep people connected.
“We are really excited to be part of the project and the
staff and keeping teams were on board with the device. They took
it around in their vehicles going about their day-to-day
activities and others carried it in a backpack on the foot safari
so that we could map that information around the signal.”
, General Manager, Southport
Flower Show, said:
“Having strong mobile phone signal and coverage is essential
for hosting successful events at Victoria Park. Reliable
connectivity ensures smooth communication between event
organisers, staff, vendors, and emergency services, while also
enhancing the experience for visitors who expect to share their
moments online and stay connected throughout the event. In
today's digital age, good coverage is not just a convenience—it's
a necessity for safety, coordination, and engagement.”
