If you have a mobile phone on the O2 network and you frequently travel through Moseley in Birmingham, as I do, you’ll have noticed the complete and utter lack of service along Alcester Road between, roughly, Tudor Road and Park Hill (or, if you prefer pubs as landmarks, The Cross and The Jug). This isn’t due to some magnetic anomaly or witchcraft as other mobile coms providers have masts there as shown on the Big Ofcom Cancer Danger Map:
I first noticed this a little under 18 months ago when I got me an iPhone and became tied to the wonderful world of O2 and figured it was an glitch that they would sort out soon. But they haven’t and while it’s not critical (and I quite like being forced off the network when I occasionally go for a drink there) it’s certainly not ideal. And, given Moseley’s somewhat Barley-esque meejawanker demographic (of which I am a part albeit in the Kings Heath brigade) one would suspect the uptake of iPhone has been rather significant in the area.
Very cursory research (ie asking Twitter) implies there was some planning permission cockup which isn’t surprising given the “oh no you don’t” nature of the various Moseley preservation societies (who, I should add, I have plenty of time for, particularly their lovely campaign to reintroduce sandstone garden walls which appeals to my sense of passion and scale) but surely a compromise must be possible. The other operators seem to have figured it out and I hear you can do some very subtle things with phone masts these days.
I guess we should do a poll. Who finds the O2 dead zone rather irritable and would like to see it filled up with radio signals?
I was (until my unrelated and rather historic switch last week) an O2 customer, and have never noticed an O2 dead zone in Moseley. Perhaps it only affects the special magic iPhone signal?
There was a recent mast-goes-up/mast-comes-down again shenanighans at the end of Woodbridge Road. I can’t remember if O2 were the operator in question, but it’s a little bit naughty to hint at nimby-ism. There’s really no excuse for any company, of whatever size, to be ignore planning laws.
Well, we don’t live in Moseley but it is interesting that the O2 signal where we live is stronger than others and the mast is all of five miles away. We live in a valley, as well, so there is no “line of sight” advantage. Planning rules should be followed, of course, but the complaints people use for not having a mast in their neighborhood tend to be on the hysterical side. I have seen masts disguised as pine trees so a little creativity could be exercised by the phone companies to overcome nimby pressures.
The UK has reasonable mobile coverage but generally I have found so-called third world countries to be much better served, both in coverage and cost per minute. That may be due to the land lines being unreliable. But in the first world that would be used as an excuse to charge more for mobile use.
And, Jez, you will be pleased to know that the iPhone did indeed have its own “Steve Jobs reality field” signal – but only at MacWorld in San Francisco!
@jez It’s most notable on the main road. When you turn off to the sidestreets you get a signal again. Maybe because I usually try and access while on the bus I notice it more?
Wasn’t intending to accuse of Nimbyism, more noting that Moseley-ites tend to notice dodgy planning applications more than in other areas, which is a good thing. If this was the case all I’m asking is they try again and do so properly this time.
me! The Fighting Cocks is an almost perfect venue for tweetups and the like, if only one could get a signal :(
From memory there was a mast proposed on top of where Cinephilia used to be, but the Chantry Road committee lobbied against it.
I’ve had the same problem. And if you check out which mast you are connected to, at my home it’s actually the Harbourne mast, which just strikes me as odd!
If they could finally sort this out, and convince the Hare and Hounds to have WIFI I and others would be laughing – internet access is a nightmare in Moseley.
“From memory there was a mast proposed on top of where Cinephilia used to be, but the Chantry Road committee lobbied against it.”
This mast was built, but without applying for planning permission. So it got taken down. What they did build probably wouldn’t have got permission anyway, as it falls within the conservation area. However, as Paul says, a little imagination goes along way, and I’m pretty sure that the Moseley Society made a number of positive suggestions. I still don’t know if it was an 02 mast, nor why it wasn’t persued.
I’d like to like Moseley. I means what’s not to like about a lovely community that locks up its park and prefers abandoned car dealerships to functioning grocery stores? So instead all the shit that Moseley doesn’t want ends up in Kings Heath. Including me. If it weren’t for Kabbabish & the occasional non-weekend chimay at the Fighting Cocks I would never go there.
A place with no mobile phone signal…sounds like heaven to me.
Maybe we should set up ‘Luddite Zones’ for those of us who are able (and actually enjoy) spending time in the company of people who are Off-Line :)
DOES ANY1 KNW WHAT IS THE BEST MOBILE PHONE NETWORK IN MOSELEY?
Heres me thinking, am I the only person in this town who doesn’t get a signal?!? I’m on O2 and I get nothing in the village but it works fine at home up on St Agnes Road! My girlfriend is on Vodafone and she gets nothing at home but hers works fine in the village?!
Hi Jason,
I am an Orange’er and never had a problem in and around Moseley. I have been looking into a new phone though and interesting to read about different networks & problems.