Bushmills customers of phone giant O2 and Vodafone say that they have been left with limited mobile reception for a number of months.
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Local residents report an average of 20 - 30 hours per week in signal loss resulting in relying on WiFi signals indoors to send and receive texts, make calls or browse the internet.
However, not all are fortunate to have home broadband meaning they cannot contact loved ones, make medical appointments, view COVID test results, or access school education apps to name a few.
Causeway Coast Community understands the issue stems from a power supply to the mast situated near the Bushmills Distillery. The mast is currently being powered off a generator.
In response to a query by us, a spokesperson for the mobile networks said "We’re still working with our engineering teams to understand more about the issues at this site so we can relay this information to you. We hope to have an update for you soon. In the meantime, we’d like to say sorry to any of our customers experiencing problems with their service at the moment."
Speaking to Causeway Coast Community earlier today, Alderman Sharon McKillop said she has sent a letter to O2 asking for an update on their short and long-term proposals to resolve the issue with the mast at Bushmills Distillery as well as requesting compensation for all customers who have been affected.
In 2021, O2 and Vodafone announced a deal that enhances their existing partnership, to bring the best network experience to their customers. The two telecommunications companies, which already share mast infrastructure, have agreed a deal to trade bands to create more efficient blocks of 5G spectrum.
