Robert said: "Pleased to join with colleagues to write to the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Jeremy Wright, to ask the Government to make it a requirement that network operators enable roaming between providers to improve mobile coverage in rural areas.
"A lack of co-ordination between the network providers has left many rural areas covered by some but not all the networks. This is hampering economic, educational and leisure opportunities for residents in rural areas and remains a significant brake on growth for our local, regional and national economy. The introduction of roaming services between networks will vastly increase the operational coverage for many in West Oxfordshire.
"I support the Government’s Strategic Priorities for Ofcom, the telecommunications regulator, which calls on the authority to fully consider the costs and benefits of roaming in rural areas. Whilst Ofcom has agreed that ‘co-operations of operators’ would improve mobile coverage, we are urging the Secretary of State to take it one step further and make it a requirement of network providers to deliver it."
You can read the cross-party letter to the Secretary of State below.
