Political opinion with Alison Bennett MP: No bars, no signal: Why Mid Sussex deserves better mobile connectivity

Here in Mid Sussex, we’re rightly proud of our villages, countryside and strong sense of community. But one issue keeps coming up wherever I go, from station platforms to village halls, from farms to front rooms, and that’s mobile connectivity. Or, more accurately, the lack of it.

As your MP, I rely on my phone just like everyone else. Yet there are parts of our constituency where calls drop without warning, messages refuse to send, and mobile data simply grinds to a halt. I’ve lost count of the number of residents who’ve told me they have to stand in a particular corner of the garden just to get a signal. That might sound quaint, but it’s no way to run a modern economy or a connected society.

Mobile connectivity is no longer a luxury. It’s essential for small businesses taking card payments, farmers using digital tools, young people studying, and families staying in touch. It matters for safety too, whether that’s contacting emergency services, accessing healthcare information, or simply being reachable when it counts.

Rural areas like ours too often get left behind. Coverage maps can look impressive on paper, but they don’t reflect the lived reality of patchy signals, slow speeds and complete not-spots. In January, I am going to raise your experiences in a debate in Parliament, so please let me know what it's like for you by completing my online connectivity survey at https://alisonbennett.co.uk/signal for Mid Sussex residents.

I want to know where coverage is failing, which networks are causing the most problems, and how poor connectivity affects your daily life. This information will help me challenge mobile providers, press the government for action, and make the case that rural communities deserve the same level of service as urban ones.

If you live or work in Mid Sussex and have struggled with mobile signal – whether occasionally or constantly – please take a few minutes to complete the survey.

Good connectivity shouldn’t depend on your postcode. With your help, we can make sure Mid Sussex is heard – loud and clear.