Local cllr pushing for better quality mobile phone coverage in north Louth

Dundalk-Carlingford's Cllr John Reilly says he is currently working on “an ambitious project” to upgrade the mobile phone coverage to 4g in the rural north Louth area.

Cllr Reilly says that this will be done by a combination of mobile booster poles located in different areas from Knockbridge to Greenore, with an investment in the current infrastructure that is currently there.

The Fine Gael councillor says he has invested quite some time over the winter months cooperating with technicians from a telecommunications company who have done extensive drone surveys.

He claims to have “technical information” saying the upgrade of the mobile phone infrastructure at the Hackballscross Garda station would make “a huge improvement in the Sheelagh - Hackballscross area”.

The same situation arises, he says, with the current infrastructure at Castletowncooley, and says that areas such as Templetown, Willville and Whitestown have an “extremely poor signal”.

At the last county council meeting, Cllr Reilly told members that “the county needs a full-time broadband officer” and that “the community should escalate mobile phone coverage issues with their provider”.

“It is very frustrating to pay a bill every month and not get efficient service”, the local councillor added.