Graham has demanded a detailed plan for improving mobile coverage across Beverley and Holderness after VodafoneThree revealed that just 3% of the constituency’s population had access to its 5G network at the end of last year.
In a meeting with VodafoneThree on Monday 12 October, Graham challenged the company over poor mobile coverage in Beverley, Hedon and rural Holderness, where residents have reported being unable to make calls or access mobile data.
The meeting followed Graham’s campaign to improve mobile coverage, which has attracted hundreds of responses from residents frustrated by unreliable service.
VodafoneThree revealed plans to increase its 5G population coverage in Beverley and Holderness from 3% in December 2025 to 83% by April 2028, with a forecast of 100% by 2030.
The company also outlined plans to increase average mobile mast capacity in the constituency by 125% by April 2028, helping tackle problems where phones show a strong signal but calls and mobile data fail.
In Beverley’s HU17 postcode area alone, VodafoneThree said 13 sites are scheduled for upgrades over the coming years.
Graham welcomed the scale of the proposed investment but pressed the company to provide a detailed timetable showing exactly which communities would benefit and when.
He also challenged VodafoneThree over its plans to consolidate its existing network from 66 Vodafone and Three sites to 39 combined sites, seeking assurances that no community would lose coverage as a result.
The company said sites would only be decommissioned after replacement infrastructure had been upgraded and tested to ensure customers would not be worse off.
Following Graham’s intervention, VodafoneThree agreed to pursue a meeting with its engineering team and provide further information about planned improvements.
As he has done with every mobile network operator, Graham offered VodafoneThree his support in overcoming any practical obstacles to improving coverage. This could include helping to identify suitable locations for new infrastructure, working with local authorities or raising planning and regulatory issues with the Government.
The company raised concerns about planning restrictions affecting mast upgrades and asked Graham to press the Government for a response to its consultation on permitted development rights.
Graham said:
“People in Beverley and Holderness have put up with poor mobile coverage for far too long. Whether you’re trying to make a call in Beverley town centre or get a signal in rural Holderness, your phone should work.
“VodafoneThree has told me that only 3% of my constituents had access to its 5G network at the end of last year. That tells you how much catching up there is to do.
“But there’s some genuinely encouraging news. The company is planning to expand that coverage to 83% by April 2028, alongside major improvements to the capacity of its network.
“That’s a substantial commitment, but I want to know exactly where those improvements are happening and when. I’ve asked for a detailed plan and a meeting with the engineers responsible for delivering it.
“I’ve made the same offer to every mobile network operator: if there’s something practical I can do to help improve coverage, I’ll do it. Whether that’s working with the council to find suitable sites or raising obstacles with ministers, I want to help get these improvements delivered.
“For too long, it has felt as though market towns and rural communities like ours have been an afterthought for the mobile networks.
“East Yorkshire matters. I’ll keep pushing until people across Beverley and Holderness have the reliable mobile service they deserve.”
