Caerphilly County Borough Council leads the way in mobile connectivity

Caerphilly County Borough Council has led a pioneering project in partnership with start-up company Streetwave to transform mobile connectivity for frontline workers and the wider community.

Funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, the initiative began as a local pilot in Caerphilly and has since gained national traction, with over 100 local authorities across the UK now adopting the model. Case studies developed in Caerphilly have demonstrated measurable economic, social, and public safety benefits, supported by real-time data insights.

More than 2,000 non-office staff including social carers, housing officers, and waste management teams depend on reliable mobile networks to access systems, receive real-time updates, and request support. Inconsistent coverage not only affects service quality and staff safety but also leads to increased operational costs for the council.

Using the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF), Caerphilly Council partnered with Streetwave to map mobile coverage across the county and assess which network offered the most reliable service. The analysis revealed that alternative providers outperformed O2 – the council’s current telephony partner – in 11% more locations.

By reviewing and optimising mobile network access for all frontline workers, the council could recover up to 22,000 hours of lost productivity each year by switching to providers with better coverage in specific wards. This improvement would represent an estimated annual saving of £325,000—or approximately £1.6 million over a five-year contract.

Cllr Jamie Pritchard, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Prosperity, Regeneration and Transformation commented, “This partnership has not only improved working conditions and safety for our staff but also empowered residents and local businesses. We’re proud to have led the way on a project that is now shaping how mobile connectivity is managed across the UK”.

The mobile coverage checker developed through the project has already been used by 5,632 residents, helping individuals and businesses make informed decisions about the network that offers the best coverage in their area.

Find out more: https://www.caerphilly.gov.uk/my-council/mobile-coverage-checker.aspx