The Infrastructure and Development Select Committee has agreed to send a joint letter — signed by the committee chair and the Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport — to Norfolk's Members of Parliament and the minister responsible for digital connectivity, urging action on rural mobile phone blackspots.

The decision follows a presentation from the council's Director of Digital and Transformation, Geoff Connell, who revealed that local data gathered by Norfolk County Council directly contradicts the coverage figures that mobile network operators submit to Ofcom to demonstrate adequate service.

Councillors were told that engagement with mobile providers had been difficult, though the council had already written to Ofcom on the Cabinet Member's behalf to raise concerns about how operators are held accountable. Ofcom responded positively and the council is now sharing its local data to support monitoring of providers.

Specific concerns were raised about Clenchwarton, where gaps in digital connectivity remain. Officers said the area had been flagged through the government's Project Gigabit broadband programme and that decisions were expected before the end of 2026.

Members also noted that local opposition to new telecommunications masts in residential areas risked blocking improvements, though some providers had already approached the council at an early stage to identify suitable locations — such as tall buildings — before submitting planning applications.

The committee suggested that public safety arguments could strengthen the case for better coverage in the most underserved areas, and recommended that priority be given to those locations.

The formal recommendation agreed by the committee was that a joint letter from the committee chair and cabinet member be sent highlighting the discrepancy between the council's on-the-ground coverage data and the projections used by mobile operators to satisfy Ofcom.