Coverage Checker maps Tees Valley mobile signals

A Tees Valley project is giving residents insight into mobile signals.

A new interactive map allows people and businesses across the region to see which mobile networks perform best on their street. 

Developed with support from tech specialists Inakalum, the Tees Valley Mobile Coverage Checker draws on nine months of data collection using devices fitted to bin wagons, creating one of the country’s most detailed signal maps.

The map shows real-world network performance across all four major providers, highlighting areas with weaker coverage including western Ingleby Barwick, Boosbeck, western parts of central Darlington and parts of Seaton Carew. 

Unlike operator-predicted maps, the tracker measures actual signal strength and performance, giving residents and local firms more accurate insights.

Philip Maguire, chief executive of Inakalum, said: “In rural areas, mobile signal coverage can be a problem, but in urban areas poor mobile service is more often caused by capacity problems, where the mobile networks can struggle at busy times to cater for the rising mobile data needs of users.  

“The Coverage Checker will show how each of the four national mobile networks perform at a street level across Tees Valley, allowing mobile customers to select a service provider that works best in their area.”

Funded with £32,490 from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and administered by Tees Valley Combined Authority, the project worked closely with local councils to ensure roads covered by bin lorries were mapped.

Residents can access the online portal and search mobile coverage by postcode, with the option to request mapping of untracked areas, helping the project fill gaps and improve accuracy.

Officials say the Coverage Checker aims to support better connectivity decisions for households and businesses, while enabling local authorities to identify regions where network improvements are most needed. 

Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen added: “Poor signal and mobile performance issues are more than an inconvenience – they hurt our businesses, harm our push to become a hotspot for digital investment and create an unfair postcode lottery of coverage across Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool.

“This tool will allow people to make more informed choices about the provider they choose and will equip us with the hard evidence we need to tell big firms and the Government to sort out coverage blackspots.”

Councillor Steve Harker, leader of Darlington Borough Council and cabinet member for transport and infrastructure, added: “This checker is a great tool to raise awareness of signal issues and strengthen the region’s case for more investment in digital infrastructure.

“People often compare prices when it comes to their mobile provider, but this offers customers a better idea of who is offering the better performance for their home or workplace. 

“This should allow people to be even more informed when choosing a deal. 

“I’d urge people and businesses to check their postcodes and get in touch with the team to make our map, and our body of evidence across Tees Valley, even better.”

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