Mobile Signal Loss
In early May 2026, many parts of Langham (as well as Dedham and Boxted) lost connectivity to all mobile phone networks following the unannounced decommissioning of the shared mast located at Gun Hill Trading Estate, Ipswich Road, Dedham.
Early investigations have ascertained that sadly, restoring mobile services access may take months, or longer, to achieve. This is obviously a really serious situation. All affected residents are urged to read the following briefing and then report their own service problems to Ofcom and our Ward Councillor Tom Rowe as soon as possible. Taking these actions will assist with the complex process that is now necessary in order to secure restoration of mobile services to the affected parts of the village.
Background
Resident Gillian Flack was the first to flag the severity of this issue, which has now been picked up by three Parish Councils, our Ward Councillor Tom Rowe, and our MP Sir Bernard Jenkin. Investigations so far have established the following facts:
A "Notice To Quit (NTQ)" notification (ie. forced removal) was served on the Gun Hill Trading Estate mobile mast at some point, probably in early 2025.
This NTQ has been attributed to the risks arising from the close proximity of a gas mains pipe. However, it currently remains unclear why these risks have only come to the fore now, more than ten years after the current mast was installed.
The forced removal took place in early May 2026. The mast was shared between all the UK mobile operators, so this has resulted in local signal loss across all operator networks since then.
In the months between the NTQ notification and the forced removal, the mobile operators assessed options for a replacement mast and submitted a planning application to Colchester City Council on 3rd July 2025, proposing a new mast on the Co-Part Vehicle Scrapyard, 400m further north along Ipswich Road, and just within the boundary of the Dedham Vale National Landscape.
This planning application was refused on 18th August 2025, on the grounds of visual harm to the setting of the Dedham Vale National Landscape.
In the 10 months since then, it would appear that no further attempts have been made by the mobile operators to identify an alternative location and submit a fresh planning application, ahead of the forced removal of the existing mast in May 2026.
Urgent: Next Steps for Residents
Sadly there are no legal obligations on mobile operators to resolve any individual "notspots" of poor service coverage. The obligations that do exist refer to gradual improvements in aggregate national geographic coverage over time, but not to any individual "notspots".
As such, efforts to restore service coverage must instead be based on effective lobbying, in which all affected residents need to play their part to strengthen the message sent to the mobile operators.
All affected residents are therefore urged to do the following as soon as possible:
- register a complaint online with Ofcom, via this link
- email your Ward Councillor Tom Rowe at thomas.rowe83@googlemail.com, sharing details of your mobile service access problems, and mobile service provider name
Potential Routes to Mobile Service Restoration
If the "notspot" is proven large enough (via registered volume and geographic spread of logged complaints), there may be a potential case for installation of a temporary emergency mast to restore service in the short term. Cllr Rowe is investigating this possibility, but he needs evidence to support any case made - hence the request to contact him please.
A permanent solution is sadly going to take many months to deliver, as it will require a fresh planning application to be prepared and submitted by the mobile operator consortium MBNL, and subsequently reviewed and approved by Colchester City Council.
The map below shows the search area that was investigated by MBNL ahead of their rejected planning application for the Co-Part mast location. Most of it lies in or very close to the Dedham Vale National Landscape, and is therefore unsuitable for further consideration, based on the learning from the existing planning refusal. The most promising area for fresh investigation may therefore be in the south-western part of the search area, furthest from the National Landscape boundary, if a suitable new site can be found.
Langham Parish Council will continue to work alongside all interested parties to seek both temporary and permanent solutions to the current problems. In the meantime, if you are affected, please do help us by undertaking the personal reporting actions requested above.
