BIN LORRIES MAP THOUSANDS OF MILES IN DRIVE TO TACKLE SOUTH YORKSHIRE’S MOBILE ‘NOT SPOTS’

Published 13 November 2026 at 10:00am

South Yorkshire’s bin lorries have been doing more than collecting rubbish and recycling. They’ve also travelled thousands of kilometres helping map where people can, and can’t, get a reliable mobile signal.

South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) has worked with mobile coverage specialist Streetwave and councils in Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield to measure real-world mobile performance across the region through the innovative use of bin lorries.

Signal-testing equipment fitted to bin lorries measured the performance of EE, O2, Three and Vodafone as the vehicles completed their regular rounds, covering around 5,900km of South Yorkshire’s roads.

The most recent survey, carried out between January and August 2026, found EE provided good performance on 88% of roads surveyed, followed by Vodafone on 82%, Three on 73% and O2 on 69%.

The results have helped create an online coverage checker where residents and businesses can enter their postcode or search the map to compare the performance of all four networks in their area and report problems with their mobile signal.

South Yorkshire’s Mayor Oliver Coppard said:

“Digital connectivity isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity. We all rely on it, whether we’re accessing public services, running a business or just staying in touch with friends and family.

“But too many of us in South Yorkshire are still dealing with mobile ‘not spots’, where the signal we rely on is patchy or non-existent. I know how frustrating that can be.

“By using our bin lorries to map coverage, we’ve now got the evidence to show where the problems are and where improvements are needed.

“I want everyone in South Yorkshire to be able to rely on a decent mobile signal. So, we’ll use what we’ve learned to push mobile operators for better coverage and help make the case for investment where it’s needed most.”

People can use the South Yorkshire mobile coverage checker to see how the four mobile networks perform in their area.

Across the latest survey, all four networks provided good performance on 53% of the roads surveyed, while nearly 6% of roads had no network delivering good performance. SYMCA will use the evidence to identify priority areas, support stronger investment cases and encourage targeted network improvements.

The work builds on an earlier survey carried out between July and December 2025 and will help ensure South Yorkshire’s plans reflect the experience of residents and businesses across the region.