Check your signal strength with the South Yorkshire mobile coverage map

A map of mobile coverage across Barnsley is now available to residents as part of the South Yorkshire Mobile Coverage Mapping project. 

Funding for the project was approved by the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) earlier this year, which put data collection devices into waste collection vehicles to gather street level data as the vehicles travelled on their daily routes. 

This information has been used to create a free and publicly available interactive map which shows in detail how the UK's main four mobile network providers - EE, O2, Three and Vodafone - are performing. Virtual Mobile Network Operators such as giffgaff, Tesco Mobile and VOXI use one of these main networks, and you can check which network your provider uses here. 

The map will also identify areas which may require help to improve local mobile coverage and network capacity. 

The South Yorkshire Digital Infrastructure team, which is funded by SYMCA and hosted in Barnsley, have led the project alongside Streetwave, a company which provides mobile network coverage maps in detail down to household level. 

Councillor Robin Franklin, Cabinet spokesperson for Regeneration and Culture, said: "One of the missions in our Inclusive Economic Growth Strategy is to make Barnsley the UK's leading digital town. Having a strong digital infrastructure is key to turning that ambition into reality. 

"Mobile connectivity and digital access are crucial to almost all aspects of our lives in the modern world. It supports our operations as a council, the emergency services, remote working, leisure and entertainment, and much more. 

"This project will help to find areas that need the most improvement and give us more accurate data which can inform future investment in mobile and digital infrastructure, which is essential to our communities and businesses. 

"It will also help us to create inclusive growth in our economy where all residents can benefit from improved digital connectivity and access to technology.” 

South Yorkshire’s Mayor Oliver Coppard said: “These days getting online and staying connected isn’t a luxury; it’s vital. Whether we’re booking a doctor’s appointment, running a business, or keeping in touch with friends, we all rely on decent mobile signal. 

“But too many of us in South Yorkshire are still stuck in mobile ‘not spots’, where coverage drops out or disappears completely. That’s just not good enough. 

“That’s why we’re working together to fix it. Our project gives us the data we need to push for better coverage, so wherever we live, work or travel, we can all get the signal we need. It’s another step towards building a fairer, more connected South Yorkshire that’s fit for the future.” 

To check the strength of the connection in your area, go to app.streetwave.co/coverage-checker/south-yorkshire/map.