A project to map mobile signals across rural Cornwall has been completed using an innovative method: food waste collection lorries equipped with signal-measuring boxes.

The Streetwave project, funded by the European Superfast Cornwall programme, fitted briefcase-sized boxes into waste trucks operated by Biffa, Cornwall Council's waste contractor. Each box contained mobile phones connected to SIM cards from all four major UK networks: Vodafone, O2, EE, and Three.

As the food waste lorries made their rounds across the county—including narrow access areas like Port Isaac and Boscastle—the boxes measured signal strength at almost every property in isolated parts of Cornwall. The plan is for the data to be published on the Cornwall Council website.

Why bin lorries were the solution

Dave Anderson, operations manager at Biffa's Bodmin site, explained the practical value of the scheme: "Our trucks go to every corner of Cornwall, some of them can be narrow access areas like Port Isaac and Boscastle. Those isolated coastal towns don't have much signal and it's difficult for our operatives to communicate with us back at headquarters to report any accidents or incidents, so we're happy to be involved in this project."

The £25,000 project took advantage of the council's existing waste collection infrastructure, which already reaches the remotest corners of the county where mobile signal can be weakest.

Pressure on networks to improve coverage

Tim Dwelly, a senior Cornwall councillor and portfolio holder for economic development, said the scheme would hold networks accountable. "There's only four major networks - Vodafone, O2, EE and Three - and all of the smaller companies use the same infrastructure," he said.

"People in Cornwall spend hundreds of pounds a year and this will give people the information to see who is doing a good job and who is ripping them off. It's not a lot of money and I think it's a really good way to help people choose which is the best provider and it will put pressure on the networks to up their game."

An interactive map shows houses in Penzance with colour-coded hexagons—green, amber, or red—to indicate coverage strength of one network. The council describes coverage predictions as often "inaccurate," and the scheme is intended to provide "a better picture."

Networks respond to mapping

Mobile UK, which represents the four major networks, stated that street-level mapping "does not capture the complex realities of deploying mobile infrastructure across steep valleys and rugged coastal topography."

The industry body acknowledged that while mobile operators "continue to invest heavily," fixing coverage gaps "requires immediate policy action." Through its Mobilise Britain campaign, Mobile UK has urged the Government to deliver planning reforms and ensure the Mobile Market Review creates a regulatory environment that supports rollout.

Since 2020, the Government has backed the Shared Rural Network, a £1 billion partnership with major mobile network operators aiming to expand 4G coverage to 95% of the UK, with particular focus on rural black spots in regions like Cornwall.