news story

5th March 2010

Mobile Phone Merger Offers Hope Over Masts

This week’s confirmation of a merger between mobile phone giants Orange and T-Mobile could be good news for some local residents according to Northavon MP Steve Webb. The MP says that he expects the merged company will be able to eliminate mobile phone masts where the two separate companies had previously erected them close to each other.

The Lib Dem MP said that there were several locations in his constituency where Orange and T-Mobile currently had separate masts in relatively close proximity, and he would be contacting the company to see how soon redundant masts could be removed.

Steve Webb said:

"Whilst most people use mobile phones and see the need for masts, they are often unsightly, especially where there are several in close proximity. One side-effect of the merger between Orange and T-Mobile is that where the two companies have separate masts right next to each other it should be possible for one of them to be removed.

"I have already identified several sites in my constituency where this is the case and I will be pressing the company to move ahead with removing redundant masts as soon as possible".

In a letter to Steve Webb confirming the merger statement, Orange said: “by pooling the two networks, there will be a significant reduction in the numbers of masts needed to serve the existing customer bases, with an expected 20% reduction in the number of base stations and a 35% reduction in the number of mast sites. There will also be a reduction in the amount of energy used across the estate of the new company”. The company did however stress that there would be no immediate changes as the process of merging the two businesses would take some time.