MOBILE phone coverage may soon be coming to Burrator and neighbouring parts of Dartmoor thanks to the needs of the emergency services.

Planning permission is being sought by the BT group to install a small radio base station in a dedicated cabinet with an antenna close to the Burrator Dam which will provide the latest 4G mobile phone signals and super-speed broadband.

Sheepstor village and the Burrator area has in the past always been a ‘dead zone’ for mobile phone signals. Now BT plans to introduce 4G coverage providing both voice and data transmission. 

Its planning application stated: ‘4G technology will allow our customers to use ultra-fast speeds when browsing the internet, streaming videos, or sending emails wherever they are. It also means faster downloads on the go.’

The new technology is reported to be supported by the Home Office to provide a nationwide blanket of communication for the three main emergency services of police, fire and ambulance. The current emergency system known as ‘Airwave’ is to be phased out and replaced by this new 4G service, which has been described by the Home Office as having a ‘smarter, better and cheaper communication capability’.

Also able to utilise the new service as a business partner will be the mobile network operating company and internet service provider ‘EE’ which is a division of the BT Group.

The planning application confirmed: ‘The site will also be capable of providing commercial 4G coverage for EE customers.’

Under the plan, the green cabinet would be located just south of the dam at a point where it would not impact on those travelling over the dam or affect views across the dam.

The antenna would be placed discretely on the top of an existing telegraph pole which stands at the site.

The new network for emergency services will need to be in place by the end of 2019.

At its meeting on Thursday, June 28, Burrator Parish Council agreed to support the planning application for the cabinet and antenna and the proposal will now go forward to the Dartmoor National Park Authority for a final decision.