Bin lorries drive Scotland’s largest mobile network study

Most people would settle for refuse collections to simply happen as and when they should, but bin lorries in the Glasgow City Region are now at the heart of a major study of mobile phone connectivity to identify areas that have little or no mobile coverage and support the region’s communities and businesses.

The work is part of the Glasgow City Region Smart and Connected Social Places programme. It is funded through the UK government Department for Science, Innovation and Technology 5G Innovation Regions programme, and is being delivered by connectivity solutions providers Streetwave and Commsworld.

The initiative was launched in Inverclyde on 29 November 2024, and will be rolled out to North Lanarkshire, West Dunbartonshire, South Lanarkshire, Glasgow, East Dunbartonshire and East Renfrewshire on a rotational basis in the coming weeks and months.

The bin lorries being used in the study will host equipment that gathers data about throughput speed, signal strength, network generation and frequency band from the UK’s four mobile operators – EE, Vodafone, Three and Virgin Media O2 – street by street as residents’ bins are being emptied.

Portable data collection units will also be used in Glasgow during foot surveys in the city centre and at key stadiums, including Hampden, Ibrox, Celtic Park and Scotstoun, at peak times and during major events. In collaboration with Streetwave, the project will also assess LoRaWAN coverage across the region.

Information collected will be made available on an interactive “coverage checker” map for people to see which mobile networks offer the fastest speeds outside of the home, workplace or other locations of interest. It will also show the signal strength offered within a 30-metre radius of homes and businesses.

Data will be used to lobby service providers to make wireless technology improvements and allow individuals and organisations to make informed decisions about which provider to choose. It will also look to help boost public and private sector service delivery. There will be a particular focus on looking at ways to improve connectivity for the health and social care sector, with staff and service users increasingly using mobile devices to carry out work and access support.

“This is the biggest network mapping project of its kind in Scotland, so it goes without saying that it’s a hugely exciting one to be part of…. Being connected has never been more important and this project will give the partnership and, most importantly, the people and businesses throughout the City Region the tools they need to ensure they are getting the best possible service,” said Glasgow City Region director of regional economic growth Kevin Rush.

“Firstly, it will help businesses identify the most effective connectivity solutions for their operations, empowering them to make informed decisions that enhance their productivity and competitiveness. Secondly, it will enable the partnership to lobby mobile operators more effectively, advocating for necessary improvements in digitally excluded communities to benefit residents and businesses alike,” added Rush.

Inverclyde Council’s vice-convener of environment and regeneration, Paul Cassidy, added: “With technology constantly evolving, we must ensure we have the level of connectivity required to cope with demand to support existing employees, residents and businesses, and encourage more people to live, work, visit and do business in Inverclyde and across the Glasgow City Region.

“It’s exciting for Inverclyde to be leading the way with this initiative by becoming the first Glasgow City Region council to install the data-gathering equipment in our bin lorries, and we look forward to seeing the results and feeding into the wider project.”