From 999 fears to failed payments - life in UK's phone signal 'blackspots'
Residents in remote UK areas, such as the village of Eskdalemuir, are struggling with poor mobile phone signal, raising concerns about emergency access. Analysis suggests the UK lags behind other G7 nations in mobile network quality.
Why it matters
The digital divide in rural areas poses significant safety risks, particularly as traditional landline services are phased out.
Image source, Trudi King-Gunn Image caption, Trudi King-Gunn says mobile phone signal is non-existent in the village of Eskdalemuir
Trudi King-Gunn works in a village with virtually no mobile phone signal.
She and the village's residents rely mostly on Wi-Fi and landlines to stay connected, but in a power cut that becomes problematic.
"The concern is when we need to call the emergency services," said Trudi.
Most areas of the UK now have access to 4G and 5G signal, but in some places the lack of it can cause serious disruption to people's lives.
Analysis by the consumer organisation Which? suggests the UK has the poorest mobile network quality in the G7 nations, while more than a third of mobile customers surveyed reported problems with poor signal.
BBC News has spoken to people in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England to find out how the problem is affecting communities.
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