West Worcestershire MP Harriett Baldwin has called on national mobile phone operators to boost rural signals across the county. Constituents in Upton-upon-Severn and Pershore have complained to Harriett about the quality of phone signals in their towns and the MP has passed on this feedback to the Department for Culture Media and Sport. Better mobile phone masts are planned for west of Malvern at the Three Counties Showground and Alfrick but there are still many dead spots where signals are either very weak or non-existent. Harriett commented: “There are some serious blackspots in the county where people really struggle to use mobile phones and it has a huge impact on businesses and residents. “I have urged the mobile phone network operators to invest in better masts to allow decent signals for local people. “We all pay the same level of fees to use mobile phones so it only seems fair that these companies should offer the same quality as service as those living in London and the south east. “I have asked the Culture Secretary to look in to this and see what we can do together to fix this issue and prevail on the phone operators to invest in our local network.” Upton Business Association’s Annette Keyworth added: “This issue has a major impact on residents and businesses within Upton and the surrounding area. We are all paying the same for a service however our connections are at the very least, poor and inconsistent and damaging to our small businesses.”