Mobile signals in Winster are patchy. There are masts on Stanton Moor, at four lane ends in Darley Dale, and near Sheldon (and perhaps others - there is no longer a published database of mast sites). But stone walls (particularly gritstone ones) are very good at soaking up radio waves.
Higher up the hill, some people get excellent indoor coverage; on Main Street, many people struggle to get a signal. There is no one "best network" - the strongest signal depends on where your house is, and sometimes on which room of the house you are in. The best advice is to ask a neighbour.
Wifi Calling is a real boon to those without a reliable signal. This needs a compatible handset (most modern ones do offer this) - and it needs you to change settings to get your phone to use the feature. And it needs a network operator that offers Wifi Calling too. All higher-end packages should offer this, but some lower-priced and PAYG deals may not. For PAYG try 1pmobile - a low cost operator that does support Wifi Calling.
Remember that Wifi Calling will only work as long as your router works, and that is only as long as you have electricity. In a power cut (see below), Wifi Calling won't work.
If you have a reliable mobile signal from your own network, then in a power cut, you will still be able to reach 999 as long as your phone charge lasts, and as long as you have signal from a mast that still has power.
Ofcom makes no requirements for mobile phone masts to have backup power, and while some major sites do have it, many smaller ones do not. Ofcom seem remarkably relaxed about this, but in rural areas, this does feel like quite a risk.
There's another nasty on mobile emergency calls, too. If your phone can only get a signal on a different network, you should still get through when you call 999, but they won't be able to call you back. So if a promised response doesn't happen in the indicated timescale, you should call them again in case they have hit a problem locating you. (Why is this 999 roaming not as capable as roaming for a visitor from another country? It feels like another Ofcom blindspot).
Winster still has its own telephone exchange - but this will close eventually when Openreach have converted all our landlines to digital working. That has already started: if you buy a Broadband service, you are likely to be offered only a digital connection when your current contract ends.
With the old analogue landlines, the exchange provided the power for your corded phone, and in a power cut, you would still be able to make and received calls (to/from 999, your electricity supplier, or anyone else) for several hours.
With the new digital landlines, you lose all communication – broadband and voice calls (whether using VOIP systems such as Digital Voice, or Wifi Calling) - the moment the power goes off. And that could be because of a village-wide power cut, or because your emergency (a fire or a flood) tripped off just your own supply.
If you are OK to rely on your mobile for reaching 999 (see above), then you can convert to Digital without worry. Otherwise, you will need a Battery Backup Unit (see below) to keep a digital connection running.
All of the village gets "Fibre" broadband through two Openreach cabinets ("FTTC") Those living near the cabinets should get close to the 80mbps maximum download speed; those further away should still get something over 50mbps.
Winster does not currently have FTTP (Fibre To The Premises), which offers higher speeds (and greater reliability). Openreach has given no date for when they might offer this - but will presumably do so at some stage as part of their national plans.
But Winster should start to enjoy FTTP before the end of 2024 from Gigaclear. They have already installed their equipment cabinet at the top of the village, and are now working on connections to outside individual properties. Gigaclear can offer far higher data speeds than other, Openreach-based, ISPs. But before signing up, do check that you are OK with their prices after the end of the 18-month special offer period.
Winster also has broadband by radio - from a small mast on a barn near Birchover from w3z, who have a network of transmitters like this on hillsides around the region. Their broadband costs might just be lower if you only need a small amout of data, but they are considerably more expensive for heavy data users.
Ofcom says that your Communications Provider should identify whether you need a “solution” to the problem of reaching 999 in a power cut if you don’t have an adequate mobile signal. That “solution” needs to be a Battery Backup Unit (BBU).
But that isn’t happening. BT don’t seem to be identifying those at risk, but will provide a free BBU if you ask firmly. Gigaclear are providing BBUs to “vulnerable” customers (but that is defined more tightly than Ofcom require). Many other suppliers are refusing to supply BBUs without charge, and Ofcom seem uninterested in fixing this.
If you don't have a reliable mobile signal that will get you through to 999, then I suggest that you ask any potential new supplier to clarify whether they will supply a Battery Backup Unit before you commit.
If they resist your request (or don’t understand), I suggest that you point out that your lack of signal qualifies you as an "at risk" customer under section A3.2(b) of Ofcom's General Conditions. Clause A1.29 says "Some customers remain dependent on their landline because, for example: … they do not have an alternative method of calling emergency organisations".
Then point them to Clause A1.21 of the same document: "We consider that providers should offer and implement solutions that are appropriate for the individual needs of their customers and providers should, as a minimum, offer the solution free to those customers who are at risk as they are dependent on their landline.")
Will this work? Perhaps not - there seems no penalty for ignoring these rules, so you may find a supplier refusing to follow the guidelines. If so, the alternative is to buy your own Battery Backup Unit - there are some as-new Cyberpower "non-FTTP" units available at decent prices on eBay (I suspect being resold by people who didn't need them, but still blagged them from BT). That unit supplies a protected 12v output in place of the existing power supply, with a cable to fit BT and Plusnet routers (and probably many others too). If you need a different voltage or a different plug, then you may need to buy a UPS unit that provides protected power at 230v AC, with mains sockets that will take the power adatpers for your router and other equipment.
It's a messy situation, with laxity (duplicity?) from Ofcom leaving customers at substantial risk. I've tried (but so far failed) to raise the profile of the issue with journalists. if anyone has contacts who could help me, do please get in touch.
Good Luck!
John Geddes, September 2024