Coverage in Great Blakenham

[Christopher_G]

Update: 10 November 2025 

Over the past few weeks, the power company has accessed the site and installed the power supply needed for the new mast. Our engineers will be completing surveys in the next week to make sure the equipment will be suitable for a microwave link to be installed, to supply transmission to the mast. Pending a positive outcome from the surveys, we can confirm an approximate on-air date for the new mast.  

We will keep you updated on this post

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Update: 22 October 2025

Our engineers are working with the power company to arrange a date to access the area and install the power supply and transmission needed for the new mast. Once the power supply has been installed, we can start integrating the mast onto the network.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, we expect all work to be completed and the mast to be on-air by the end of 2025. 

We will keep you updated on this post. 

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We are in the process of replacing a mast in the Great Blakenham area as the current lease has expired.  

Our engineers have completed building the equipment for the new mast. The next step is for power and transmission to be installed. Once complete, we will be able to share an approximate on-air date.  

We'll update this post once we have more information. 

We’re sorry for any inconvenience. In the meantime, you might be able to use Wi-Fi Calling to make and receive calls and texts.

[Orpheuk]

However fixed fibre isn’t available in Great Blakenham yet - had an emails saying it was and then spent an hour on the phone to get through to EE to find it wasn’t. 

[bristolian]

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@BernadetteDay wrote:

I do - but that is not what I pay for. I pay for a service for my mobile-

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A discussion on contractual terms may be interesting but not helpful here.

Indoor coverage can be lacking up & down the country for a whole variety of reasons, and WiFi-calling provides mitigation for that. It means a phone that would otherwise have no network service, can still function perfectly well for calls & texts, incoming & outgoing.

Ultimately though, users have the personal choice whether or not to use that service.

[Jon003]

Hi Christopher, please can you highlight to the chains man support team as this is just unacceptable for the BEST mobile supplier. Poor planning allowing the lease to expire without having a replacement up and running. I am sure OFCOM would also need to know as you will have vulnerable customer which no longer have land lines and rely on mobile service to support life.

You should also consider enabling affect areas with roaming (to allow customers to use other service providers network) until service can be restored. Plus you should also consider re positioning other local aerials to try to provide some customer with service 

I also hope we get some credit for the disruption to service for at least 1 quarter 

[cje85]

Roaming wouldn't help. Non of the networks now have a mast in Great Blakenham, and all are reliant on signal from distant masts.

[Jon003]

I am affected and live out by Shrubland saw mill 🙂  which gets o2 and Vodafone;-) roaming may help some affected customers 

[RogerT1]

Hello Chris

[Orpheuk]

Phoned yesterday and spoke to a lovely customer service worker who had no record of any issues and spent time trying to sort it out by suggesting things on my phone. I repeatedly stated I had heard there was a problem with the mast, how would we be updated and would there be compensation. Had no record of mast issue. As for compensation she stated that they would have to go through a number of options to explore before it would be sent to another team. I had to end call owing to work but felt I got nowhere. 

[RogerT1]

Hello Chris

I can't believe the situation that EE have put me and my wife in. We have been struggling for 2 weeks with it taking upto 5 times to make a phone call. In coming calls have been erratic,  with people saying they can't hear us. My 92 year old Mother in Law is dependent upon us and phone calls between us have been so erratic. We are also in discussion with solicitors,  regarding a ongoing issue, but have struggling to make progress over the phone.

About 4 days ago we realised both our phone were showing no 'bars'. I went onto the EE Web site and it showed that YES there was a problem in the Great Blakenham area! I selected let me know by email any updates. Approximately an hour later I got an email saying the problem was fixed!  The day after we contacted the Mother in Law and she said the phone was all crackly and we and her kept trying different phones to try and have a conversation. Yesterday we still suffered problems, particularly when talking to a solicitor who kept saying "I can't hear you". After I ended the call, I realised no bars!! 

Therefore I rang 150 to EE. After going through many options I managed to speak to someone. She said she couldn't hear me very well and my voice kept breaking up. She then asked me what the problem was!!! After repeating my message to her that the problem was what she was experiencing!!! She said she'd get the technical department to phone me. I said great, but what happens if they can't get through to me? She said she'd phone back in an hour to check progress. Needless to say I've had no calls, BUT I did get an email within an hour to say the problem was fixed!!!

I then went onto the Web and discovered this forum, and that EE has created this problem and seem unable to give a time scale of when they will correct the issue of having a new mast, but hadn't fore planned on providing it with power!

My question:- How do EE plan to provide me with a immediate reliable solution to be able to speak to my dependent Mother in Law, and also enable me to communicate quickly with other dependent sources? Obviously what are EE going to do to recompense us for all the fraught phone calls, or inaccurate information they have/have not provided us with?

Regards, Roger 

[RogerT1]

HiIt's extra frustrating now that I know what's causing the phone coverage problem. Also I've looked for my post and can't find it. Obviously you did. Please advise where you found it.I've just looked into contacting EE direct, and can't find a route that doesn't involve using my phone!Thanks for your reply, Roger Sent from my Galaxy

[Schockwave]

@RogerT1 , if you have fixed broadband, then you can use wifi calling, which you set in settings, mobile services.