📶 Signal Progress in Cranleigh & Surrounding Villages: Credit Where Credit Is Due

For years, residents across Cranleigh, Ewhurst and our surrounding villages have been asking the same question — why is mobile phone coverage still so poor in 2026? Dropped calls, patchy data and the need to stand in a specific corner of the garden holding your phone at a mystical angle have become all too familiar.

So it’s only right that when progress finally starts to happen, we acknowledge who has been doing the work to make it happen.

Cllr Liz Townsend, alongside Waverley Borough Council’s Economic Development team, has been in direct talks with multiple mobile network providers, including Vodafone Three and others, to tackle poor connectivity across the borough. Not just one provider. Not just one meeting. But sustained pressure to make sure rural communities like ours are no longer treated as an afterthought.

As Liz put it herself:

“Too often rural areas are left behind, so we’re making sure providers clearly hear local concerns and commit to improving coverage — and it’s working.”

And it really is.

Waverley Borough Council has now confirmed tangible progress:

✔️ 4G capacity boosts delivered in 2025 ✔️ 5G coverage continuing to expand ✔️ Network-sharing (MOCN) improving reliability across more brands ✔️ A full programme of wider upgrades planned for 2026

This isn’t vague optimism — it’s a structured programme of improvements, driven by the council working with providers and representing the needs of our communities.

Cllr Townsend summed it up perfectly:

“It’s encouraging to see improvements coming through, but we’ll keep pushing for better coverage in all our communities.”

Contrast this with the latest update from our local MP, Jeremy Hunt, who has also been meeting with… Vodafone Three. Just Vodafone Three.

We’re told there’s good news — upgrades in Godalming, Ash, Ash Vale, Tongham and several villages. Cranleigh does get a mention, eventually, with a promise of more details later. Once again, England’s largest village seems to be last on the list for specifics.

To be clear: any effort to improve mobile coverage is welcome, and pressure from all sides helps. But it does raise an obvious question — why isn’t our MP working alongside the borough council and Cllr Liz Townsend, who have been engaging multiple providers and delivering borough-wide progress?

Is it simply coincidence? Or is it harder to publicly acknowledge results when the hard work is being led by a Lib Dem–run council, while the MP represents a different party?

One can’t help but wonder whether some local Conservatives struggle to credit a Lib Dem councillor for the tireless work she does for Cranleigh and our surrounding villages. Because progress doesn’t belong to a party — it belongs to the people who actually roll up their sleeves and get things done.

So yes, let’s welcome better signal, stronger coverage and fewer dropped calls. But let’s also be honest about who has been consistently pushing, meeting, coordinating and delivering on behalf of our community.

Because when your phone finally works properly in Cranleigh, it won’t be because of a last-minute press post — it’ll be because of months (and years) of quiet, determined work behind the scenes.

📶 And for that, credit where credit is due.