The first stage of works to improve mobile signal across the city centre is now complete, the council has confirmed.

Late last year Cheshire West and Chester Council announced plans for increased mobile capacity and coverage.

It had previously secured an agreement with Ontix for a network of small cells to be installed across the city centre.

The signal improvements involve connecting small cell infrastructure to existing lamp posts. 

Small cells, simply put, extend coverage for public mobile networks - especially in high-density areas like Chester.

Work so far has included implementing the physical infrastructure that will facilitate the new network of small cells.

Citing this progress, a spokesperson for the council said: "Work on the roll-out of improved mobile phone coverage across the city centre is continuing as planned.

"The first stage of works is complete, ensuring that the physical infrastructure which will support the network of small cells is in place for the roll out phase over the summer.

"The roll out phase is when the small cells will be installed after which the signal and capacity in the city will increase significantly on participating networks.

"Further announcements will be shared once the network goes live."

In November, the council revealed the first provider to offer the increased mobile coverage in the city centre would be Virgin Media O2 - with Vodafone's network expected to follow.

Cllr Nathan Pardoe said: "Residents, businesses and visitors to Chester have to spend time searching for a signal, reconnecting dropped calls and waiting for mobile data.

"It's clear that all network operators need to improve their network capacity in Chester.

"Small cell technology is quicker to deploy and unobtrusive compared to alternatives. 

"It is a good fit for cities and can be used in towns and villages too, which is why I hope that the experience gained by network operators through the Chester rollout helps them to tackle mobile connectivity issues across Cheshire West."