Roughly two million people flock to Tenby in Wales each year. The seaside town is beloved by tourists and locals alike, with visitors hailing it as 'unbelievable', an 'absolute gem', and 'beautiful' in reviews on Tripadvisor. This is due to the picture-perfect harbour, flanked by pastel-coloured houses, medieval walls, sandy beaches, a Norman castle, and some great independent food and drink spots. But it seems the UK tourist hotspot has one frustrating flaw – it's a 'dead zone' for phone signal.
What makes Tenby a 'dead zone'?
Tenby was recently revealed to be a dead zone for mobile phone signal in the UK. The consumer experts at Which found that the postcode SA70 in Tenby is the worst postcode in the UK for mobile network quality, with those in this area only experiencing a 'good' connection 54.3% of the time. This figure drops to 38% for those using Three as their network. Three is partly owned by Vodafone, and the issues might have something to do with the fact that Vodafone removed its mast near Tenby several months ago. A replacement BT/EE mast has been given the green light, but work hasn't yet started on it.
Henry Tufnell, the MP for Mid and South Pembrokeshire, recently claimed that residents and local businesses are being 'failed' by the network quality. He's even written to EE and BT directly to complain about the problem, sharing: 'Tenby deserves better phone signal. The lack of coverage is failing our residents, local businesses and tourists. With summer fast approaching, we need urgent answers and a clear timetable for improvements.'
And Vodafone and Three issued apologies to Tenby residents at the end of April. A spokesperson for the brand told The Western Telegraph: 'We're sorry to Vodafone and Three UK customers in the Tenby area who are experiencing issues with their service. This follows the decommissioning of a mast in the area. We are working with our infrastructure partner on a longer-term solution and are exploring temporary options to help restore coverage as quickly as possible.'
What do locals have to say?
For holidaymakers, not having their phone as a distraction for a few days might be a blessed relief. But for those who live and work in Tenby all year round, it's not such a novelty. In fact, it's proving pretty challenging.
Chris Brookfield, the founder of Around Tenby and an elected member of the Tenby Chamber of Trade and Tourism, tells Metro that the lack of signal is having a 'genuine impact' on day-to-day life in the town. 'This is not just people moaning because they can't scroll on Facebook on the beach – people are missing calls and having trouble contacting family members, and there are problems using parking apps and accessing maps,' he says. 'We've even had concerns raised around safety, if someone needs help and can't get a signal.'
Chris continues: 'For businesses, it's affecting card payments, customer communication, taxi arrangements, table bookings, and the general confidence of visitors. Tenby is a tourism town, and when visitors [struggle in this way] it becomes an economic issue.'
Numerous residents have also taken to social media to share how fed up they are with living in a dead zone, with Facebook users branding the situation 'dire', 'appalling', 'hopeless', and 'so frustrating'. Many agree with Chris that one of the 'worst' problems is parking, as a lot of the car parks now use pay-by-phone apps. 'The app requires a signal to access. So the facility to pay for parking exists. But without signal, it's pointless,' says Reddit user u/bioticspacewizard. 'Last time my husband went for a business meeting, I had to pay for his parking from my end. I also had to look up directions for him to get to the location, as he couldn't get Google Maps to work. I was trying to direct him via a phone signal that kept cutting out.'
While Bev Black visited the area for a holiday at the end of last year and found it 'almost completely impossible' to pay for parking using an app. 'So frustrating,' they added.
Ray James, a former taxi driver in Tenby, revealed on Facebook that he'd experienced a similar challenge when trying to take payments for trips, which had always been a 'lottery' due to the 'terrible signal'. 'Bad in the winter and no point bothering in the summer when the tourists put an additional strain on an already poor infrastructure,' he wrote.
And u/No-Charity-2167 admitted: 'It sucks for business. My family and I own a business in Tenby, and the lack of signal has a big impact. Thinking about moving to Starlink as a result.'
Still a fantastic place to be
Despite the signal problems, Chris is adamant that Tenby is still a 'fantastic place', citing that it's 'beautiful, independent, full of character, and has a real sense of community'. 'Yes, the mobile signal issue is real, and it does need sorting, but Tenby is still one of the best places in the UK to live, visit and spend time,' he adds. 'The beaches are obviously a huge draw, but there's much more to it than that. The harbour, the old town walls, the independent shops, cafés, the pubs, the coastal walks, boat trips, and the wider Pembrokeshire coastline all make it special.'
If you're thinking of visiting soon, he recommends taking a walk around the harbour and along the coastal path. Taking a boat trip is also a great idea if the weather allows.
