Poor or no broadband reception is having a "profound impact" on job creation, contracts and business efficiency.

That’s the view of the South East Local Enterprise Partnership (SE LEP) after a survey of more than 400 businesses found that 84% are suffering from poor or no mobile phone coverage.

It is calling on mobile network providers to investigate ways of resolving the issue in key areas identified in the survey.

The survey highlighted four “cold spot” areas in Kent - the A228 in the Mereworth/East Malling area; North of Folkestone up to Canterbury; Sittingbourne up to Isle of Sheppey; and along the coastal routes from Dover to Deal.

The survey found that the businesses frequently quoted losses of around £10,000 or more a year through lost sales, damaged reputation, and opportunities to create new jobs.

Mobile connectivity is a key business consideration and around one in five respondents said that poor or no mobile phone reception had prevented them from relocating to certain areas. Businesses also highlighted the need to take account of limited activity faced by field sales or engineering teams working across large sites. They pointed out that the problem prevented them from achieving savings by
modernising their organisation.

SE LEP chairman, John Spence, said: “Our research clearly shows that poor or no mobile phone coverage is more than just a mild frustration for businesses. It is having a profound impact on their ability to fulfil their potential and further stimulate the local and national economies through creating new jobs.

“The South East is full of business and investment potential, but comprehensive network coverage is needed to ensure we can maximise these opportunities and create an environment where businesses can grow and flourish.

“We will now work with our partners and the network operators to develop the solutions needed to keep our businesses connected for the benefit of the country as a whole.”

He added that poor reception on trains was another issue, with service sometimes “more reminiscent of a third world country than one of the world’s leading cities.”

The research was carried out in cooperation with Chambers of Commerce, the Federation of Small Businesses and the Institute of Directors