Rural MPs have accused regulator Ofcom and mobile operators of “gaslighting” countryside communities over the state of signal coverage. They warned that official statistics do not reflect everyday reality in large parts of Britain. MPs have argued that dropped calls, dead zones and failing card machines remain routine despite official data suggesting progress. Helen Morgan, the Liberal Democrat MP for North Shropshire, said one constituent had told her that “finding 4G is like striking gold”.  She added that rural residents “have to put up with being gaslighted by the companies saying the signal is fine” despite their daily experience suggesting otherwise. Gaslighting refers to when someone manipulates you into doubting your reality. John Lamont, the Conservative MP for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk, said unreliable coverage was “deepening the divide between rural and urban Britain”, adding that rural communities “do not seek special treatment, only fair treatment”. Regulator Ofcom’s latest Connected Nations report showed urban 5G site coverage at 48% and suburban at 38%, rural coverage has edged up only marginally from 16% to 20%, with …