Restricting access to a mobile communications network

A method of restricting access to a mobile communications network by mobile communications devices within a restricted area, the method comprising:

• arranging one or more transmitters to transmit respective beacon signals for reception by mobile communications devices within the restricted area;
• designating one or more mobile communications devices as test mobile communications devices
• arranging the one or more designated test mobile communications devices to receive the beacon signals transmitted by the one or more transmitters;
• receiving, from a first mobile communications device, first identification data and first measurement data indicative of reception by the first mobile communications device of a beacon signal transmitted by one of the one or more transmitters;
• determining, using the first identification data, that the first mobile communications device is one of the designated test mobile communications devices;
• determining, using the first measurement data, whether said one of the one or more transmitters is positioned correctly and functioning correctly for restricting the access to the mobile communications network by the mobile communications devices within the restricted area;
• receiving, from a second mobile communications device, second identification data and second measurement data indicative of reception of a beacon signal by the second mobile communications device;
• determining, using the second identification data, that the second mobile communications device is not one of the one or more designated test mobile communications devices;
• and
• deciding, based on the second measurement data, whether or not to provide the second mobile communication device with access to a service of the mobile communications network.

A non-transient storage medium comprising machine readable instructions which, when executed by a computing system communicable with mobile communications devices within a restricted area via a base station, cause the computing system to:

• determine, using first identification data received from a first mobile communications device, that the first mobile communications device is a designated test mobile communications device;
• determine, using first measurement data received from the first mobile communications device indicative of reception by the first mobile communications device of a beacon signal transmitted by a first transmitter, whether the first transmitter is positioned correctly and functioning correctly for restricting the access to the mobile communications network by the mobile communications devices within the restricted area;
• determine, using second identification data received from a second mobile communications device, that the second mobile communications device is not a designated test mobile communications device;
• and
• decide, based on second measurement data received from the second mobile communications device indicative of reception of a beacon signal by the second mobile communications device, whether or not to provide the second mobile communication device with access to a service of the mobile communications network.