With 3G and 4G the mobile networks are keen to tell us how we can stay connected wherever we go. But that’s not always the case, and finding yourself stuck with a bad phone signal can be deeply frustrating.
I remember being amazed the first time I used a mobile phone to get on the internet. Now, like a lot of people, I take it for granted and think nothing of checking the latest news when I’m out and about, or going online to check out the restaurant I’m on my way to. Becoming so dependent on our phones can mean it is increasingly frustrating if you can’t get coverage from your provider.
We’ve teamed up with mobile coverage experts, OpenSignal to show you how well each of the mobile networks’ 3G and 4G services performs, based on the actual experience of mobile phone users from the data that OpenSignal collect. Three has the best 3G coverage, but is the worst for 4G, while EE had the best 4G coverage and Vodafone users enjoy the fastest 4G speeds.
Coverage mapped out
We also found huge differences in coverage and speeds across the country, with London the place to be for a good signal, and Wales the worst. It’s all part of our work with OpenSignal, helping people to find out what phone coverage is like in their area. Our interactive map shows you which network has the best – and most reliable – signal in your area.
The culture secretary, Sajid Javid, has announced plans to eliminate poor mobile coverage, suggesting that in a fifth of the UK, people can’t use their phones to make a call because of poor signal (4G, 3G and even 2G).
Good news for a bad phone signal?
The Government has published a consultation with proposals for how the industry can improve coverage in these ‘partial not-spots’, from ‘national roaming’ – what happens when you’re abroad when you switch to another network’s signal when yours isn’t available – to forcing the mobile companies to share their masts, or obliging the networks to cover a minimum percentage of the UK.
Do you get frustrated by poor phone signal? Have you ever been stuck at home, at work, or on holiday, unable to make calls or texts, and wondered what you’re paying your monthly bill for? What do you think the solution should be?
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