Ofcom says big areas still lack all 3G signals

Nearly 90 per cent of the UK’s land mass and a quarter of buildings are unable to receive all five 3G phone networks a decade after the introduction of the mobile licenses, according to the telecoms regulator.

In its first report on the UK’s communications infrastructure, Ofcom said that almost 7.7m homes and workplaces did not have a choice of all five 3G networks, which allow fast internet access. The regulator is working with the government on the best way to invest the £150m set aside to improve coverage, in particular in so-called “mobile not-spots” in rural and remote areas left behind as operators prioritize investment in larger cities. Ofcom said signals from all five networks – Vodafone, Orange, T-Mobile, O2 and Three – were available outside 73 per cent of buildings. However, all five were available in just 13 per cent of the country’s land mass, with lower coverage focused in less densely populated areas. Coverage is worst in the Scottish highlands and mid-Wales. Overall, 30 per cent of the UK cannot receive any 3G signal, although this represents only 1.2 per cent of premises. Ofcom said its findings might not reflect consumers’ actual experience of mobile services, with complaints about coverage from users even in large cities. Consumer groups criticized the findings, with Bob Warner, chairman of the Communications Consumer Panel, saying the UK’s mobile phone coverage was unsatisfactory.