sciencetech-blog

comments

You may have moved to a new area, or swapped your mobile network, only to find that you couldn't get decent mobile coverage any more.

But now phone owners can check the strength of 4G and 3G coverage in their area before committing to a new contract using this new tool.

An interactive map shows coverage hotspots throughout the UK on key networks - EE, O2, Three and Vodafone.

Click below to explore network coverage in your region 

Phone owners can check the strength of coverage in their area before committing to a new contract using a new interactive map that shows coverage hotspots throughout the UK on key networks including EE, O2, Three and Vodafone. Online phone retailer Mobiles.co.uk created it using crowd-sourced data, to give a genuine reflection of connectivity being accessed across the country

For example, the map shows that Three has the best 3G and 4G coverage in Scotland with an average 4G download speed of 3.91Mbps.

But at the other end of the country, in the south west of England, Vodafone has the best coverage for 3G and 4G with an average 4G download speed of 24.41Mbps.

The map also shows how variable areas can be. EE has the best 3G and 4G coverage in Greater London, with an average download speed of 19.33Mbps.

London calling: This map shows 3G and 4G mobile coverage across the networks for Greater London. It also reveals that EE has the best 3G and 4G coverage in Greater London, with an average download speed of 19.33Mbps

According to the map, the average 4G speed is currently 14.7Mbps, with the strongest signal, as expected, in the country's largest cities.

But significant rural areas of Northern England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland, however, receive weaker signal with slower speeds.

Leading the way for coverage is EE, which covers 75 per cent of the UK population over 300 towns and cities and offers the best overall performance.

Although there was a slow roll out of 4G networks and infrastructure between mid-2013 and 2014, competition between networks has led to a faster spread of 4G technology, coverage and a wider choice of plans for consumers.

These 4G plans have led to competitive promotion of 4G from major retailers, offering budget smartphones with LTE capabilities from £10 per month. for example. And speeds are expected to increase.

This portion of the map shows network coverage for Scotland and the North East of England. Three has the best 3G and 4G coverage for this area with an average 4G download speed of 3.91Mbps

The uptake in 4G use has risen dramatically across the UK within the last year.

Sales data gathered from the retailer shows that only 2 per cent of consumers were purchasing 4G contracts in April 2013, compared to an average of 85 per cent in 2014.

The expectation is that next year, 4G will be the only option offered in new contracts and upgrades, with 3G only used when 4G connectivity is not available.

However, despite its growing popularity, UK performance is yet to match the average speeds of other countries, such as Australia, which has an average of 24.5Mbps. 

This is closely followed by Brazil, Hong Kong and Italy, which all have averages of 22Mbps. 

Using advanced settings (pictured) it is possible to see the average speeds available in certain areas for different networks. This screenshot shows that Three has the best coverage in Norfolk and Cambridgeshire with an average 3G speed of 3.9Mbps