Affected by poor mobile phone signal?

Former_MSE_Aileen

Do you have poor mobile phone signal where you live, so have a limited choice of networks? Or do you know of areas where there is poor coverage on your network?

The government wants to tackle the problem of "partial not-spots", which it says affect 20% of the UK. These are areas where there may be a signal from one or two networks, but not all (ie O2, Vodafone, EE and Three).

It has issued a consultation (42 page PDF) but we have summarised the main points below.

The government is proposing four options to address these partial not-spots:

• broadening coverage by encouraging the networks to share their infrastructure (eg masts), or if they do not agree to this then by obliging the networks to do so
• encourage "mobile virtual network operators" (companies which offer their own service but use one of the main networks, eg TalkTalk Mobile and Virgin Mobile) to expand by having agreements with more than one main network, so their customers would get broader coverage by being able to access multiple networks
• national roaming - if you do not have signal with your own network you would automatically access another network, like when you are abroad
• do nothing

The key questions are (you don't have to answer them all):

Where do you experience poor signal and which network are you with? Which services can you access (calls, text, internet)? Do you know whether other networks have better coverage in this area, and which these are?

Do you agree that the government should try and extend mobile network coverage? What do you think of the solutions above? Which would you prefer to be implemented and why?


Email your experiences and thoughts to partialnotspots@culture.gsi.gov.uk by Wed 26 November and share them below.

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minislim

up in village where i grew up the only real good signal used to be O2.
because of this i was with O2 (bt cellnet) for nearly 15 years.

but in the last two or three years their signal in that area has gone rubbish. so much so i had enough of 02's excuses that there was not a problem. especially as they kept hiking prices too! so paying more money for less service! no thanks!

went to the Three network on someones advice who had it. they certainly have got their act together. they used to have the stigma of rubbish signal! not any longer!

best signal of all the networks where ever i go.

oldagetraveller

In my area it's just the opposite with regards to Three. The signal is non existent. Both O2(Tesco Mobile) and Vodafone signals show as maximum, consistently.
My daughter is with Three and she complains of numerous "black holes" where there's no signal. I've never had that problem with O2 or Vodafone.

takman

The town where my partner lives in Devon has no signal at all on any network anywhere in the town. So sharing networks will help in a lot of areas but there are still places that have no signal at all!

Jon_01

I love the line 'broadening coverage by encouraging the networks to share their infrastructure (eg masts), or if they do not agree to this then by obliging the networks to do so' And are the government going to stump up the money for them to do this? No, of course not, the cost will get loaded on to our contracts.

Typical spin from a headline grabbing gov dept.

zunky

We have almost no mobile coverage within two miles except for occasional poor signal at various spots in the garden which are not consistent nor reliably frequent. I am with Virgin but other networks such as O2 or EE are equally bad. No one can receive calls. It is a particular problem with making bank transfers as many banks now insist on sending an authorisation code via mobile text. In addition, because we are in the country and get frequent power or phone cuts, we have no means of alerting the utility companies if the phoneline goes.

m5rcc

Since EE merged with Orange and T-Mobile my signal has deteriorated to just SOS. EE claim to have the biggest 4G network yet I'm pretty sure that Kevin Bacon is the only person in the UK that has a working phone. 4G? I don't even get 2G!

weebit

I'm with Three and get little or very bad signal in certain parts of London. Hampstead is the worst area, I never get any signal there!

mememe23

My sister is in Burbage, Hinckley. She is with O2 & can only get a signal in her kitchen.

Cuilean

T Mobile, in a rural village in Herts. Or not, most of the time. We live at the bottom of a hill, which is covered from top to bottom by one postcode, so the coverage checker always shows us as having a great signal - therefore T Mobile aren't interested when I say there's a problem.

Sometimes I can get a signal in the bathroom. I have been known to get a signal if I shut myself behind the fridge door in the kitchen (Don't ask). Other than that, I would effectively have a very expensive Apple branded brick if it weren't for my wifi.

Manual signal check on the phone shows O2 and Vodafone, but I'm not sure how strong those two are since I don't have any devices which use them.

indesisiv

All networks are equally as bad in my house. I am just waiting for EE to finally bring out wifi calling and then provided my phone is compatible with it I shall be moving onto there. I have tried the O2 Tugo and the 3 apps for wifi calls and texts but they are just irritating and don't work properly.