Third of UK users expect weekly mobile phone coverage problems
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Third of UK users expect weekly mobile phone coverage problems

Approximately a third of UK mobile phone users battle coverage problems every week, according to a report from the country’s telecoms regulator, Ofcom

The report surveyed the country’s largest mobile operators – Vodafone, EE, O2 and Three – and revealed that one in five people experience blocked or dropped calls as much as once a week, further fuelling government plans to improve reception across the country.

Vodafone was at the bottom for dropped calls in rural areas, and nationally its network failed to complete an estimated 7.4% of all calls made.

Vodafone said it “continues to invest in its network and services” and is spending £1 billion this year to improve network coverage and quality.

EE came top of the list with a 97% call success rate and was found to be the best provider for rural calls, while O2 was best for urban.

 

“We are investing hundreds of millions each year in expanding the reach of our network so that more people can make phone calls in more places,” EE said.

“It’s great to see our ongoing investment in phone calls reflected in Ofcom’s report.”

Ofcom said that 78% of UK consumers were satisfied with their mobile network, but this dropped to 67% in rural areas and 70% in remote parts of the UK.

The regulator is working with the UK government on its £150 million infrastructure improvement project which is looking to deploy mobile phone masts in underserved areas for use by all operators.

All four mobile operators have agreed to comply with Ofcom to establish a standard procedure for measuring the rates of calls successfully completed on their networks.

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