Fresh Uk Postcode Tool Points Out Best Mobile Network In Your Area
The UK’s telecoms regulator has released an overhauled tool comparing mobile coverage and performance across the country, claiming this will help the millions of Brits missing out on the best local network.
Ofcom, more formerly known as the Office of Communications, unveiled its online service called Map Your Mobile. Users enter their postcode, and it shows them a local map of available networks, with data indicating which operator provides the best performance in that postal district.
The checker tool is based on crowdsourced data from network analytics biz Opensignal, drawn from user experiences, plus predictive data from the UK’s mobile operators themselves.
The latter isn’t always accurate; many users will have experienced being in a mobile blackspot where their operator claims to have complete coverage.
Data is provided at a local level of 50 meter squares, Ofcom says, and it will “continue to update the checker with fresh data and useful information, putting more power in the hands of customers looking to switch networks.”
The Register understands the checker can inform users whether to expect a good signal both indoors and out, or whether the signal is variable or poor.
“Map Your Mobile shows detailed coverage and performance based on what smartphones need today. Put in your postcode and find out which mobile network is right for you,” said Ofcom’s Group Director for Networks and Communications Natalie Black.
Mobile coverage is set to improve, Ofcom says, as operators continue to update their networks and invest billions of pounds in the coming years. The newly formed VodafoneThree has pledged to sink £11 billion into a network overhaul over the next decade, for example.
Ofcom also said it will hold an auction later this year for millimetre-wave spectrum, which should enable operators to add an ultra high-speed band to their 5G services – at least in towns and cities.
Commenting on the Map Your Mobile launch, Rocio Concha, director of Policy and Advocacy at consumer group Which?, said that users need accurate mobile coverage and performance information in order to choose a service.
“Ofcom’s new tool will help consumers make informed decisions with crowd-sourced data and predictive data from mobile network operators, which should increase the reliability of coverage information available to consumers,” she claimed. ®
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