DS Forums

 
 

Ofcom Launches Local Area Mobile Phone Coverage Checker


Reply
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old 14-08-2015, 14:09
anyonefortennis
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: 🇬🇧
Posts: 60,865

Ofcom has launched an online tool that shows mobile phone users what kind of coverage they should be getting in their local area.

The coverage map was created based on data from the UK's leading service providers as well as the watchdog's signal tests around the country.

It measures call quality and data connectivity both indoors and outdoors for each area, along with geographic variables such as valleys and hills that could affect signal strength.

Users can search for their local area by entering their postcode or zooming into an area on the map.

"Access to reliable mobile phone coverage used to be a 'nice to have'," said Ofcom's chief technology officer Steve Unger. "Now it's essential to many people's lives."

Ofcom is seeking community feedback to help improve the accuracy of the service, asking users to get in touch if their coverage is significantly different to the map.

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/mobile-coverage
anyonefortennis is offline   Reply With Quote
Please sign in or register to remove this advertisement.
Old 14-08-2015, 14:18
corf
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 1,458
And just like the vodafone checker - it downright lies about their 3g coverage in my home area.
corf is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 14-08-2015, 14:27
darren221980
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Telford
Posts: 480
And just like the vodafone checker - it downright lies about their 3g coverage in my home area.
Not only vodafone, the coverage for Three around my work area and partners work area claims good service yet in reality for us and others the service is the opposite of what this checker claims.
darren221980 is offline Follow this poster on Twitter   Reply With Quote
Old 14-08-2015, 14:46
Synthetic42
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Newcastle
Posts: 1,510
Wildly inaccurate in my area too
Synthetic42 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 14-08-2015, 15:18
M1kos
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 499
what a hopeless load of rubbish so wildly inaccurate!!!
M1kos is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 14-08-2015, 15:39
omnidirectional
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 10,879
They should temporarily withdraw this, as it seems to be inaccurate and misleading with grossly overestimated coverage (for all networks).
omnidirectional is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 14-08-2015, 15:44
oilman
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 3,854
Just get a cheap usb sim for the main operators, and look at bars on your phone in areas you intend you use.
oilman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 14-08-2015, 15:52
Synthetic42
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Newcastle
Posts: 1,510
It's not even close to the coverage the operator's coverage maps themselves show, so where have they got this info from?

It's all green for o2 4G here, but in reality there is none at all.....
Synthetic42 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 14-08-2015, 15:53
Guitarnut
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 3
Agreed it's very optimistic.

It does seem to have masts on it although it doesn't say belonging to who.
Guitarnut is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 14-08-2015, 16:00
canvey
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 165
Doesn't show coverage where there is good coverage for an area

Mind you Three's own map was recently updated for another area and is showing good coverage, yet we are lucky to get one bar!
canvey is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 14-08-2015, 16:21
Bethaneeny
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: West Yorkshire
Posts: 6,136
Massively inaccurate for us too. I've been on all those networks in the past, I'm on o2 now and this is the first time I don't have to drive to the end of my village to make a phone call! Let alone be able to use mobile internet. Yet the checker says we're on green for all networks on 3G, 4G, and calls.
Bethaneeny is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 14-08-2015, 22:21
benster
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Blackburn
Posts: 396
Says I should get good 4g in my postcode area yet can't get 4g. I don't trust any map checker showing signal should get as there never right even the networks own maps never show the true signal results
benster is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 15-08-2015, 07:38
anyonefortennis
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: 🇬🇧
Posts: 60,865
People should send feedback to Ofcom which they have requested to improve the accuracy of the service if their coverage is significantly different to the map.
anyonefortennis is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 15-08-2015, 10:46
robbra
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 452
People should send feedback to Ofcom which they have requested to improve the accuracy of the service if their coverage is significantly different to the map.
Done, Vodafone is the only one that works around my area but they show all the others have good coverage. This is the same as the providers maps so they have probably used supplied info without checking it. I've tried all except 3 and they are all very hit and miss. I doubt Ofcom are that interested and have just used the info from the providers.
robbra is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 15-08-2015, 23:51
mupet0000
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 620
http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2098033
mupet0000 is offline   Reply With Quote
 
Reply




 
Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 05:00.