Friday 29 April 2011

Mobile Phone Coverage Comparison

By Frederick Von Waltzembourg


Mobile phone coverage is a very important topic for any user because they will want to make sure that when they sign up to a contract or pay as you go deal they are able to make full use of the service in the places they live and work. Let us take a quick tour of the five major UK network providers and see what kind of mobile phone coverage they offer to their customers.

It is worth noting that while there are many different firms working as mobile networks in the UK there are actually only five who have the masts and control centres which make up the coverage. As such SIM only providers like Giff Gaff make use of O2's network infrastructure while Talkmobile from the Carphone Warehouse is linked with Vodafone, which by association can help you decide which operator will be the one for you. You can also check coverage in your area here.

3 is a network which was created with the main purpose of making 3G access widely available and with 92 per cent of the UK population covered by its high speed coverage it is regularly ranked as one of the top providers when it comes to internet access. For those making calls and sending texts the 3 network coverage using 2G technology is even better, with 99 per cent of households able to access this older infrastructure.

In terms of 2G mobile phone coverage Vodafone is able to keep up with 3, with 99 per cent 2G coverage promised by the third largest network in the country. It is less able to boast about its 80 per cent 3G coverage, although the promise of faster connectivity than its rivals in built up areas does give it some leverage when it comes to marketing.

99 per cent 2G and upwards of 80 per cent 3G coverage is boasted by O2, but with over a million pounds invested in improving and expanding its network each and every day, this is definitely going to increase in the future. By setting up small mobile towers at the events for which it is responsible O2 can give gig and festival goers the extra coverage they need, even in a muddy field.

The amalgamation of T-Mobile and Orange under the Everything Everywhere umbrella firm has not only created the network with the biggest user base in the country but also the option for all customers to share the coverage from both original providers. 93 per cent 3G coverage and 99 per cent 2G coverage is claimed by the twinned networks and while each operates under different branding the attitude of sharing signal runs right to the core.

To get the best idea about whether or not you will receive decent signal from the network of your choice you should consult the coverage maps that every provider produces.

There is no doubt that hardware and attractive tariff bundles can help sell phone plans, but those who want to actually get calls, send messages and download apps to their sparkly new handset should never forget that mobile coverage is something to consider before making a purchase.




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