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The UK telecoms regulator, Ofcom, has today revealed that one million people have now used their upgraded Map Your Mobile Postcode Checker since it launched a year ago (here). The service was enhanced to better match people’s real-world experiences of 4G and 5G (mobile broadband) performance and signal strength across EE, Three UK, Vodafone and O2.
The goal of the service was to allow anyone to see which mobile network is “best where they live, work or travel“, helping people choose the right operator before signing up or switching, so they can get the best possible value for money from their contract.
However, despite making some improvements to boost its accuracy (see our original article for details), Ofcom’s map continues to only provide fairly basic / simplified results and no data on mobile data speeds, latency or splits by different technologies (4G vs 5G etc.). But the regulator is planning to make further improvements in the future.
Natalie Black, Ofcom’s Group Director for Infrastructure and Connectivity, said:
“One quick check of our free tool can show you how mobile networks compare in your area. If your signal keeps letting you down, you need to Map Your Mobile”.
Consumers looking for a bit more detail could alternative try one of Streewave’s coverage checkers, although they haven’t yet gathered information from the whole of the UK yet (here). Unlike Ofcom’s study, Streetwave uses data gather from kit installed on bin lorries, which provides a cost-effective way of mapping mobile coverage and also includes data on mobile broadband speeds down to the premises level.