Half Of UK Has Mobile Blackspot At Home

New research from Global Wireless Solutions has shown the state of wireless connectivity in homes across the UK.

The study, which involved a poll of 2000 adults combined with six weeks of collecting data inside houses across London, found that on average 40 per cent of UK citizens have a mobile blackspot somewhere in their home. Houses built in the Georgian period are the most likely to be afflicted by black spots (presumably due to thick walls).

A third of respondents admitted that they regularly experienced problems making and receiving mobile phone calls. 30 per cent also said they experienced mobile internet connectivity issues while surfing at home.

And when it came to the worst room in the average house for blackspot problems, that would be the kitchen, with two thirds of those affected by blackspots saying they had a calling or data connection issue in that particular room.

As to which cities are the worst for mobile blackspots – according to the survey, that would be Liverpool and Cardiff, with the latter closely followed by Bristol.

Global Wireless Solutions found that when it came to phone calls, of the UK networks, EE and Three proved to be the least reliable. One in every 14 test calls made via EE failed during testing inside London houses.

O2 had the best voice network according to this study, with less than 1 per cent of calls being blocked, closely followed by Vodafone which dropped exactly 1 per cent of calls.

The company also found that 4G signal was problematic indoors, with for example Three offering 78 per cent coverage when testing outside, but only 55 per cent when the testing moved indoors. EE managed almost constant 100 per cent coverage outside, compared to 85 per cent inside (still an impressive result compared to rivals).

Paul Carter, CEO of GWS, commented: “The UK is no longer a ‘fixed line’ nation. When we’re at home we don’t just receive calls on our mobiles – we make them too. The best phone is the one you’ve got on you – not the one sitting in its dock out in the hallway. But that presents a problem for operators – many of whom are clearly struggling with the brave new world of ‘in-home mobility’.

“Only by gathering and analysing accurate data on the performance of wireless networks will operators find a solution that genuinely benefits consumers – consumers who are currently not well-served by the kind of ‘crowd-sourced’ data operators too-often use to bolster unrealistic claims about the level of service they offer.”