Ofcom reluctantly publish 3G Coverage maps : WebArticleWorld.com

Ofcom reluctantly publish 3G Coverage maps

22.07.2009 | Author: MobileGuru | Posted in Communications

Ofcom were under pressure to release the UK networks coverage maps after a freedom of information request. Despite initially denying any knowledge of such data Ofcom finally released nationwide 3G coverage maps for all UK networks.

Each operator already publishes their network coverage hence it is not clear why Ofcom were making such a big fuss. However it is good to get comparative view of the UK networks coverage despite the data being over 6 months old. Let’s hope Ofcom learn from their mistake and publish this on a regular basis.

Looking at the coverage maps it is clear that O2 and Vodafone are lagging behind their competitors when it comes to 3G network coverage. The leader clearly is H3G (Three) but even they do not provide good coverage over the highlands and many rural areas. In fact none of them do and this is mainly due to the population spread across the UK. If you look at UK population data you will find the coverage maps are closely aligned to them and major motorways and highways.

You can download a detailed report published by Ofcom by clicking Coverage Maps and saving the pdf document.

The report provides details of how Ofcom produced the coverage maps and what this means for the average consumer. It is clear the maps are not detailed enough for you to find out the level of coverage in your postcode area. Ofcom could have used a planning tool to predict the coverage with more realistic results. However they chose to use a theoretical model and calibrate this based on field measurements. This is a very crude way of predicting network coverage and does not realistically reflect the 3G network behavior in relation to traffic loading and interference.

Let’s hope Ofcom learn from all the feedback they have received and provide more realistic and detailed coverage maps to satisfy the needs of the consumer they are supposed to serve.

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