Check Mobile broadband coverage in your area

Before buying mobile broadband, it is important you do a little research to find out which provider offers the best coverage in the UK.

Mobile broadband requires that your provider has HSPA or 3G network coverage in your area.

This coverage is different from GPRS or 2G network that enables users to make voice calls, browse internet at slower speeds on the move. Mobile internet access via GPRS is unusable especially when you need faster speeds to surf the web, download/upload files, watch videos or play online games.

Mobile broadband coverage checker (Enter postcode of your area)

	Provider	Mobile Broadband (Population Coverage)	Download Speed	Coverage Maps
	Three (3UK)	97%	7.2Mbps	Check Coverage
	Vodafone	90%	14.4Mbps	Check Coverage
	T-Mobile	97%	7.2Mbps	Check Coverage
	Orange	97%	7.2Mbps	Check Coverage
	O2	85%	7.2Mbps	Check Coverage
	Virgin Media	85%	7.2Mbps	Check Coverage

As such, the wider 3G network coverage your mobile operator has, the faster the speeds, better and more reliable your mobile broadband is.

Mobile broadband coverage in the UK

Geographically, 25% of the UK has no 3G mobile broadband coverage, according to the regulator Ofcom.

Fortunately, all urban places in the UK have coverage from all major operators including 3UK (Three), Vodafone, O2, Orange, T-Mobile and Virgin Media.

It is expected that auction of 800MHz and 2.6MHz radio spectrum by Ofcom will improve mobile internet coverage to 98% and help operators to launch next generation mobile broadband services like LTE (Long Term Evoltion) from 2013.

It is believed that future mobile broadband will provide high speed internet access to 10% of UK population living in broadband ‘notspots’ in rural Britain.

Glossary

3G

Third Generation (3G) mobile network that enables high speed internet access.

HSPA

High Speed Packet Access. Mobile networks use this technology to offer faster download and upload speeds. Top download speeds of up to 14.4Mbps.

2G

2nd Generation mobile (wirless) communication technology. Used for voice and slow speed internet services