Poll: Which UK mobile network should get the iPad? Orange? O2? Vodafone?

Ever look down at your mobile, see just one bar of 3G coverage, and wonder why you pay the extra cash to even have such dodgy connectivity? With some areas of the UK still receiving woefully poor network coverage, will the iPads release be the straw that breaks the camels back? Getting the iPad on a network with reliable 3G coverage once it hits the UK will seriously affect your enjoyment of the new product, but wireless network specialists ADC believe that many 3G networks will struggle.

“Complaints of coverage blackspots and insufficient service are already common, and with more and more 3G-enabled consumer electronics devices coming on to the market, the mobile industry needs to make steps to ensure their networks can keep pace,” said John Spindler, VP product management at ADC. “Consumer patience has worn thin as they have come to expect perfect coverage and quick, reliable internet access wherever they are. The iPhone led to a tenfold increase in user demand for bandwidth on mobile networks, and there’s no reason why Apple’s new iPad won’t emulate this success.”

However, ADC do offer potential ways to bolster 3G services before the iPad’s arrival.

“To overcome these challenges and meet rising levels of mobile broadband traffic, operators need to act now. First, they will need to reduce the size of coverage cells, so that more bandwidth in each given cell is available to a group of users. Secondly, since most mobile browsing happens indoors, they will need to focus on bringing coverage inside since broadband wireless data signals can’t penetrate buildings very effectively. And finally, operators will need to significantly increase the backhaul capacity of their networks,” Spindler detailed.

Are you happy with your current network? Think it’s up to the task of keeping iPad users connected? Let us know in the poll below!