Tag: rural

Ofcom releases 3G coverage maps

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Spare a thought for people living in Scotland or Wales, or if you live in Scotland or Wales spare a thought for yourself. The 3G coverage maps released by Ofcom show a distinct lack of a 3G network in those areas. In fact there is a distinct lack of coverage in any rural area in the UK.

The maps show that 3 is the network with the most 3G coverage, closely followed by Orange. O2 comes last – supporting our theory that O2 is, in fact, a bit rubbish.

Ofcom said: “For 3G network coverage there is still a noticeable difference between rural and urban areas, and also between different parts of the UK, with coverage problems a particular issue in the devolved nations.”

3G is becoming ever more important, especially with the new generation of smartphones which rely on good coverage and fast connections in order for their features and apps to run smoothly. The maps paint a bleak picture of a network that isn’t really supporting the smart devices.

What’s the answer? Well, see these related posts for possible alternatives and solutions: Will WiMax or LTE win out? | Femtocells – much more than a signal booster

(via The Press Association)

Paul Lamkin Mobile phones

Government gets behind 2Mbps broadband for all by 2012

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The UK government has signalled its backing of at least one section of Lord Carter’s Digital Britain interim report from earlier this year by setting aside enough cash to give everyone in the UK a minimum of 2Mbps broadband by 2012. The cash will come primarily from an underspend in the promotion of digital TV.

It’s not yet clear exactly what form that broadband might take – ADSL, cable, wireless and satellite are all options – but that information will hopefully be contained in the final version of the Digital Britain report, which is due out in early Summer 2009.

(via BBC)

Duncan Geere Broadband