Coverage
Not only have we comprehensively tested the signal quality but we’ve also scoured the web and called all the mobile networks to confirm how good their network coverage is so we could compile it into the table below. Now you have a conclusive reference source so you can directly compare how strong a signal you’ll get no matter which network you choose to change to.
You can click the headers to sort each column allowing you to quickly see which networks have the best signal and which have the weakest. You can also click the name of each network to learn who provides the coverage for each network and see detailed coverage maps for your particular area. This allows you to find out how strong a signal you’ll have at home or at work.
As you can see, all network have a high 99% coverage range for 2G networks which cover texts and voice calls. However, the strength of the signal can vary a lot even in areas that are covered so you might find that certain networks give better coverage indoors than others. Also, the 3G coverage varies quite significantly – if you need high-speed data access, it’s worthwhile to find a mobile network that offers a very strong 3G signal in your area.
We have also included up-to-date 4G coverage for the UK in the table below, but for more details please check out our dedicated 4G coverage page.
| Network | 2G Signal | 3G Signal | 4G Signal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 99% | 98% | 99% |
| O2 | 99% | 98% | 99% |
| Vodafone | 99% | 97% | 99% |
| Orange | 99% | 98% | 99% |
| T-Mobile | 99% | 98% | 99% |
| Giffgaff | 99% | 98% | 99% |
| EE | 99% | 98% | 99% |
| Virgin Mobile | 99% | 98% | – |
| ASDA Mobile | 99% | 98% | – |
| Family Mobile | 99% | 98% | – |
| Lebara | 99% | 97% | – |
| TalkMobile | 99% | 97% | – |
| Tesco Mobile | 99% | 98% | 99% |
| Tru | 99% | 97% | – |
| Vectone | 99% | 98% | – |
| LycaMobile | 99% | 98% | 99% |
| Delight Mobile | 99% | 98% | – |
| Dialog Vizz Mobile | 99% | 97% | – |
| GT Mobile | 99% | 98% | – |
| iCard Mobile | 99% | 97% | – |
| Now Mobile | 99% | 98% | – |
| Stan Mobile | 99% | 98% | – |
| Samba Mobile | 99% | 98% | – |
| Ovivo Mobile | – | – | – |
| Bemilo | 99% | 97% | – |
| Green Mobile | 99% | 97% | – |
| White Mobile | 99% | 98% | – |
| Mobile by Sainsbury’s | 99% | 97% | – |
| Donate Mobile | 99% | 97% | – |
| Allpay Mobile | 99% | 97% | – |
| Banana Mobile | 99% | 98% | – |
| C Mobile | 99% | 98% | – |
| The Co-operative Mobile | 99% | 98% | – |
| Freedomtalk Mobile | 99% | 97% | – |
| RSPCA Mobile | 99% | 98% | – |
| Talkxtra Mobile | 99% | 97% | – |
| Wildlife Mobile | 99% | 97% | – |
| Econet | 99% | 98% | – |
| Kontakt Mobile | 99% | 97% | – |
| Lomo Mobile | 99% | 98% | – |
| Simple Call Mobile | 99% | 98% | – |
| Smart Pinoy | 99% | 97% | – |
| Talk Home Mobile | 99% | 98% | – |
THIS IS ABSOLUTE RUBBISH – DOES NOT REPRESENT THE UPTIME – HOW CAN YOU PUT THIS AS ‘FACT’ WHEN EVERYONE KNOWS ITS CXXX
That’s probably why it says “coverage” rather than “uptime”.
We’ve recently launched the Pebble Network in the UK. Pebble has national roaming agreements with each of the major networks – this means that using a Pebble SIM card effectively gives you the combined coverage of all the networks in the UK – thus, simply and undeniably, Pebble offers the best mobile coverage in the UK. If it wasn’t true, we couldn’t print it! 🙂 Feel free to contact us if you want some press info.
Oooh,interesting.
Sounds good,how do I get in touch with you ?
dont! Just left, way over priced make you stay on o2 no manually changing ridiculous
I live in hampton middlesex are my EE 4G has absolutely no signal can you tell me best network in this area
I think 3 have ceased leasing 2G from Orange/T-mobile where they say their 3G is good enough – so I think there is some truth in the statement above. But to say they have NO 2G network is true – but also not true for no 2G signal because they still use Orange/tmo in certain places. In fact right now I have very bag 3 3G signal and so often I’m on 2G presume from orange.
There is NO 2G coverage with 3 because you cannot buy a 3 SIM card for a 2G phone!
Of course you can. You can buy a 3 SIM for any phone.
23/12/15 I took my wifes Nokia 6300 to my local “three” shop and was told it would not work with “a 3 sim card” as is was a 2G phone and they did not offer a 2G connection – I’ve installed a Tesco (02) sim and that works fine.
If you have a 3G phone, you can use a 3 SIM in it. But not a 2G phone. Every day I travel twice through Swaffham in Norfolk and my 3 SIM shows a 2G symbol and a roaming symbol.
i live at IV36 1JJ. it seems NO network can cover my house at all, even 2G !!
. Is this true? if not , what is best, maybe i need to change from vodafone. or get a Signal Booster- ut these have bad reviews and don t work?
Just about signal boosters. The ones that work are the ones that are powered by your house mains,though they are a low consumption.I should say they are technically illegal without a license but no one seems to mind if you buy a low area powered one,ie one with a range up to your house outside walls or even the garden.If you go down that line you need to ensure this. That you can get a one bar signal anywhere high up the walls or chimney and facing the nearest located transmitter.It needs to be for the network signal frequency you use [ie for Vodafone.o2,tesco,its GSM960mzs.That is your receiver box and is cabled down your wall just like a tv aerial and into your selected room.A small box goes on your inside wall.That is your rooms transmitter and needs a 3amp supply.The best ones are those with a small plastic window in them which will show 3or4 bars indication thoughout the house.I once had one on test and it worked.[Don’t need one now][moved house] They are bought on-line from sometimes Hong kong usual cost around £100,so its not cheap. Don’t forget you must have the one bar signal somewhere or it wont work.
I live in Northern Ireland – what is the coverage here?
For which network?
My Now Mobile sim won’t work on my new unlocked phone. It appears as ‘NOT ALLOWED’. Why is this I wonder.
I have lost my network and can’t get it bk it keeps sayin unable to connet try later i have a s2 i can go on intenet and google play just can’t recieve or makes calls
Three No Longer Offer 2G
Have you got a citation for this please? Do they not fall back to another network in some areas?
This is not correct.
I have the option of 2G/3G signal on my 3 sim.
And this is 2015 :\
I have bought a 3G mobile probably by mistake as the coverage in my area is ok for 2G outside but zero for 3G. Will the mobile be able to operate as though it was a 2G phone,or is it kerput.
Yes, all 3G mobile phones can drop back to 2G when there’s not 3G signal so you’ll be fine 🙂
I am waiting for my SYM card…will I be able to keep my exisiting phone number ???
Which networks are you moving to/from?
The UK is still the poor relation in Europe and the Nordic region when it comes to mobile phone coverage. Considering for example that Vodafone have been in business since 1986, coverage is still abysmal in many places. Every one of the UK operators hide behind the “population coverage” and fail to address the massive geographic black holes that still exist.
I travel extensively throughout the USA, the Nordic Region and mainland Europe and rarely am starved of a mobile phone signal. Not so here in the UK. The lame excuses made by the UK network operators are just that – lame – if they spent as much on adding transmitters as they do on marketing, we would have networks like our country cousins. Instead we pay high prices for extremely poor service.
The only reason I use Vodafone is that they sell their “SureSignal” package. There is no mobile phone coverage from any network operator where I live, so I have to use a provider who at least enables me to connect albeit through the Internet. If Vodafone’s management used their “little grey cells” they could set up thousands of high power “SureSignal” systems in areas with zero or poor coverage and wipe the floor with their competition – but they’re never going to do that – they don’t have the brain power to put it into action.
Virgin 3G coverage is the same as T-Mobile – 93%.
That’s because Virgin actualy use the T-mobile signal and more recently also use the Orange network, so you can choose between them.
Just out of interest is this population or area coverage because that could make a really big difference if you’re going out of big cities like London?
These are meant to be population coverages. This means that 99% of the population is covered by 2G networks by every operator. The differences in the coverage between the operators are hard to grasp from a blunt figure like this especially once you go outside of the big cities. The best way to know whether you’ll be covered or not is to look at individual operators’ coverage maps (linked from this table) or even to buy PAYG SIMs and test yourself.