Ofcom mobile signal checker: One simple map showing UK’s mobile coverage by

Mobile phone users will be able to check operators’ coverage wherever they are in the UK following the launch of an online tool by Ofcom.

Indoor coverage is likely to be of particular importance to businesses, many of whom have turned to femtocells, Voice over Wi-Fi and offloading to help improve mobile coverage in buildings with complicated layouts or impenetrable exteriors.

Ofcom said consumers increasingly expected and demanded reliable mobile service, so helping to improve coverage and quality of service were by extension two of its biggest priorities.

The tool uses data provided by the operators – EE, O2, Three and Vodafone – and superimposes it onto a searchable map.

The map also takes account of the increasing shift from handsets with external aerials to smartphones with internal aerials, which can sometimes be less effective at picking a signal. “Now it’s essential to many people’s lives”, said Ofcom’s tech chief Steve Unger.

The map can also be broken down to show signal strength both indoors and outdoors, and is also encouraging users to report their own experiences and continually improve the map’s accuracy.

Network operators say the maps are only guides, but some customers have found it hard to exit contracts after discovering they have no signal.

Moving house is a bit of a lottery for a number of reasons, but one of the most annoying problems that you can’t really do much about until it’s too late is your mobile coverage – if you move into an area of poor reception, you’re out of luck. We won’t share your postcode with anyone.