Ofcom says Vodafone will not face any further action for failing to meet its 3G coverage requirements by a June 2013 deadline after the operator successfully achieved an obligation to reach 90 percent of UK homes by the end of 2013.
The 3G licenses awarded in 2000 required operators to rollout services to 80 percent of the population, but in 2010, the government ordered Ofcom to increase this obligation to 90 percent, with the operators promising to adhere by 30 June 2013.
The UK communications regulator revealed in November that Vodafone was the only one to miss this deadline, falling 1.4 percent short of the coverage requirement.
Ofcom has also reiterated its commitment to improving mobile coverage in the UK, especially with regards to 4G. It says that O2’s license for the 800MHz spectrum it acquired at the 4G auction earlier this year requires it to provide indoor coverage to 98 percent of the UK population and outdoor coverage to 99 percent, but adds that all major operators are set to match this requirement.
The government has also pledged £150 million to improve mobile coverage in rural areas as part of the Mobile Infrastructure Project (MIP) , while the department for transport is also looking at ways of enhancing the signal along the UK’s busiest railway routes.
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unfortunately I'm a Vodafone customer (or until my renewal!) and its certainly noticeable when others can use their phones I can't, even in some fairly large towns I get zero bars.
Living as I do 250 meters from a newly commissioned mast (18 months) for Vodafone, I am staggard at how many times we either have a low signal or none at all. Last week we had none for two days!
Over the New year we visited Montgomery-No Signal, Welshpool-No Signal, South Warrginton-No Signal and Style (half a mile from Manchester Airport)-No Signal! Anyone I speak to in these area always says don go with Vodafone.
I'll be off to someone else at the end of my contract, but again as many people say, there all as bad as one another!