London’s kitchens are mobile dead zones and mobile operators are failing homes with 4G signal
Britain’s homes are plagued by a modern day menace – the mobile phone dead zone.
Mobile blackspots – where not even yoga-worthy manoeuvres can't get that hilarious cat gif to work – afflict a whopping 40 per cent of the population.
It may be the heart of the home, but a Londoner’s kitchen is the worst offender when it comes to lack of mobile signal.
One theory put forward for the kitchen dead zone is that they tend to be towards the middle or back of a house and have fewer windows – all things that can affect the quality of signal.
It’s not good news for those living in Georgian homes and those built after 2000 either – they’re the worst for signal too.
Londoner’s are benefitting more than other locations around the country from network coverage, but one in three still said they have regular issues with connectivity at home. We’re not putting up with it either – more than 40 per cent of those in the capital said they’ve ditched an operator because of dead zones at home. That’s more than most Brits.
The new data from mobile network testing company Global Wireless Solutions (GWS) came from tests of London homes and a survey of more than 2,000 adults across the country.
“The UK is no longer a ‘fixed line’ nation. When we’re at home we don’t just receive calls on our mobiles – we make them too. The best phone is the one you’ve got on you – not the one sitting in its dock out in the hallway. But that presents a problem for operators – many of whom are clearly struggling with the brave new world of ‘in-home mobility'," said GWS chief Paul Carter.
“Only by gathering and analysing accurate data on the performance of wireless networks will operators find a solution that genuinely benefits consumers – consumers who are currently not well-served by the kind of ‘crowd-sourced’ data operators too often use to bolster unrealistic claims about the level of service they offer.”
O2 was the best performer, followed by Vodafone then EE and then Three, when it comes to providing the best signal while at home. However, all four of the UK’s big operators are having difficulty extending their 4G networks into London’s homes, GWS warned.
While it’s bad news for anyone wanting to watch those cat gifs, the kitchen may be the perfect spot for spending quality phone-free time with your loved ones.