Mapping Mobile Reception in Britain

The BBC as well as others have noticed that if you want to find out which network provider give the best coverage in your area, then this information can be very hard to find out.

So, the BBC has decided to take it upon themselves to map out mobile coverage across Britain. If you want to take part in this project then all you need is an Android phone. You can download an app to your Android phone, and this will then record the signal your phone gets. From 3G, 2G to nothing, it will all be noted and the data will be fed back to the researchers. Once the app has been downloaded, to see what coverage is like in a particular place, click on the app and it will tell you. On top of this, the app is free and uses very little bandwidth. The data is also anonymous and nowhere will your personal data be stored.

The app has been developed by Epitiro. They are the firm that is behind Ofcom’s report on mobile broadband speeds. Ofcom currently believe that mobile coverage for customers is a priority.

Epitiro and the BBC will work together to collect the results over the next month. Once all the data has been put together a map will be created that can be searchable by postcode to find out an areas coverage.

Currently people other than Android users can not take part, but that doesnt mean to say that they won't be able to take part in future studies. Let hope enough people take part in this project!