Before investing in a new smartphone, it’s important to know how good the 2G and 3G coverage is in your area. Not being able to use many of a phone’s features in more remote areas has led to frustrations for many people, usually because the coverage maps offered by mobile operators can often be inaccurate and overestimated. Because of this, the BBC has begun conducting the UK’s first independent survey of mobile phone coverage.

The BBC have released an app for Android handsets, developed by network analysis firm Epitiro, that will record street level 2G and 3G coverage throughout the UK. The app, which achieved 25,000 downloads on its first day of release, is free to download and collects data in the background without users having to do anything. Users can also use the app to check coverage levels in a particular area.

According to Gavin Johns, chief executive of Epitiro, coverage is the number one issue for consumers. The number of smartphone users in the UK has risen to over 12 million, and more and more of them are demanding web browsing and Internet capabilities from their mobiles. Good mobile coverage is crucial for this but not all customers are receiving it. Many mobile users complain that their coverage varies depending on whether they’re indoors or outdoors, or what time of day they are trying to access the network.

The BBC’s mobile app aims to change the way customers are informed about mobile coverage, improving the accuracy of information provided. “Our coverage app will provide the information consumers need to see if 3G services are available and from which mobile operator,” said Gavin Johns. “As mobile broadband is important to many of us, we hope people volunteer and make the project a success.”

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