Ofcom to investigate EE and Vodafone network coveragI te claims
Ofcom has opened investigations into EE and Vodafone after it said the two networks had filed incorrect information about the coverage of their networks.
The regulator demands accurate information about each mobile phone network to paint a thorough picture of the country’s connectivity.
EE stands accused of overstating the geographical reach of its 3G network in rural areas which has forced the regulator to correct its data. The mobile network, owned by BT, had applied a formula based on data from urban areas to rural parts of the country which boosted its numbers.
Vodafone has conversely been understating the geographic reach of its 4G network in the information it provided.
A Vodafone spokesman said: “It appears that we may have been inadvertently under-reporting the extent of our 4G network coverage. This is because the data we have been submitting is adjusted to reflect the signal customers actually receive on their mobile phones.” He said that based on Ofcom’s methodology, Vodafone’s 4G coverage is 10 per cent higher.
Ofcom said: “The accuracy of the data provided to us under our formal powers is a matter that Ofcom takes very seriously and in light of these corrections we have decided to formally investigate this matter further.”
The regulator also updated its information on Britain’s connectivity. Full fibre networks now reach 5 per cent of the country, or 1.4m premises, while 860,000 homes still cannot get 10 Mbps broadband.