EE wipes out UK's 4G black spots

EE has called for all networks to be transparent about their 4G coverage as it revealed it has wiped out 5,000sqkm of 4G black spots overnight.

The company also reported it had improved signal in 500,000 homes around the country as it strives to keep its title as most reliable 4G network provider.

EE said it will report all coverage in geographic terms by the end of 2017, making it easier for consumers to make a decision about which provider to sign up with. The company wants all networks to use the same measurements to enable consumers to make better comparisons before deciding who to go with.

"Today, people think they will get mobile coverage absolutely everywhere, because as an industry we've talked about coverage with confusing population metrics, and language that sets the wrong expectations," said EE CEO Marc Allera.

"Too often, the customer experience has been very different from the marketing. That has to stop. We're asking our peers and the mobile industry to get Clear on Coverage.' All operators should publish clearer geographic coverage information, and we're seeking support from Ofcom as the independent source of information on mobile coverage and quality."

EE wants Ofcom to back its campaign for a clearer system of measuring network coverage - a cause also backed by the Countryside Alliance.

"We welcome EE's call for the mobile industry to deliver clearer information to customers about where they can expect to get a signal," Sarah Lee, head of policy at the Countryside Alliance, said.

"It is vital that mobile consumers are able to make an informed decision about which network has the potential to serve them best. We believe that the move towards reporting all coverage in geographic terms by January 2017 is a step in the right direction and has the potential to offer significant benefits to rural consumers."

EE wants 95% of the UK to be covered by 4G coverage by the end of 2020, a target it thinks is possible after it added 4G coverage to an additional 25% of the UK this year.

"We want to make it easier and clearer for consumers to know where they will and won't get coverage, and which network is the right one for them," Allera concluded.