Recently, the RAC Foundation published a report detailing the huge swathes of British roads that suffer the blight of little or no mobile coverage. The information raises the serious safety issue of the absence or inadequacy of signal on almost 50% of British roads. As an expert telecoms provider, 24 Seven takes coverage issues very seriously and fully supports the Foundation in its bringing to light of the matter. We were struck by the danger posed to UK mobile users by this little-talked-about problem, especially those who have to travel for business.
The report highlights the 4,500 miles of British roads that have no coverage whatsoever. Furthermore, 29,000 miles of road have only partial coverage (as in not from all networks), amounting to 12% of the total road space in Britain, and leaving a significant portion of the country’s transport network at risk of being without a connection. Amazingly, 51% of UK roads suffer from partial or no 3G (let alone 4G) coverage, posing significant problems for those relying on data applications when on the move. This is especially relevant when talking about M2M solutions, such as vehicle tracking.
The government has recognised mobile signal as important, but not enough is being done and what is being done, isn’t happening fast enough. The issue is one of the reasons we’ve pioneered a national roaming SIM card, Jump, which literally jumps between networks. The solution provides more consistent coverage to mobile users, and forms part of the answer to the dangerous issue of poor mobile signal that we face as a nation.
Jump has been really well received by its business audience, especially those who drive frequently. With a multi-network option, such as Jump, they can have confidence in the best possible mobile coverage as they travel across the country. Ultimately, the safety and security of employees has to be at front of mind for any business.