Almost 30 million UK mobile phone users have problems with their phone signal at home, a Uswitch survey has found.
Regular problems reported by more than half of the UK’s total mobile phone users include general issues getting good signal and phone calls dropping out mid-conversation.
Our survey revealed that 27% of respondents say they regularly have to move to another room just to get decent phone reception, with living rooms said to be the worst for signal strength.
Around 14% even said they had to leave their homes and go outside just to be able to make a phone call, and 19% have to resort to messaging on WhatsApp or iMessage instead.
It seems that semi-detached houses have the most reception problems, with around 30% of people living in semi-detached homes reporting a substandard signal.
If you’ve added an extension to your home this could lead to reception problems, as you’re twice as likely to have issues. This could be down to thicker walls and insulation, which are known to interfere with mobile phone reception.
Interestingly, when Wi-Fi calling was suggested as a method to overcome reception issues, 39% of people in the survey claimed that they don’t know what Wi-Fi calling is.
Wi-Fi calling switches your calls from 4G (or 5G) to any Wi-Fi network that your phone is connected to. So this can be your home Wi-Fi or even in a shop or cafe. Most networks offer Wi-Fi calling, and it’s simply a case of heading into the mobile data settings in your smartphone and switching on Wi-Fi calling.
If you switch on Wi-Fi calling, your call quality will be dependent on the strength of your Wi-Fi connection as opposed to your phone signal, which could be a big improvement for a lot of users.
Here's everything you need to know about Wi-Fi calling
It’s also recommended that you research network coverage in your area before you sign up with a phone provider, as different networks have different levels of coverage throughout the country. Over half the survey respondents claimed to have never researched their local network coverage.
Ru Bhikha, telecoms expert here at Uswitch, said “There’s nothing more frustrating than having to march around your home in a vain bid to get a decent signal, but it’s a struggle experienced by 30 million of us.
“The digital divide stubbornly persists, with residents in rural areas almost 50% more likely to suffer dropped calls than those in suburban areas.
“If you’re having problems getting a good signal through your mobile reception, your best bet could be making calls over WiFi instead. It’s easy to do, but you’ll need to check whether it’s supported by your mobile provider.
“The mobile reception in your home will be determined by a huge number of factors including the coverage in your area, the thickness of your walls and the presence of materials that can block the signal.
“However, the quickest way of ensuring you have the strongest mobile reception possible is to check network coverage maps before you sign up with a provider. It takes only five minutes and could help you find which network has the best signal in your area.”
