15 September 2026
(this will open in a new window)The county council commissioned independent connectivity consultancy (this will open in a new window)FarrPoint to carry out the survey between March and July 2026. In total, 4,728 km of roads across Nottinghamshire were surveyed, including motorways, main A&B roads, local roads and smaller rural routes.
Rather than relying only on mobile operators’ predicted coverage maps that often don’t match reality, the survey measured actual mobile signal and resident experience on the ground.
FarrPoint has used the results to create an interactive online map for the public. Residents are now able to search by address or postcode to see what mobile coverage is like in their area and compare the performance of different mobile operators.
The map has also been designed to be more accessible, including a colour-blindness-friendly colour scheme, helping as many people as possible understand the information. The survey found that 228 km, or 4.8% of the roads surveyed, had poor coverage from all mobile operators. Around 27 km of roads (or 0.6% of total) had particularly poor coverage outdoors from all operators, meaning a usable mobile service or making voice calls are unlikely in those areas.
Nottinghamshire County Council has taken a very positive approach by making this information available to residents. Reliable mobile services matter for everyday life, from keeping in touch with family and accessing online services to helping people stay connected in an emergency. Therefore, the council is helping its residents make more informed choices about the best operator in their area. This data can also be used to help identify areas that may be at greater risk of digital exclusion, informing future policy, planning and investment decisions.
Chris Bond, Head of Data at FarrPointFarrPoint also combined signal strength, download and upload performance and latency into a combined Coverage Performance measure, to better reflect the service a mobile user might experience. This showed that Three had the largest areas of No Coverage and Poor Coverage, followed by O2 and Vodafone, while EE recorded the best coverage overall.
The survey found that 228 km, or 4.8% of the roads surveyed, had poor coverage from all mobile operators. Around 27 km of roads (or 0.6% of total) had particularly poor coverage outdoors from all operators, meaning a usable mobile service or making voice calls are unlikely in those areas.
This map is vital as we want to make sure our residents and businesses are as well connected as possible and can access accurate information about which mobile phone operators perform best where they live, work and travel. Afterall, many residents need a strong mobile signal for things like accessing health care services, operating smart meters, electric vehicle charging and even on-line shopping, especially for those who may not be able to get out and about. This project as a whole gives us a much clearer understanding of where coverage is working well and where improvements and action may be needed, especially in rural areas where there may be potential gaps in coverage.
Councillor Bert Bingham, Cabinet Member for Transport and Environment at Nottinghamshire County CouncilFarrPoint's mobile coverage mapper is an autonomous network monitoring solution that provides real-life (not modelled) performance statistics of all available mobile networks. It has been used to map and improve mobile connectivity accross the UK and Canada. Contact us for more information on this service.
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