It’s probably one of the most frustrating phrases to keep shouting down the receiver but you’ll be all too familiar with “can you hear me now?” if you live in an area of poor mobile phone reception. Of late, we’ve also become increasingly exasperated with poor internet speeds that embarrass us with frozen screens and time lags during video calls.
As a result, today’s home movers are especially concerned with their quality of the broadband service and mobile phone signal strength – especially now more of us than ever are working from home.
In fact, home movers were making reliable connections a ‘must have’ moving facet back in 2018. Broadband Genie found that only 16% of buyers would purchase a property that doesn’t have access to fast broadband, while just 19% said they would buy a home that doesn’t have a good mobile reception. Fast forward two years and those figures will, no doubt, be lower.
When you consider 49% of UK workers reported working from home in June 2020 – compared to 4.3% in 2015 – mobile signal and broadband speed tests need to be up there with schools and public transport research. So, is there a way to avoid dropped-connection disappointment before you collect the keys to your new home?
Check speeds & signal strength before you move
The good news is Ofcom offers a free checker service via its website and app. You simply input the postcode you’d like to check and choose to see the broadband or mobile phone coverage.
You can select to view the 3G and 4G reception for both indoors and outdoors, and compare mobile providers based on the quality of their voice, data and enhanced data performance. There’s also a map that clearly shows signal strength based on the network provider selected. When it comes to broadband, there’s another map to see what areas are served by standard, superfast or ultrafast broadband.
There is an online broadband speed checker, which creates a detailed report based on a given postcode. You’ll find out the average download speed and whether high speed copper phone line or superfast fibre optic broadband is available.
There’s also a handy comparison facility that displays your speed test history – allowing you to quickly compare the results from a number of postcodes – as well as a selection of broadband deals from different suppliers, so you can see charges alongside average speeds.
Rural broadband
If you’re one of many home movers thinking of heading out to ‘the sticks’ – perhaps because you’ve been given the option to work from home permanently – mobile phone signal and broadband speed checks are vital before you view a property.
The number of so-called ‘not spots’ rise the more rural you travel, and some homes have to rely on satellite or wireless broadband – the latter usually from a 4G network. A property’s distance from the telephone exchange and a street cabinet can all affect speeds and reliability, so investigate what cabling is available and whether residents struggle to get even 3G.
5G – when and where?
The next generation of mobile data speeds is here, although the roll out across the UK is gradual and won’t be complete until 2022. Providers EE, Three, Vodafone and O2 are already making 5G available to some users but if you’re hoping to rely on 5G for an internet connection at home, bear in mind it’s only compatible with a few new mobile handsets (there wasn’t a 5G compatible iPhone as of August 2020); is only available in a limited number of towns and cities, and is comparatively expensive.
Feel free to ask us which networks and providers we use – as a local business and personally. We’d be happy to help get you connected in your new home.