Phone giant EE blast rivals O2, Vodafone and Three that count population-based stats and not land as

PHONE giant EE has challenged rival mobile providers to follow its lead and clearly show the areas they cover.

EE is switching from population-based coverage statistics to area-based figures in January.

Boss Marc Allera has written to Vodafone, Three and O2 urging them to do the same, to end the “incorrect expectation” of mobile phone users.

Coverage issues are one of the biggest complaints about mobile phone firms.

At the moment coverage is described according to the percentage of homes that get a signal. But it can create a situation where a network might claim 90 per cent coverage, but provides reception to only around 40 per cent of the UK’s landmass.

Mr Allera has asked telecoms watchdog Ofcom to get on board with his “Clear on Coverage” drive.

Last night no other mobile operator had commented on EE’s proposal.

Telecoms expert John Delaney of analysts IDC said: “We applaud the proposition that the mobile industry as a whole should adopt geography rather than population to measure network coverage.”

Matthew Howett, telecoms analyst at Ovum, said: “It’s only right that claims around coverage align with expectations.”

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