Blog Post

Why Is There Such Poor Mobile Signal In London?

Mark's Remarks
February 4, 2022

London is one of the world’s most famous cities. It's a tourist hotspot and a world leader in finance, business, and technology.

But with a population of almost 9 million, how can the mobile phone signal still be SO poor?

In fact, a recent survey found that 42% of people in London either have poor signal at home – or none at all.

39% of people have had to resort to landlines for calls, while 27% have used Skype, WhatsApp, or FaceTime to conduct WiFi calls, with 30% opting to head out to the garden to get better signal…

And quite incredibly, 11% lean out of a window to bump up those signal bars.

Yep, really.

It’s the worst city in the UK for mobile phone signal, and the issue has persisted for years.

So, why is mobile signal so poor in London?

Enter, Channel Loading.

Here’s what happens…

It’s evening, and you’re home from work. Dinner’s done and it’s time to crash out on the sofa. You get your phone out to call your partner and put your feet up.

The only thing is, Mike next door’s doing exactly the same thing. So is Sarah opposite. In fact, there are more people on your street who are tapping into the signal coming from the nearest tower than who aren’t.

So, any time you’ve got a significant number of people using the same cell tower to retrieve a signal, you experience channel loading.

While the signal being sent out is the same, the volume of phones using it means that the quality of signal everyone receives diminishes, even though the strength of signal hasn’t changed.

Just like your Ribena gets weaker the more water you pour into the cup, your signal lessens as more people kick back with their phone out.

Then there's another problem. The stuff the buildings are made of.

Brick, glass, wood, plasterboard, fibreglass insulation… you name it and it will pretty much block that signal.

You can read all about the worst offenders in this blog post:

Which Building Materials Are Worst For Blocking Mobile Signal?

But What Does This Mean For Londoner’s Signal?

I know what you’re thinking – that’s all well and good, but what can we do about it.

It’s time to consider mobile signal boosters.

At Signal Solutions Ltd, we use Nextivity CEL-FI technology to solve problems like this… for good.

We’ll install a booster in your building and pop a receiver somewhere where mobile signal is strong and reliable, so you can enjoy a great mobile connection every minute of every day.

Our solutions are:

100% legal to use, fully compliant with Ofcom licensing laws
Inexpensive and well worth the small investment
Unconditionally network safe
Accepted by all UK regulators
Consistent in providing high-quality signal in areas and buildings where coverage is poor or non-existent
Compatible with every mobile network

I Want To Get A Mobile Signal Booster – What Next?

The first thing we’ll do is establish your exact requirements, asking some initial questions to figure out the extent of your signal problems.

We’ll then carry out a remote desktop quote before an on-site survey to confirm that the solution we’ve proposed is the right one. And double-check there’s nothing else that might cause any issues…

Once we’ve taken all the measurements, readings and got the techy stuff boxed off, we can move on to the actual installation!

We always aim to begin every job within 4 weeks, and you’ll be kept up to date throughout the entire process – so you know when you can stop holding your phone in the one exact position that gives you a single bar of signal!

Post-install we’ll come out and carry out quality checks on everything to make sure you’re good to go. We’ll then run some additional signal tests so we both know you’ve got the best signal strength you can get.

Then you’re good to go, free from the tyranny of terrible mobile phone coverage!

That’s why we ONLY use CEL-FI boosters that comply with Ofcom’s regulations.

In fact, they’re the only type of signal booster that complies with EVERY aspect of the rules.

It’s worth noting that Ofcom won’t officially endorse any specific products, but they do identify devices that have been thoroughly tested and that meet their technical requirements.

If you want to enhance the mobile signal in your home, office, or commercial building, let’s talk. Give us a call on 020 3823 7365 or drop your details in the form below.

Request a Callback

Simply pop your details in the form below and a member of the team will call you back.

Mark Rose

As co-founder of Signal Solutions, Mark's signal boosting knowledge is second to none. Mark has worked on a large number of signal projects over the years, from straightforward single-booster projects, to large scale installations across multiple buildings.

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