3G available 75% of the time, study claims

Access to 3G is only available three-quarters of the time in connected areas of Britain, a BBC survey claims.

A total of 44,600 volunteers gave data to test the reliability of the service and an interactive map has been created allowing localised 3G strengths across the UK to be viewed online.

Gavin John, chief executive of Epitiro, the network intelligence provider which processed the 1.7 million hours' worth of data, said the nature of the study is "well beyond any scale seen by the mobile industry in this country or any other".

He added: "For the first time consumers have the means to see 3G coverage precisely where they live, work and travel."

The study found that the strength of service supplied by operators varied from region to region, while road and rail links provided some of the worst reception.

Ofcom announced earlier this month that basic handsets receive better mobile signals than smartphones in areas with less coverage, which is due to the simplicity of the antennas.