"Try before you buy" mobile deals could be on the way

Ofcom to tackle limited mobile coverage

The Communications Consumer Panel, an independent adviser to Ofcom, has called for the regulator to work with mobile providers to improve information regarding network coverage, as well as boosting the coverage itself.

The Panel wants to see consumers given a "try before you buy" option to ensure they have adequate coverage before they are tied into mobile contracts.

A survey by the Panel suggests that 56 per cent of consumers and 91 per cent of small business respondents have had difficulty with mobile coverage, and a third of those surveyed indicated that this was a regular experience.

More than half of small businesses and a fifth of consumers interviewed said they have taken action as a result of the problems experienced, such as buying a new phone, changing provider, or not making calls from certain locations.

Measuring mobile coverage relies on models from network providers that show the likely level of coverage and align this to postcodes. The results are inexact and coverage is often measured differently by different providers. This means consumers will not be comparing like with like when using this data.

Over time, providers could improve the data available, according to the Consumer Panel, but until then the Panel argues that the "try before you buy" clause would help prevent consumers being tied into unsuitable contracts.