Mobile Connectivity - Manchester & Bury

People and businesses rely on wireless connectivity as part of their everyday lives more than ever before, using phones and tablets to use Apps, watch video, listen to music, communicate and work on the move. As people use more data-intensive services such as good quality streaming, network quality becomes more important.

Both coverage (where is a connection available) and performance (what can you do with the connection when it is available) affect consumer’s mobile experience. While signal strength is generally strong outdoors in city centres, performance can be poor. This could be due to congestion and traffic related signal interference.

Ofcom in collaboration with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority want to measure mobile connectivity in Manchester city centre and Bury town centre to understand where and why connectivity falls short. We will use this information to work with stakeholders to address barriers to better connectivity in the Greater Manchester area as well as highlighting implications for other parts of the UK.