How to find where telecoms services are available
The Oftel Small Business Task Force encourages telecoms operators to include details of service availability on their websites.
The following links are designed to help you check which services available in your area.
ISDN
BT ISDN and ADSL availability check – searches for availability by postcode.
ADSL
The ADSL Guide includes an availability check by telephone number – click on the Availability button. A coverage map of BT’s ADSL rollout can be found on the BT broadband services site, together with a telephone number checker. BT openworld, COLT and others also offer checks by telephone number through the main BT database.
Fixed telecom services
BT provides fixed line services throughout the UK. Alternative services are provided by the cable companies in designated areas – cable companies and their franchise areas maps cable companies to the name of the city or town where the franchise is held. Eurobell (south of England only) and ntl offer searches by postcode for the availability of telephone services and Internet on your PC or TV. To check Telewest availability by postcode use our link – the ‘Business Services’ pages don’t seem to have this facility so our link goes to the residential services page, which should indicate where the physical infrastructure is.
Cable companies now cover over 60% of the UK’s population, but in uncabled areas you can use an indirect access provider or carrier pre-selection (CPS) as an alternative to BT.
Mobile phone networks
The four GSM cellular mobile phone networks all claim coverage rates within the UK of near to 100%, but at the same time offer coverage maps where you can zoom in on areas which are not covered or where you may experience a weak signal.
If you want to use your mobile phone abroad, all the networks have a panoply of roaming agreements, and most offer sites where you can check the countries in which you will be able to get a connection.
O2’s WebMAP allows you to search by postcode or by location, such as a town or motorway junction. For details of coverage overseas see O2.
T-mobile offers a coverage check by postcode.
Orange coverage is searchable by postcode or via a clickable map.
for details of Vodafone's UK coverage select ‘coverage’ in the pull-down list on the Vodafone homepage for a clickable map. Visit the Vodafone international roaming website for details by country.
Please let us know if you have come across other availability checkers!
Reviewed June 2007
last updated : 15/06/2007
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