Highland has UK's worst 4G coverage at 60.85%, Ofcom data analysis finds

Highland in Scotland has the lowest proportion of geographic area in the UK predicted to receive 4G from all four mobile network operators — just 60.85% — according to an analysis by Compare the Market of Ofcom’s latest local-authority mobile coverage data (Advanced Television).

Only 28 of 362 local authorities achieve 100% predicted geographic coverage, including Cambridge, the City of London, Derby, Nottingham, Portsmouth and Westminster — a 39.15 percentage-point gap between the best and Highland (Advanced Television). All five of the lowest-performing areas are in Scotland: Perth and Kinross at 65.57%, Stirling at 66.25%, Argyll and Bute at 66.68%, and South Ayrshire at 70.67% (Advanced Television).

The analysis found 22 of 362 local authorities have less than 80% of their geographic area predicted to receive 4G (Advanced Television). For indoor 4G from all four operators, Mid Ulster was the lowest at 54.32% of premises, followed by Fermanagh and Omagh at 56.96% and the Shetland Islands at 58.21%; the lowest in England were Maldon at 63.15%, Mid Suffolk at 63.75% and North Norfolk at 65.53% (Advanced Television). In contrast, 43 of 362 local authorities had 99% or more indoor coverage, led by Derby at 99.96% (Advanced Television).

Nationally, 84% of the UK landmass is predicted to have good 4G geographic coverage from all operators, while 5G coverage outside premises from all operators rose from 47% to 64% in the six months to January 2026 (Advanced Television). Matt Brewer, mobile expert at Compare the Market, advises consumers to check provider coverage maps and Ofcom’s Map Your Mobile checker before switching (Advanced Television).