This figure falls to just 56 percent in rural areas. The report’s data is limited and does not include data comparing the performance of different mobile network operators, although the regulator is looking at whether or not this can be included in future updates.

However, Ofcom did provide some interesting data about mobile use. Most 3G and 4G capable Smartphone users were connected to a WiFi network around 69 percent of the time and the other 31 percent was Mobile Broadband / Data (split as 65 percent for 4G, 30 percent for 3G and just five percent on 2G).

Most of the time (95.6 percent) 4G users could access a mobile network (either 2G, 3G or 4G) and successfully download data, which falls to 92.4 percent for 3G-only users. The study also noticed that WiFi connections delivered the best (lowest) latency, with response times of just 27 milliseconds (48ms on 4G and 64ms on 3G).

Connection speeds when using YouTube and Chrome were also predictably found to be faster over newer 4G than older 3G networks, with Wi-Fi providing higher average speeds than both mobile technologies.

Less than one percent of all calls were dropped due to loss of service during the research period and 90 percent of panellists said that they were happy (either positive or neutral) with the performance of their network when making a phone call.Those in urban areas were more likely than those in rural areas to say that they were happy (90 percent vs 86 percent).