This topic

lack of mobile coverage during power outage

MEG123 — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 08:27:13 GMT

This week our area had an unplanned power cut. I was upset because I couldn't use my mobile phone to make a call at all. Even the portable, FM Radio didn't work downstairs. I was able to go out and receive an update on the situation. What must it be like for those living alone and unable to drive or suddenly decide to go out.

I understood that so long as the mobile was charged up it would word during an outage. Obviously with BT this isn't going to be the case. Should we revert to another provider. My husband's work mobile did work.

I was upset by lack of outside contact. If home along and recovering from surgery I would feel 10 times worse. If only we could revert to landlines and not rely on digital for 'everything'.

Re: lack of mobile coverage during power outage

Kimberlin — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 08:33:14 GMT

@MEG123 Are you saying you couldn’t use your mobile phone because you couldn’t connect to WiFi calling through the router as it had no power? Or is it because you had no phone signal because you are perhaps in a poor mobile phone reception area that BT Mobile doesn’t have great coverage in? What network is your husbands work mobile on? If he’s on a different network with better coverage then that’s probably why he could still make calls.

Re: lack of mobile coverage during power outage

MEG123 — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 08:57:55 GMT

Thank you for your reply.

For clarification:

The reason I couldn't make calls or receive texts was because there was no phone signal, during the outage.

My husband's work phone is with Vodafone.

I feel that BT should improve their coverage otherwise more people will leave them.

Later I read that Vodafone are trying to increase their coverage. Would BT consider doing the same?

Re: lack of mobile coverage during power outage

Kimberlin — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 09:04:21 GMT

@MEG123 No one here can tell you definitively whether or not BT will improve their phone coverage in a particular area. This is a customer to customer help forum, your posts don't go to BT.

I can literally only suggest, that if your current mobile phone signal isn't good enough for situations such as this, then you use an appropriate cellphone coverage map and use a provider that does have better coverage where you live. This is exactly what I personally did when I chose the two providers I use.

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/mobile-coverage-checker

Obviously if you are currently in a minimum term contract with BT, then you can't just up and leave without penalty I would assume.

If switching mobile provider isn't an option, then unfortunately, you will just have to put up with it.

Re: lack of mobile coverage during power outage

gg30340 — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 09:31:50 GMT

If your battery FM Radio and your fully charged BT mobile phone both stopped working during a local power cut it must have been a massive prolonged power cut as both mobile phone and radio sytems normally have their own battery back up for such events.

Re: lack of mobile coverage during power outage

iniltous — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 10:01:57 GMT

BT Mobile is a MVNO (mobile virtual network operator) on EE , so your coverage is just the EE coverage in your area ,and that coverage may be the same , better , or worse than the other large operators Vodafone and O2 , that have networks , anyone else you may think of (Sky for example) are just a MVNO on one if those 3 operators networks.

Mobile masts consume power , they are not required to have power back up , but may have that depends on the operator and in many places the mobile transmission site has multiple providers on the same mast ….so you could look at others (O2 or Vodafone or MVNO on those networks ) but there is no guarantee that if a similar power outage occurred you would be in a better position.

If you have home broadband, and are sufficiently concerned about things like this (after all nothing terrible happened during this power outage ) you could buy yourself a battery back up /uninterruptible power supply BBU/UPS ) to keep your home broadband router (and ONT if you have full fibre ) going during power outages, that way you may have had a way to be in contact via your broadband and home phone service if it’s supplied via your broadband service .

Re: lack of mobile coverage during power outage

MEG123 — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 10:27:43 GMT

Thanks we'll look into it. Otherwise when a little more time I'll mention this to BT re their c overage.

Re: lack of mobile coverage during power outage

imjolly — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 10:53:17 GMT

it is EE who are responsible for the coverage as BT only piggyback on the EE network

Re: lack of mobile coverage during power outage

gg30340 — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 10:59:29 GMT

If your radio signal was also affected are you going to contact the radio stations and report a lack of coverage during a power cut?

If the coverage is normally good from both the radio and mobile phone companies who may use the same mast or even a different mast I fail to see what the power cut has to do with "poor coverage".

If there is a power cut and if the mast that they use does not have a battery backup there will be no coverage regardless of which company use the masts.

Re: lack of mobile coverage during power outage

chrisjp — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 11:38:31 GMT

One point to note: as well as EE, Vodafone and O2, Three is another independent network provider - at least for the time being.

Re: lack of mobile coverage during power outage

iniltous — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 11:54:03 GMT

https://www.vodafone.co.uk/newscentre/press-release/completion-vodafone-three-merger-uk/

FYI , not really a merger , more a takeover and consolidation too place more than a year ago

Re: lack of mobile coverage during power outage

Kimberlin — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 11:59:43 GMT

This will read like victim blaming, but the OP must have realised at some point being with BT Mobile well before the power cut, that the phone signal might be iffy or inadequate and problems both receiving and making calls were perhaps inevitable. Unless of course they've purchased a basic mobile phone that just gets switched on/used every now and again.

The OP clearly has little understanding of how mobile phones and signals operate, as evidenced by their belief that they thought keeping their mobile phone charged, it would somehow just work irrespective. As they are now aware, if there's none to little phone signal, it isn't going to work no matter how charged up your phone is.

To anyone else reading this, use the coverage checker in the earlier link and decide if coverage is adequate before commiting to a particular provider. Remember too, that there are a lot of MVNO's out there who piggyback off one of the big four networks. Choose wisely.

Re: lack of mobile coverage during power outage

MEG123 — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 12:23:38 GMT

Thanks. I am aware of the coverage checker. But the info sent out pre digitalisation stated that mobiles would work! Enough on that subject!

Re: lack of mobile coverage during power outage

gg30340 — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 12:26:55 GMT

@MEG123wrote:
Thanks. I am aware of the coverage checker. But the info sent out pre digitalisation stated that mobiles would work! Enough on that subject!

Are you referring to a mobile phone which you can take any where outside your property and carry about with you or you referring to the Digital Voice system with a cordless phone which is used inside your house and is not taken with you when you leave your home?

Re: lack of mobile coverage during power outage

MEG123 — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 12:54:13 GMT

The actual Mobile, we have them with BT/EE, which we take everywhere outside, abroad etc etc.

I think we've exhausted this but thanks.

Re: lack of mobile coverage during power outage

pddco — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 17:28:12 GMT

On a general point. Does anyone know, are BT providing battery backup supplies [for the hub - and ONT if needed] for customers that are moved to DV but don’t have a reliable - BT/EE- mobile signal? They did a while back, but wasn’t sure if that was still done.

Re: lack of mobile coverage during power outage

imjolly — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 18:34:01 GMT

You need to be classified as vulnerable customer with no or unreliable mobile signal not necessarily BT/EE