Does your network provide you with the best possible mobile phone coverage?

It can be all too easy these days to be seduced by gimmicks, headline rates and fancy features when it comes to mobile phones. But never more so than with the dawn of smart phones, what people quite often forget is that a mobile phone is predominantly a device designed for communication. It's a simple fact, but one that all too many people overlook. I admit that it can be easy to forget that you actually need your phone to communicate with people, when you can play Angry Bird for many a contented hour, or take 57 unnecessary photographs of whatever you can find, just because you can. But sometimes all you need is to be able to actually contact someone; I mean that's the original purpose for which it was bought? Wasn't it? Well this isn't always the case anymore; smart phones these days are literally 'smarter' than your average computer. They can perform almost every trick under the sun, some have even learnt to talk to you (Siri technology on the latest i-phones). We've all done it at some point- rushed out to buy the latest model of shiny technological tininess, that is the modern mobile phone; having been dazzled by its amazing features on a glossy and persuasive advert (which made you realize that you couldn't possible live without this product) - only to come home and find that your new all-singing-all-dancing phone doesn't do half the things it's supposed to, because the network you have chosen has very little mobile phone coverage in your area. I know that the issue can be easily rectified by swapping your sim to one from a different company, but this is a real pain, especially when you've got that kid-at-Christmas feeling and can't wait to explore all of your new phone's capabilities. A little research into the different mobile networks can prevent this from ever happening to you again. All good mobile companies these days will offer deals which include unlimited data all-in one packages, quite often with a generous amount of free texts and minutes. However, none of these deals are worth anything to you if the network you choose doesn't have good coverage. Mobile phone comparison sites can be really helpful in making this decision; they present a lot of pertinent information in an accessible and easy-to-understand way. But it's also important just to keep your ears open and listen to what your friends and family say about their networks, as well as people at work, or conversations overheard in the pub. Quite often, this can be the most accurate indicator as to which networks are worth your time and which would be best avoided.