Revealed: The Parts of London with the Worst Mobile Phone Signal

A new study examining mobile phone coverage across Greater London published around 15 October 2026 revealed which parts of the capital suffer the worst signal from all four major networks. The analysis, picked up by Time Out London, found that outer-suburban and semi-rural parts of the city — particularly in the south and east — are the most likely to experience repeated dropped calls, slow data and dead zones. The findings reflect a pattern common across large cities: the inner zones served by dense antenna infrastructure perform well, while areas at the city's edges, particularly those with large parks, golf courses and lower population density, fall through coverage gaps. Parts of south-east London and some sections of the outer-east were specifically flagged as problem areas. The study noted that the Elizabeth line's tunnels are now fully covered by all four major networks following investment completed earlier in 2026, and that TfL has been progressively extending underground mobile coverage across the Tube network. Consumer group Which? previously found that outdoor 5G coverage in London's outer boroughs lagged significantly behind inner London. The practical implication for residents is to check their specific address against each network's coverage checker before signing a new contract, as performance can vary significantly street by street in the zones identified.