NEARLY half of homes and businesses in Christchurch do not have full 4G coverage, according to Ofcom.

Figures from the communications regulator's Connected Nations report show that in January 2018, 49 per cent of premises in the area did not have reliable 4G coverage from all four mobile phone networks.

Last year, that figure was 57 per cent.

Campaigners say consumers should have access to 4G from all four networks so they do not have to suffer localised monopolies.

Ofcom has proposed introducing obligations that require networks to deliver better quality indoor coverage.

A spokesman said: "We agree mobile coverage must improve, particularly in rural communities, and we're working with the Government and the industry to support this.

"We want mobile companies to extend their networks as a priority, and we've announced plans to make them increase coverage for rural areas as we release more airwaves next year."

Ofcom's report also measures coverage by geographical area, for someone using their phone outside.

The figures show that more than 90 per cent of the total area of Christchurch is covered by all four 4G networks.

The borough fares worse for premises connections than its neighbouring local authority areas, but 68 per cent of homes and businesses in North Dorset were without reliable 4G according to the report, and there the figure last year was 86 per cent. Bournemouth has been touted as a pilot location for the roll-out of 5G technology in the near future.

A spokesman from Mobile UK, which represents the four mobile networks EE, 3, Virgin and O2, said: "Huge improvements have been made to mobile coverage in recent year, as a result of the £2 billion invested each year by the industry.

"For this to continue, we need the active co-operation of landowners to provide operators with suitable, cost-effective sites."

The Government target is 95 per cent geographic coverage across the UK from at least one network by 2022.

A spokesman for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said: "We have implemented major changes to planning laws and made it cheaper and easier for the industry to roll out masts.

"But the mobile companies now need to act fast on these reforms and deliver better coverage across the UK, particularly in rural areas."

Meanwhile the County Land and Business Association has called on the Government to introduce legally binding targets to force networks to extend 4G coverage.

It said that mobile phone operators were letting rural areas become "a digital wilderness".

Its senior economic adviser Dr Charles Trotman said: "State of the art coverage will improve productivity of businesses and make them far more profitable.

"Our objective is universal coverage. But everything is predicated on the operators themselves to put the infrastructure in place.

"We need to incentivise all operators to branch out, to give consumers more market choice and avoid localised monopolies."