OFCOM has created an interactive online map which allows people to see the quality of mobile coverage in their area.

The issue of reliable phone coverage in Whitehill and Bordon is a contentious issue for many residents, not least those who are with, or have been contracted with, Vodafone.

Fluctuating quality, intermittent faults and even total signal blackouts have been experienced by town Vodafone customers and led to a campaign to make the mobile provider take action.

Last year, with the backing of East Hampshire MP Damian Hinds, a 500-strong Facebook group and coverage on the BBC and in the Bordon Herald, residents saw things, albeit gradually, begin to improve with Vodafone upgrading the base station in Lynton Road, just off Chalet Hill.

Now, if Ofcom’s map is anything to go by, many residents in Bordon see relatively strong Vodafone signal. But those living to the south east of Whitehill are unlikely to experience reliable coverage.

But these signal trouble spots appear to be in keeping with other providers, with EE and Three showing unreliable coverage in areas around the town. In fact, according to Ofcom’s data, Vodafone now appears to be one of the stronger contenders for voice call signal.

And it seems that while some of the town sees 3G coverage, there are places in which - no matter whom the provider - the internet can not be accessed on 3G.

Bordon resident Brian Desmond, whose background is in consumer-electronics product testing and service evaluation, uses a Vodafone mobile for work and has spoken out about the previous signal blackouts - some of which lasted more than a month.

Mr Desmond also has mobiles running on the Three, O2 and EE networks, so knows the ins and outs of local signal.

“The Vodafone stability certainly has improved and now at least most of the time calls can be made and received, however its data 3G coverage here is still highly temperamental,” he told the Bordon Herald. “Plus its threatened real life 4G coverage is at token gesture of good will level. Since the Vodafone situation was escalated, EE (Everything Everywhere) has merged its network infrastructure with T-Mobile and decided to merge the two base-station networks into one supposedly optimised, fantastic network.

“So far as Whitehill and Bordon is concerned, this completely removed EE coverage from large parts of Whitehill because they turned off the cell site. This resulted in the coverage being at even worse levels than our old foe Vodafone.

“Mobile network Three has reasonable 3G coverage in the town but then consistently and reliably fails to activate 4G here, even though they advertise it as being available here soon.

“The reality is that it’s now almost two years late here and, despite its website still advertising it, they still have no plans to upgrade the Bordon Three cell site.

“It more than likely needs a formal complaint into the Advertising Standards Authority to resolve this one.

“So far as O2 is concerned, it has good voice only coverage, but out off all of the networks, its 3G coverage is by a long way, by far the worst. They have 4G but its coverage is so patchy that it’s simply not worth bothering with.

“Network coverage is, of course, fundamental but when the town’s base stations are being deactivated/ rationalised, as with EE, it is now frequently impossible to make or receive calls even if you’re in the coverage area. This is due to lack of network capacity to host the call, meaning that you might as well not be in the coverage area.”

Ofcom’s map shows the coverage of the four main network operators in the UK: EE, Voda-fone, O2 and Three. Other mobile operators in the UK provide their services over these networks, for example: Virgin Mobile, Asda Mobile and BT Mobile use the EE network.

And Tesco Mobile and Lycamobile use the O2 network, while Lebara Mobile and TalkTalk Mobile use the Vodafone network.

Despite the improvements to Vodafone coverage, for many it seems the damage is already done with some Bordon residents getting out of their contracts or not renewing them when they had the chance.

“I bought myself out of Vodafail just over a year ago - best move I ever made and I’d never trust them again,” Bordon resident Kathryn Powell said. “Happily with Tesco Mobile now.”

The Office of Communications (Ofcom) is the UK’s regulatory and competition authority for the broadcasting, telecommunications and postal industries. See the maps at www.ofcom.org.uk/mobile-coverage.