Anyone who uses a mobile phone on the Orange or T-Mobile network should fine they get better 3G coverage in the UK now that the two companies have completed the final stage of their network-sharing set up.

Orange and T-Mobile merged in 2010 to form Everything Everywhere, which is now the largest mobile operator in the UK.

Everything Everywhere’s Smart Signal Sharing project allows mobile phones with a SIM for one network to automatically switch to the other if the signal strength drops.

The final stage of the project was completed last week, which means Everything Everywhere now also has the largest mobile phone network in the UK.

According to Everything Everywhere: “Smart Signal Sharing will mean that if a customer’s smartphone, tablet or dongle 3G signal starts to fade, it will automatically and seamlessly prioritise signal from the other network. This means customers will get access to fast, uninterrupted 3G in more places, more of the time.”

If no 3G coverage is available in particular location, Orange and T-Mobile devices will switch to a 2G signal and back on to 3G when either network comes back into range, even if something is being downloaded at the time.

Smart Signal Sharing has been rolled out to all Orange and T-Mobile customers, and call and data charges remain the same, no matter which network is in use.

[Everything Everywhere]