If UK folks on Vodafone find themselves without 3G in some places, it's because the telcom has failed to reach the minimum geographical coverage imposed by Ofcom. In 2010, the government-directed mobile regulator required the expansion of 3G networks until they cover the area where 90 percent of the population lives come 2013. While O2, Three and EE all passed muster after the June 30th deadline, Ofcom has discovered that the British-owned telcom missed the goal by 1.4 percent. The watchdog's report didn't detail why the carrier failed to meet the target, but it was implied that the company made a faulty estimate on how many 3G-capable mobile masts it needed. Worry not, o ye Vodafone faithful -- the provider plans to convert roughly 100 more 2G sites to 3G in order to comply to Ofcom's standards (and avoid paying penalty) by January 2014.

[Image credit: Iain Patterson, Flickr]