Want to get email on your mobile? Avoid Norfolk...

People living in large parts of the country cannot access 3G, new maps released by the telecoms regulator Ofcom show.

The maps represent the coverage provided by the major mobile networks, with the shaded areas indicating where it is possible for customers to gain access to the internet and email on their mobile.

While people in much of Britain have 3G access, there are still black spots in coverage in south-western England, northern England and East Anglia, as well as large areas of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. But access is still better than that in comparable countries, Ofcom said.

The regulator is working on solving the problems.