A new report about the state of 4G LTE coverage around the world has been published by UK-based business OpenSignal, which creates crowd-sourced mobile network coverage maps from its Android and iOS apps.

The report looks at two key concerns: download speeds and the proportion of time spent in an area covered by an LTE service.

Vodafone UK says it now has 500,000 customers on its ‘Red 4G’ plans, just six months after launching its 4G mobile phone service.

It’s currently providing 4G service to 36% of the UK population.

Mark Bridge writes:

Mobile phones have been hitting the mainstream news over the past few days. There was Channel 4’s report about data on second-hand phones not being properly deleted before the handsets were re-sold, there was the latest round of the Smart UK Project and there was Tim Muffett’s story about the mobile-enabled high street on BBC Breakfast this morning.

Vodafone UK has launched a ‘Sure Signal Premium’ service that’s capable of providing 3G coverage throughout a workplace, regardless of the outdoor coverage availability. Faster 4G service is due to become available in some areas from the summer.

The service, which Vodafone describes as the first enterprise-grade indoor mobile coverage solution of its kind in the UK, has been developed in partnership with NEC and SpiderCloud Wireless.

This week's podcast starts with Lenovo's purchase of the Motorola Mobility smartphone business. Was it a good deal for everyone?

We also talk about network infrastructure sharing in the UK, mobile malware, 3G coverage, misleading apps, mobile advertising, Samsung's retail plans and global tablet sales.