"Availability" <> Geographic Coverage
"it currently lies below far poorer economies like Albania, and countries with far more challenging size and terrain, like Peru"
Much as I'd like to join in the general moaning about 4G availability in the UK, I don't think that the UK is really behind Peru in 4G "availability".
The measurement methodology used for these "statistics" is questionable at best, using self selection (existing 4G users) and no standardised signal testing. Instead they simply measure the number of times a user switches between 4G and 3G networks. This can be massively skewed in a country with only a few 4G users and one small area of 4G coverage; in this case most users won't be swapping between 3G and 4G, they'll either be in 3G all the time (or even no network at all) or in 4G.
Here's a link showing that Lima has good 4G for Movistar (but not the other three networks) and little coverage elsewhere:
https://www.nperf.com/en/map/PE/-/13758.Bitel/signal/?ll=-12.09766521837018&lg=-76.934988861084&zoom=12
UK networks certainly need to improve, but you won't convince them with shoddy statistics like the ones being bandied about in the news.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
