It's one of the most popular network providers in the UK, but Vodafone is only now back online after going down for three hours this afternoon. 

According to Down Detector, the issues started at around 12:30 BST and continued to affect thousands of users across Britain until almost 16:00 BST.

Of those who reported issues, 38 per cent said they were struggling with their mobile phone, while 33 per cent could not access mobile internet. 

The remaining 28 per cent said the issue was with landline internet. 

A Vodafone spokesperson told MailOnline: 'We are aware of a technical issue that affected some customers today. The issue has now been resolved.'

As the outage struck, many frustrated users flocked to X (formerly Twitter) to discuss the issues. 

'@VodafoneUK is your 4g/5g network down. Nothing is loading for me despite a good signal,' one user tweeted. 

Another added: '@VodafoneUK what’s going on???? No network coverage and I need it for work! Obviously there’s a nationwide issue! I’m in Dorset. Be honest - don’t fob me off!'

And one vented: 'hey, there seems to be an issue with your network today. Judging by the mass amounts of contact from customers, I’m guessing a nationwide outage? any ideas on when it’s going to be back to normal?'

On social media, some commenters also vented their frustration at the disruption the outage had already caused.

One commenter wrote: 'When is this outage getting sorted out by? I need it for work. I've been thinking about leaving, this might be the nail in the coffin.'

'My phone says I have 5G but it's not letting me access anything important like my Banking Apps. I have bills that I need to pay', vented another.  

Another added: 'I am currently struggling to access some apps including my banking apps despite good network signal.' 

After the initial problems emerged around midday today, the number of reported outages continued to increase over the next few hours. 

By 1:13 pm, Downdetector reported 928 reports of service disruption, most of which were centred around London, Birmingham, Manchester, and Glasgow.

A common issue, reported by many on social media, was that customers were unable to access online services despite an apparently good mobile connection.

Some customers also noted that their phones still appeared to be connected to 4g or 5g networks but were still unable to access mobile data services. 

To see if services are currently affected in your area you can use the company's Network Status Tracker.

This can be easily accessed online or through the Network Status Checker page on the My Vodafone app.

Customers are also able to sign up for network service alerts to hear about any unexpected issues or planned maintenance in their area.  

Vodafone is one of the UK's largest mobile network providers and provides mobile services to 18.64 million customers as well as broadband to a further 1.38 million. 

However, the company has faced a number of recent outages this year.

Most recently, customers reported a similar service outage in July which left customers unable to access services for several hours.

Earlier this year, Vodafone also left millions of British users unable to access the internet as it switched off its 3G network.

The company closed down its older network to invest more money in 4G and 5G which most customers now use.

However, for those with older 3G, the switch meant needing to buy a new phone. 

The company has also faced financial difficulties over the last few years and had to lay off 11,000 employees as part of a cost-cutting overhaul. 

But there is no indication that these mass layoffs are responsible for today's service outages. 

A Vodafone spokesperson says: 'We thank our customers for their patience and apologise for the inconvenience.'

EXPLAINED: THE EVOLUTION OF MOBILE BROADBAND UP TO 5G

The evolution of the G system started in 1980 with the invention of the mobile phone which allowed for analogue data to be transmitted via phone calls.   

Digital came into play in 1991 with 2G and SMS and MMS capabilities were launched. 

Since then, the capabilities and carrying capacity for the mobile network has increased massively. 

More data can be transferred from one point to another via the mobile network quicker than ever.

5G is expected to be 100 times faster than the currently used 4G. 

Whilst the jump from 3G to 4G was most beneficial for mobile browsing and working, the step to 5G will be so fast they become almost real-time. 

That means mobile operations will be just as fast as office-based internet connections.

Potential uses for 5g include: 

• Simultaneous translation of several languages in a party conference call 
• Self-driving cars can stream movies, music and navigation information from the cloud
• A full length 8GB film can be downloaded in six seconds. 

5G is expected to be so quick and efficient it is possible it could start the end of wired connections.  

By the end of 2020, industry estimates claim 50 billion devices will be connected to 5G.