The government plans to oblige mobile operators to improve their coverage, possibly by sharing rivals' networks.
Partial 'notspots', where there is coverage from some but not all of the mobile networks, affected a fifth of the UK, leaving people unable to make calls or send texts, it said.
One possible solution would see people transferred to rival networks when they lose signal.
But experts are not convinced this would work.
The proposals to end the frustration - currently only aimed at improving 2G services - are as follows:
National roaming - phones would use another network when theirs was unavailable, similar to how roaming works when abroad
Infrastructure sharing - mobile networks would be able to put transmitters on each other's masts
Reforming virtual networks - agreements that companies such as Tesco and Virgin currently have with single operators would be extended to all four networks
Coverage obligation - obliging the networks to cover a certain percentage of the UK - and leaving them to decide how to do it
The government has given the industry, businesses and the public until 26 November to respond to the proposals.
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