Which Mobile Network?

[Wicked_and_Crazy]

I've noticed for a while now that O2 seem to have a weak 3G signal in many areas (even in Cities). The obsevation i've made is that i can be on a train, in a building etc etc and my iphone on O2 has dropped down to GPRS whilst other people with an Iphone have been on EE and still have a 3G signal.

Anyone else notice this? Experience this?

Would you change network?

[Kabaal]

I would and i will. If you are out of contract then you have no reason to stay with O2 if they are not good in the areas you frequent.

I'm on EE atm and coverage is spotty in my town, full bars in the house and town center but in other parts of town including at work i only get 1 or 2 bars sometimes dropping to none.

Wish i'd stuck with Virgin or went with someone else but have to wait another 9 months until the contract is up to change now.

[SnoopZ]

Originally Posted by Kabaal

I would and i will. If you are out of contract then you have no reason to stay with O2 if they are not good in the areas you frequent.

I'm on EE atm and coverage is spotty in my town, full bars in the house and town center but in other parts of town including at work i only get 1 or 2 bars sometimes dropping to none.

Wish i'd stuck with Virgin or went with someone else but have to wait another 9 months until the contract is up to change now.

If i am not mistaken Virgin use the EE network.

[Wicked_and_Crazy]

Originally Posted by SnoopZ

If i am not mistaken Virgin use the EE network.

They do

[Kabaal]

Originally Posted by SnoopZ

If i am not mistaken Virgin use the EE network.

I have no idea tbh, i just know that when i used to be with them coverage was solid here. Good to know though as it means i'll avoid going back to them once the EE contract is up.

[Wicked_and_Crazy]

Originally Posted by Kabaal

I would and i will. If you are out of contract then you have no reason to stay with O2 if they are not good in the areas you frequent.

I'm on EE atm and coverage is spotty in my town, full bars in the house and town center but in other parts of town including at work i only get 1 or 2 bars sometimes dropping to none.

Wish i'd stuck with Virgin or went with someone else but have to wait another 9 months until the contract is up to change now.

1 or 2 bars of 3G is an improvement on what i regularly see. I normally see an EE on 2 bars of 3G and my O2 on GPRS

[qasdfdsaq]

As mentioned it depends largely on which network offers best performance in the places that matter to you.

Personally my O2 phone stays on 3G more often than my EE phone, but I know O2 have better coverage in and around the areas I frequent and I know why.

However as much as it can sometimes "seem" worse a lot if it comes down to how each network tunes the handover parameters that define when you switch from 3G to 2G and vice versa. It's hard to know reliably whether a network has 3G coverage simply from your phone displaying GPRS; it's more reliable to put your phone in 3G only mode. Even then O2 can be deceptive as there is often a stronger 3G900 signal that isn't used until necessary, thus only extending how far indoors you can go before dropping from 1 bar to no service, without increasing the number of bars you see the rest of the time.

Nonetheless O2's 3G coverage while not the worst in the UK is considerably worse than the market leaders outside of urban areas, but it will be improving drastically over the next two years. If you're switching network based purely on signal, I would sign up to a 12-month contract tops but certainly not 24-months; by the end of 2015 O2 will have better indoor 3G and 4G coverage than EE's outdoor coverage is today.

[Wicked_and_Crazy]

Originally Posted by qasdfdsaq

As mentioned it depends largely on which network offers best performance in the places that matter to you.

Personally my O2 phone stays on 3G more often than my EE phone, but I know O2 have better coverage in and around the areas I frequent and I know why.

However as much as it can sometimes "seem" worse a lot if it comes down to how each network tunes the handover parameters that define when you switch from 3G to 2G and vice versa. It's hard to know reliably whether a network has 3G coverage simply from your phone displaying GPRS; it's more reliable to put your phone in 3G only mode. Even then O2 can be deceptive as there is often a stronger 3G900 signal that isn't used until necessary, thus only extending how far indoors you can go before dropping from 1 bar to no service, without increasing the number of bars you see the rest of the time.

Nonetheless O2's 3G coverage while not the worst in the UK is considerably worse than the market leaders outside of urban areas, but it will be improving drastically over the next two years. If you're switching network based purely on signal, I would sign up to a 12-month contract tops but certainly not 24-months; by the end of 2015 O2 will have better indoor 3G and 4G coverage than EE's outdoor coverage is today.

Thanks for the info. I may just wait it out. Obviously I only notice when it's an issue and not when I've got a better signal than EE. Complainers syndrome.

---------- Post added at 16:06 ---------- Previous post was at 15:06 ----------

I don't believe you can put an iphone into 3G only mode can you?

[dilli-theclaw]

Originally Posted by Wicked_and_Crazy

---------- Post added at 16:06 ---------- Previous post was at 15:06 ----------

I don't believe you can put an iphone into 3G only mode can you?

I think you can.

[ThunderPants73]

Originally Posted by SnoopZ

If i am not mistaken Virgin use the EE network.

That might explain why my texts can take up to seven hours to be delivered and I can never get on the internet. Trying Tesco mobile now.

[Wicked_and_Crazy]

Originally Posted by dilli-theclaw

I think you can.

Where? Are you suggesting restricting to wifi only?

[Angua]

Where we are O2 is brilliant yet Vodaphone is useless (where Martipa works) Other side of town the opposite is the case.

You pays your money & makes a choice.

[qasdfdsaq]

Give it a few months and O2 and Vodafone will both be brilliant in both places.

They are merging their networks into grid after all.

[Halcyon]

That sounds good if they do merge.

I have the same problem with O2.
Most fo the time it is fine but then it just drops the 3G and goes to gprs.
I have to go into flight mode and back out again to get 3G back.

[Stephen]

Originally Posted by ThunderPants73

That might explain why my texts can take up to seven hours to be delivered and I can never get on the internet. Trying Tesco mobile now.

Tesco use O2.