O2, where is your 4G in South West England & Wales?

[Anonymous]

To date, 3rd September 2014, O2 still have NO 4G coverage in Wales, and only in villages surrounding Chippenham, Wiltshire in the South West of England. They've launched 4G in Bournemouth, but that's not exactly the "South West" like O2 are calling it. Bournemouth is the South/South Coast of England.

So, after a year of O2 4G being available, where is it? Big cities like Bristol, and Cardiff - the CAPITAL of Wales, still have NO 4G from O2. How much longer do they expect people to wait? Three have had 4G in Cardiff & Bristol since around February 2014, and EE have had 4G in Bristol & Cardiff since their network launched almost 2 years ago.

I was originally told last year by an O2 advisor that "4G would launch by the end of the year" (so by 31st December 2013). Someone else told me "March 2014", then it was "July 2014", then "we'll have it by September". It's now 3rd September. Where is it?

The thing is, 4G can't be coming anytime soon. I've searched for local council planning applications for new 4G masts. The local mast is on a street corner and looks like a streetlight. I've seen the new designs on the planning application - which was made in May, and there has been NO work on the mast whatsoever. Vodafone & O2 seem to be launching 4G together, and on Vodafone's coverage map, it says there will be no 4G upgrades in Bristol for at least the next 3 months.

Are we talking 2015 now? Or maybe even 2017 when O2 claim they'll have 98% coverage?

Are you there O2? If you are, where will you be launching 4G next? Networks such as Three have published a list of cities/towns, even villages, where they will launch 4G in 2014. Why can't you? Why are you keeping your customers in the dark about this?

O2 managed to set up a temporary 4G mast in Long Ashton, Bristol for the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta. That was really quick to set up! (and remove!) So what's going on?

[Anonymous]

Yes. 4g was not there during the summer when I last went so o2 have expanded the area somewhat. Not a strong signal but usable although not all of the town had it.

[Anonymous]

I'm living in Cardiff Bay and I've definitely a sighting of 4g here too, usually when my phone goes idle. It seems to pick up a weaker phone signal (1 or 2 bars) with 4G data which works well for a short while but then flips to a stronger phone signal (4 bars) with 3G data at H or H+.

I'm wondering if there's a test going on or maybe a temporary mast to cover the Internationals being played in Cardiff or even better, a sign of positive things to come.

[MI5]

It was planned for quarter 4 of 2014 so it's looking on schedule for a full deployment by the end of the year......

[Toby]

To those of you who are now getting 4G speeds, how is it performing?

[Anonymous]

For a further update for those in the Bristol / Cardiff areas the site thebristolbolletibn.co.uk states here on 20th November..

'Although O2 haven’t yet officially announced that they will be launching 4G in Bristol next year, the Aerial Telephones website appears to be reliable – it says that O2 will be launching 4G in Cardiff in “Q4 2014″. O2 have recently confirmed on Twitter that their “4G rollout is in full swing & currently hitting parts of Cardiff”. O2 have also recently been submitting planning applications to local councils in & around Bristol to upgrade their masts to 4G. O2’s Service Status website also says that the network will be working on some masts in Bristol tomorrow.'

I can't see any reference to Brisol transmitters now on their serbice status page and neither does it show any coverage for Bristol or cardiff but it does sound as though things are moving forward.

[Anonymous]

In Barnstaple the status now says...

Sorry we are experiencing high service demand in this area

A mast close to your location is experiencing a high level of demand for service. This can cause intermittent service for calls, texts and data. We’re working to improve it as quickly as we can. Sorry for any inconvenience.

Our Network modernisation programme to improve 2G and 3G coverage and roll out 4G has reached this area. It does mean that you may experience intermittent service on your mobile device while our engineers 'do their thing'.

We’re sorry about that, but we’ll do our best to minimise any impact to your signal.

Updated 13:00 (refreshed hourly). Recent faults might not show yet.

The high demand reference has been there for at least 12 months but it looks like O2 are finally doing something!!

[Toby]

Hi @Anonymous ,

Let us know if/when that status changes for you

[Anonymous]

I've noticed on the South Gloucestershire (Bristol) Council planning applications website, that in May 2014, O2 & Vodafone put in an application to replace the local street mast in order for 4G coverage to work in the area. 

Today, I've noticed work has finally started. There is new tarmac around the box that I'm guessing powers everything, and there is also a new (temporary?) wooden box that I'm guessing is where the extra bits that will bring the 4G magic to the area.

It finally looks like Bristol will be getting 4G soon. Not quite sure why there are 4G in parts of the Wiltshire countryside when there is nothing but fields, when we've all got to put up with silly slow 3G speeds of 1-3Mbps. The only priorities O2 have is Priority Moments.

http://i.imgur.com/mVo95xq.jpg

[Anonymous]

O2 originally told me that 4G would be launching in Bristol by the end of 2013. 

One year later, it's still not here! 😞

[Anonymous]

And just spotted 4G when I was at leckwith retail park.