Discussions & Feedback

[mitchino]

I have just taken out an iphone contract with O2 after being with T-Mobile for 10 years. I live in a rural area near Edinburgh, and have always had good reception with T-Mobile and Nokia handsets. The iphone's reception with O2 is very poor, and I can only connect in certain inconvenient locations around my property.

I studied the network coverage maps for O2, and they showed the same level of reception for my postcode as T-Mobile. Where does the problem lie? Is it O2's coverage that's at fault, or the iphone? Is there any solution for this? I only jumped to O2 because I wanted to stay legal and not unlock the iphone - now I wish I had! Despite the reception, I do LOVE my iphone!

[Liam]

With your old T-Mobile phone, can you walk around the house and search for networks. See if it picks up networks where the iPhone wont? Might help you pinpoint if the O2 coverage in your area is patchy or not.

[mitchino]

I've now taken the iphone out and about, and it seems there's a bit of a bad patch around our property. I was in another nearby rural area last night and had 4 bars! I'm getting 1 or if I'm lucky 2 at our place.

Is there nothing I can do now I'm signed up to this 18 month contract?

[ingrey]

i agree iphone reception is absolutely cr@p. i was already on o2 and i had very good reception fo 3G and GPRS.

My iphone simply doesn't pick up EDGE and i'm having real problems getting txts coming through. my girlfriendthinks I'm ignoring her! but its the bloody phone not receiving them.

[ryan_hayes79]

Had no reception issues with my iPhone at all although my 3 contract having the ability to pick up o2, Orange and 3 does beat it when on the train!

[colin_atkin]

reception round the East of Doncaster is very poor, after 15 years with orange I am very disappointed

[sandyshore]

I have just returned from a 5 day visit to Wiltshire and Cambridge. I would say thatI could not get reception there some 90% of the time. Occasionally a couple of bars would appear for no reason at all, I would dash off a call and then they would immediately disappear. Once or twice my phone saw an Edge transmitter but just as quickly dropped it.

I kept an eye on reception on my journey today from Wiltshire to Devon - there was no reception on most of the journey.

What on earth is going on? I am seriously thinking of giving up my iPhone - I might just as well have it as an iPod.

[lhutchi2]

My grandma lives in the Edinburgh area and sadly can only get coverage for Orange where she is. I think it's luck of the draw to be honest with you as (possibly an urban myth) some things like having lead in your walls can affect coverage.

It may be a faulty phone so I would try your sim in another O2 handset, if possible, to rule that out.

[Steve_Heritage]

GIVE IT BACK AND CANCEL YOUR 02 ASAP BEFORE 14 DAYS OR YOU'LL BE STUCK WITH IT!
I PHONE WITH NO SERVICE = I POD.

[canwefixit]

Not that many places have edge coverage. I think it's because they only really invested in some form of edge network to get the original iphone exclusivity and didn't cover the nation with it as they'll have known that in a short period of time something operating on 3G would come along and made edge redundant, which it basically already was when they started to create their edge network.

I think that o2's current aim is to get HSDPA up and running in as many places as possible because that's where the revenue is (it's what gives decent speeds for mobile broadband).

It can be pretty hit or miss with networks and signals depending on where you stay unfortunately. If I go visit my other half I won't get any signal at all on o2 or Vodafone but will with t-mobile and orange. Where I used to live up north t-mobile and orange were pretty much useless in the whole area but o2 and Vodafone were fine.

I really think o2 and the other networks should follow vodafone and bring out femtocells. I'm sure it'd make customers so much happier with their products if they knew that they could come home and benefit from a 100% signal allowing them to use their handsets to full capability.