topic Re: Is O2 throttling 4G speeds during the week? in Discussions & Feedback

Is O2 throttling 4G speeds during the week?

throttledweek — Mon, 24 Mar 2025 07:33:42 GMT

On a weekend, I can upload a 1GB file in 5-8 minutes. (10:30pm last night.)

During the week, that drops to 1 hour 50 or more minutes. (From 6.45am this morning).

Is O2 throttling 4G speed during the week? I'm on an unlimited plan. Location is LS1, Leeds.

I find it hard to believe that network congestion increases between 22:30 and 06:45.

We can't get fibre broadband, so I'm stuck on 4G/5G in an attempt to do my videographer job from home.

5G Standalone offers no improvement over 4G. It is often worse.

Devices: iPhone 15 Pro Max and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 / M1 MacBook Pro.

Re: Is O2 throttling 4G speeds during the week?

Enlli — Mon, 24 Mar 2025 08:13:03 GMT

I've never been aware of O2 doing any throttling overall. But it can happen on Unlimited if you trigger the Fair Usage Policy

https://www.o2.co.uk/termsandconditions/mobile/unlimited-tariff-terms

Use My Network to monitor and report your findings. https://www.o2.co.uk/apps/my-network

Re: Is O2 throttling 4G speeds during the week?

throttledweek — Mon, 24 Mar 2025 08:24:14 GMT

My speeds are so lacklustre that I don't think I'd be able to trigger the policy even if I used it constantly. I've registered a complaint, so I'll see what O2 says. The speed drops have been happening ever since I took up service around 1.5 years ago. Like clockwork it suddenly goes up around 7pm after work on a Friday.

Re: Is O2 throttling 4G speeds during the week?

Enlli — Mon, 24 Mar 2025 08:42:05 GMT

Just to say complaints take around eight weeks for them to reply to complaints

Re: Is O2 throttling 4G speeds during the week?

madasaf1sh — Mon, 24 Mar 2025 09:03:22 GMT

@throttledweek

You are in a very heavily congested part of Leeds, where all networks are struggling, due to bulidng work, and other infrastructure works.
Also the large student population in the centre of Leeds which use data over those timescales is about right,

I would get some PAYG sims and see what happens as I know at work we see lots of issues across o2, EE and Vodafone in the centre of Leeds

Re: Is O2 throttling 4G speeds during the week?

throttledweek — Mon, 24 Mar 2025 10:31:10 GMT

None of which explains why I get extremely good and consistent speeds on a weekend.

Re: Is O2 throttling 4G speeds during the week?

throttledweek — Mon, 24 Mar 2025 10:31:48 GMT

Thanks.

Re: Is O2 throttling 4G speeds during the week?

Enlli — Mon, 24 Mar 2025 11:23:55 GMT

I don't see there being any massive improvement to the service in the short run. And even an official complaint and maybe a move from there to the Communication Ombudsman is going to speed things up.

You say you have had the contract for around 18 months so you could leave in 6 months from now. I would be taking @madasaf1sh advice and trying other networks in that time so you know the most advantageous way to jump

Re: Is O2 throttling 4G speeds during the week?

throttledweek — Mon, 24 Mar 2025 12:17:12 GMT

Yes, sadly I think you're right. I tried talking to O2 on Twitter a while back, which draw the usual 'the network must be congested' nonsense (every single week day, starting 6am on a Monday, like clockwork?). I used to be an ADSL broadband engineer for Kcom in the 00s, and the management had us throttle connections at peak hours while denying any knowledge of it to customers - so I find it hard to trust ISPs/telcos in general. Frustratingly, EE is even worse than O2 in my flat - I'm also on unlimited 5G with EE, and I get absolutely dreadful speeds (talking about 5-10Mbps down, 0.1Mbs up). That's why I took out a second 5G SIM with O2 - and initially it was great. I got about 102Mbps down on my very first test. But it appears to have degraded over time, and now the only time it's decent is on a weekend. I only use it for uploading the odd video - maybe 4-5 1GB videos per month - as part of my job. My flat is in a great location for work, but with no Openreach fibre and poor mobile connectivity, I'm seriously considering moving.