topic Re: O2 & Vodafone Mast Sharing in Discussions & Feedback

O2 & Vodafone Mast Sharing

Anonymous — Sat, 22 Sep 2012 15:16:56 GMT

Hi Guys,

How will this work and when will it all start? Is is similar to the Orange/T-Mobile situation without the formal company merger - ie will we sometimes get 'vodafone' as a signal?

Or.. is it just that both companies are funding masts, and therefore can afford to put more up therefore increasing coverage for half the normal cost?

Re: O2 & Vodafone Mast Sharing

perksie — Sat, 22 Sep 2012 15:19:35 GMT

No, you'll always be showing as on O2, more here:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/06/07/vodafonica/

Re: O2 & Vodafone Mast Sharing

Anonymous — Mon, 19 Aug 2013 12:38:07 GMT

Hello,

Is there any news on the mast sharing?

I get o2 signal in the car park at work but its blocked inside by the building. I get about 1-2 bars on 2G inside. 😞

Voda, three and EE have masts on a hotel near my office so their signal is strong.

We use to use o2 for our work phones but the signal was to weak.

Martyn

Re: O2 & Vodafone Mast Sharing

perksie — Mon, 19 Aug 2013 12:46:58 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Is there any news on the mast sharing?

It's being done now but how long before any particular part of the country is done, we wouldn't know.

Hopefully with the 4G going in the other signals will improve too, but it will take until 2015 before this is complete across the whole country.

Re: O2 & Vodafone Mast Sharing

Anonymous — Tue, 20 Aug 2013 00:03:54 GMT

What I was told by a Guru in one of the O2 shops is that O2 are only sharing masts with Vodafone, NOT signal (in the same way that Orange and T-Mobile started off).

SO sadly if you don't get a signal where Vodafone users do, I don't think that's likely to change much in the forseeable future

Re: O2 & Vodafone Mast Sharing

Anonymous — Fri, 30 Aug 2013 10:46:25 GMT

I was told I would be be able to use the Vodafone signal when I complained about the appalling network congestion here in the summer...

Re: O2 & Vodafone Mast Sharing

adamtemp64 — Fri, 30 Aug 2013 10:52:25 GMT

That was false information (where did you get it from)

Re: O2 & Vodafone Mast Sharing

perksie — Fri, 30 Aug 2013 12:12:42 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
I was told I would be be able to use the Vodafone signal when I complained about the appalling network congestion here in the summer...

I doubt you were told that here and unless you have re-registered with a new name this is your first question!

More here:

http://www.o2.co.uk/network/future

Re: O2 & Vodafone Mast Sharing

Anonymous — Fri, 30 Aug 2013 14:04:23 GMT

Only good things can come from the mast sharing venture.

Re: O2 & Vodafone Mast Sharing

Anonymous — Wed, 04 Sep 2013 21:10:34 GMT

Not sure about that. Our only half-decent mobile signal is supplied by an O2 mast at the top end of the village. It's all on its own - everyone else (and including O2) has masts clustered on a couple of water towers between 1.5 and 2.5 miles away; and those signals are all mostly useless here.

Unfortunately this O2 mast is 2G only, so under any rationalisation plan it must be a candidate for the chop; added to which the industrial estate where it is located is due for redevelopment

Re: O2 & Vodafone Mast Sharing

perksie — Wed, 04 Sep 2013 21:23:51 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Unfortunately this O2 mast is 2G only, so under any rationalisation plan it must be a candidate for the chop; added to which the industrial estate where it is located is due for redevelopment

Have a read of the specs for the future of the network which will be completed within two years:

http://www.o2.co.uk/network/future

Re: O2 & Vodafone Mast Sharing

Anonymous — Thu, 05 Sep 2013 08:17:43 GMT

Thanks for the link; not sure whether it gives me any comfort or not! All the operators reckon they have our village covered outdoors to some extent - forget indoors. Older phones can sometimes pick up something, but a modern smartphone - no chance. The only decent signal is 2g from this little O2 guy:

http://goo.gl/maps/YcXfu

I can't help thinking that even if it survives the mast-sharing rationalisation, and doesn't just fall over by itself, it will be swept away when the site is developed.

Re: O2 & Vodafone Mast Sharing

adamtemp64 — Thu, 05 Sep 2013 08:31:28 GMT

I did do an help thread about smartphones and indoor here http://community.o2.co.uk/t5/Pay-Monthly-and-Pay-Go/Do-you-have-poor-coverage-signal-Indoors-This-may-help-Explain/m-p/381500#M36766

O2 have to provide 98% population indoor coverage on 2g 3g and 4g and have committed to this by end of 2015.

A new site will be found if that mast near bourne airfield is removed where is the nearest vodafone mast?

Re: O2 & Vodafone Mast Sharing

Anonymous — Thu, 05 Sep 2013 11:21:46 GMT

Nearest VF (2g & 3g) is about a mile due west of this mast on the other side of the airfield. At present the signal is just about gettable here upstairs hanging out of the window. Indoors I have a Suresignal for the households VF users.

Ironically I moved back to O2 from VF a few years back because I felt overall coverage was better on O2 (plus the local mast of course); the mast sharing thing might prod me into having another look at VF

PS thanks for the "indoor smartphone" link

Re: O2 & Vodafone Mast Sharing

adamtemp64 — Thu, 05 Sep 2013 11:41:31 GMT

I also note further to the west there is a water tower with o2 on can that be seen form your village? that mast is the one that will likley be upgraded due to it height above ground level and already carries 3g900 on o2

Re: O2 & Vodafone Mast Sharing

Anonymous — Thu, 05 Sep 2013 13:56:40 GMT

Yes the water tower is where everyone has masts (there are even people at the south end of the village who claim to get a good 3 MIFI signal in their lofts! They probably have a better line of sight), and the O2 checker shows that we might have outdoor 3g900 coverage from it, although can't check as my current phone doesn't support it. Can't see it from our location though as trees and buildings in way.

There's also a bunch of masts 2-3 miles east on a tall comms tower, but I think they are out of range

Re: O2 & Vodafone Mast Sharing

adamtemp64 — Thu, 05 Sep 2013 13:58:47 GMT

trees heavily affect 2100 3g but not so bad at 3g900 and even less at 4g 800.

If that mast is not already running at full power then o2 may increase it when they get around to enabling 4g

Re: O2 & Vodafone Mast Sharing

Anonymous — Thu, 05 Sep 2013 17:38:23 GMT

that's helpful / hopeful

Thanks for your comments