topic Re: Are O2 falling behind with 3G? they are losing customers. in Discussions & Feedback

Are O2 falling behind with 3G? they are losing customers.

Frogger — Mon, 27 Oct 2014 19:59:14 GMT

For a few years, I've been on an annual lads week out on a narrowboat. Four of us have smartphones which we use for navigation, and finding places to eat and drink. We understand canals are not the highest priority for coverage, but around the Midlands coverage has been reasonable. This year we were in Berkshire and Wiltshire on the Kennet and Avon Canal. We travelled through Newbury, Kintbury, Hungerford, Pewsey, All Cannings, Devizes, and Seend. Of course in in Newbury (Home of Vodafone) coverage of 2G and 3G was excellent on O2, but for the rest of the journey 3 of us with O2 , were looking at 'No Service' or a 2G signal that wouldn't even support a call of more than a minute. I am an ex O2 employee and have been humiliated by the fact that the one of the crew with Three mobile service had an almost consistent 3G data service, with speeds up to 10 MBPS. The 3 of us with O2, had to use Three's phones tethered hotspot just to check emails. We went into a pub in Pewsey where on asking for the WiFi password, got the response of 'Oh you must be O2 users then' that sums up the local peoples attitude to O2. All 3 of us are not in contract with O2, and 2 of us have already decided to swap to Three for a reliable service as they also have problems at there home locations. I will try to stay loyal to see if O2 can up it's game, but it is difficult, when my O2 3G service at home has dropped out and O2 networks say they cannot gain access to the base station to fix. What hope have we for a good network when customers are leaving in quantity for a network that actually delivers. I know about the promises of upgrades in next 3 years, but it is a long while to wait, if it ever happens. can anyone give good reason why we shouldn't jump ship now.

Re: Are O2 falling behind with 3G? they are losing customers.

anticpated — Mon, 27 Oct 2014 20:00:21 GMT

I've been wondering what's going on with 3G where I live. Over the past few months it has become less reliable and I'm not sure why. I tried telephoning O2 today, alas none of the multiple choices suited my question type - which means it would probably be beyond them anyway.

Maybe I'll try again...if I get more time.

Re: Are O2 falling behind with 3G? they are losing customers.

Anonymous — Mon, 27 Oct 2014 20:12:25 GMT

It makes sense to go with a Network that provides good stable signal.

Loyalty doesn't get you signal. 😔

Re: Are O2 falling behind with 3G? they are losing customers.

jonsie — Mon, 27 Oct 2014 20:23:05 GMT

An all singing dancing smartphone is just an expensive mp3 player if you can't get a basic 3G signal. Move to a network that provides what you need, no brainer really

Re: Are O2 falling behind with 3G? they are losing customers.

MI5 — Mon, 27 Oct 2014 20:39:52 GMT

1 - Signal
2 - Signal
3 - Signal
4 - Signal
5 - Signal.........

Re: Are O2 falling behind with 3G? they are losing customers.

anticpated — Mon, 27 Oct 2014 20:44:13 GMT

OK I've got another SIM here I think. So will be in the lab conducting an experiment. I just spoke to someone at O2 and they think it may be my handset antenna which I'm hoping it's not. Surely if it works with another SIM better it must be the network. Anyway I'll let you know.

Re: Are O2 falling behind with 3G? they are losing customers.

MI5 — Mon, 27 Oct 2014 21:08:58 GMT

Putting your sim in another phone and comparing signal levels would confirm if handset fault or not.

Re: Are O2 falling behind with 3G? they are losing customers.

anticpated — Mon, 27 Oct 2014 21:25:09 GMT

Well a 3 SIM, was giving me a basic HSPA and HSPAP signal over a ten minute period. I can only speculate that it would maintain this is in most public areas. Someone I know has 4G with 3 and they're signal seems to very strong.

I asked if any work being done in the postcodes I enquired about and was told no. I checked myself and my local mast and other mast in the other area are both due for maintenance.

So is my handset at fault.....moot point, however all my bones tell me it isn't.

Granted I do get a 3G/H signal most of the time however whenever I am located higher up geographically or lower the signal ratio seems to drop. Maybe I am imagining things...maybe I should have bought an iPhone cause they rock.....etc...etc....

It's probably worth mentioning I don't have another phone to test this.....unless.....I search around for one.

Re: Are O2 falling behind with 3G? they are losing customers.

Anonymous — Mon, 27 Oct 2014 21:29:02 GMT

With 3 mobile i get full signal but there internet dont go past 0.30mbps untill 1 am in the morning it works....
I rather stay with O2...
I dont like there Traffic Sense system cus i dont even use that much data any more only about 500mb a month so when i need to use it and i cant that really annoys me...

Re: Are O2 falling behind with 3G? they are losing customers.

anticpated — Mon, 27 Oct 2014 22:29:47 GMT

What you save in the tariff cost between other companies is definetly compromised if your data is traffic managed then. Many broadband companies do this, however I wouldn't like it on a mobile.

It's a bit ambiguous to make claims of 4G service coming soon and suggest there's something wrong with your handset. My Samsung Galaxy S2 had moments of non-connectivty as well as my Nexus S. No network is perfect however I am no newbie beginner with this sort of thing.

Re: Are O2 falling behind with 3G? they are losing customers.

Frogger — Wed, 29 Oct 2014 07:39:45 GMT

Thank you M15, but as a ex O2 employee, I've tried swapping sims, but 2 iPhones and a Samsung all gave equivalent results in the same area. Anyway in some areas 3G is excellent on my phone is is just that other networks seems to cover a wider area than O2 for 3G.

Re: Are O2 falling behind with 3G? they are losing customers.

jonsie — Wed, 29 Oct 2014 09:25:24 GMT

Other networks do seem to be overtaking O2 with the speed of their upgrades with many blackspots on the O2 network. Disappointing.

Re: Are O2 falling behind with 3G? they are losing customers.

MI5 — Wed, 29 Oct 2014 12:26:55 GMT

@Frogger wrote:
Thank you M15, but as a ex O2 employee, I've tried swapping sims, but 2 iPhones and a Samsung all gave equivalent results in the same area. Anyway in some areas 3G is excellent on my phone is is just that other networks seems to cover a wider area than O2 for 3G.

No worries....

I do find 3g coverage is better on other networks but I can usually rely on O2 to have a 2g signal for calls and texts.

Re: Are O2 falling behind with 3G? they are losing customers.

Frogger — Tue, 29 Sep 2015 17:16:28 GMT

I have to add more after a year of struggling with very poor data speeds from O2, I though I'd do some tests. I have brought a MiFi unit on EE mobile service to use as a mobile hot spot to use with my O2 phone where I can't get mobile data from O2. Travelling about this week, at my home location I could get 1.2 Mbps d/l on 3 g and 23Mbps via EE network. In Suffolk, NO data service from O2, 11 Mbps from EE. In Norfolk reasonable 3G signal level but seems to be over utilised as I can't get better than 0.6Mbps from O2, but consistent 23 Mbps from EE.

Its a great shame that 02 are not keeping up with other providers and I may have to move my primary provider rather than run 2 accounts.

If anyone from O2 is seriously interested I can supply all the test results and locations, by reply.

I firmly believe that a lot of O2 issues are down to lack of capacity rather than signal coverage.

Re: Are O2 falling behind with 3G? they are losing customers.

MI5 — Tue, 29 Sep 2015 17:20:50 GMT

We would all agree that it is a capacity issue on O2 3g and it's not just in your area either.
The 4g roll out and fibre backhaul updates are hopefully going to address this issue countrywide.

Re: Are O2 falling behind with 3G? they are losing customers.

Anonymous — Tue, 13 Oct 2015 17:15:37 GMT

Sorry if I've got this wrong - and I admit I am no techie - but what 4g roll out are you aware of and how do I find out what is happening in my area? I don't want to move from O2 who I have been with since the original Cellnet days, but I would love to have even slow internet use when I'm out of my home.

Re: Are O2 falling behind with 3G? they are losing customers.

MI5 — Tue, 13 Oct 2015 18:11:46 GMT

O2 are still not telling us or releasing this info.