Why is O2 network coverage so poor compared to other providers ?

[Anonymous]

Hi

I have loyally stayed with O2 since they were BT Cellnet (they have been good with retention incentives).

However one very important aspect of their services which has demonstrated no significant improvement in my opinion is network coverage.

Signal strength is consistently less than rivals (e.g. EE), and not uncommonly absent altogether.

I live on the edge of a medium size city, and I frequently have to go out in the back garden to make or receive mobile calls. And as for 3G forget it.

I actually wrote a letter to the customer service dept, who replied with some rather bland non-specific statement about always trying to improve the coverage.

My current contract ends early next year and I will certainly be looking very closely at EE - my GFs phone is with EE and has a constant good signal strength.

It's pretty poor that in 10 years I've seen very little change from O2 in this vital service requirement.

swayzak

[jonsie]

Coverage in my area is fairly poor and has always been so in the 15 years at my present address. I have never lost signal but it has never been better than 2 bars. Being 1 mile outside a big town in a big village, I too feel this isn't really good enough.

On the plus side, TuGo is working well for me. If it wasn't for this and that my tariff is perfect for me I might well have gone for EE which has excellent signal in the area.

[Anonymous]

£1M a day !?

LOL - they (or I) should ask for a refund.

[jonsie]

Seems £1M doesn't go far these days!:smileywink:

[Anonymous]

Ah to be fair its not, in fact it recieves several awards for being the best network, unfortunately its not in your area. My recommendation is that if it doesnt work in your area dont use it. you wouldnt keep a car that struggles to start in the morning for ten years.

if you check a variety of forums with other suppliers they are asking exactly the same thing about THEIR networks.

We would all like coverage every where we go but unfortunately it cant happen. Bandwith, lay of the land, technology, planning permission and money can all play a part.

3G was never designed to cover the entire UK the fact of the matter is usage and development of smartphones took all network by surprise. EE and 3 have generally considered better NWs as EE originates from Tmob and Orange and 3 only ever had a 3G NW to use so needed to expand, which is why rurally in some places its the only company to offer 3G

Which leads us to 4G is designed to give you the better coverage than 2G and better data speeds of 3G. Again its true O2 does have the better bandwith for coverage but we can only hope that ALL networks can roll this out effectively and at a reasonable cost. 

Lets wait and see!

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Ah to be fair its not, in fact it recieves several awards for being the best network, unfortunately its not in your area. My recommendation is that if it doesnt work in your area dont use it. you wouldnt keep a car that struggles to start in the morning for ten years.

if you check a variety of forums with other suppliers they are asking exactly the same thing about THEIR networks.

We would all like coverage every where we go but unfortunately it cant happen. Bandwith, lay of the land, technology, planning permission and money can all play a part.

3G was never designed to cover the entire UK the fact of the matter is usage and development of smartphones took all network by surprise. EE and 3 have generally considered better NWs as EE originates from Tmob and Orange and 3 only ever had a 3G NW to use so needed to expand, which is why rurally in some places its the only company to offer 3G

Which leads us to 4G is designed to give you the better coverage than 2G and better data speeds of 3G. Again its true O2 does have the better bandwith for coverage but we can only hope that ALL networks can roll this out effectively and at a reasonable cost. 

Lets wait and see!

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Its not just poor in my area - it is in many areas I visit. At a rough guess EE gives me 3G in over 90% of the places I visit, O2 around 60% And these places are areas of population throughout the UK

Agreed that 3G was not to cover everywhere but overall their coverage is not as widespread 

as some other networks and their roll out was slower than all the others.

I shall be at a location shortly where all the other networks have good 3G and O2 has no coverage at all not even 2G - and it is not an isolated spot in the wilderness.

I am fully aware of what is required to build a network and the difficulties involved, as I've been following mobile comms for over 20 years but O2 seem more than tardy in thier offering. 

We shall see on 4G, but the lack of any of the 2.6GHZ spectum means they are going to be hard pushed to get maximum speed benefits in built up locations. 

Of course, a lot will depend on Telefoncia, and my Spanish friends tell me that they a struggling. I can see O2 changing hands in the future.

[MI5]

Point well made redviking83. I travel around alot and find that O2 gives me the best signal overall. I also carry an EE phone with me (company phone) and find I have better O2 coverage in the areas I travel to. O2 is also the only signal I can get at home, so it all goes to show that no one single network will satisfy everyone, all the time and it depends greatly on where you are. Research and PAYG SIMs should be utilised to decide on your own individual best network choice before entering into any contracts.

[Anonymous]

Does anybody else think that choice of handset also plays a part in quality of signal? i work in an office in Birmingham City Centre (unlucky I know!).

My HTC One X rarely picks up 3G signal in the office, but my colleague (who is also on O2), has an Iphone 5, and has permanent 3G signal. Our phones literally sit inches from each other. I love my HOX, but get frustrated at the smug looks from across the desk when I complain about my lack of 3G!

[MI5]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Does anybody else think that choice of handset also plays a part in quality of signal? i work in an office in Birmingham City Centre (unlucky I know!).

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Different modems will give different RxLev, also the antenna design and position can influence signal, however, in a city centre I would expect even the poorest of receivers to get a good 3G signal unless there was a fault.

[Anonymous]

Now that my sim card issue is solved (see my other recent post "Signal Loss on HTC One X") I always have a signal, it's just rarely 3G. The problem is, how do I know if the 3G reception is crap on all HOX's or just on mine (I.e. it is faulty)? Don't wanna be without it for weeks by sending it for repair, just to be told that their is nothing wrong with it!

Also, how do I 'quote' people in responses, like you have quoted my post and responded to it in this thread?

[MI5]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Also, how do I 'quote' people in responses, like you have quoted my post and responded to it in this thread?

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Press "Reply" then "Quote" from the next page. Youo would have to do a back to back with another HOX..... Maybe pop into CPW or an O2 store and try your SIM in a demo phone.....?