18 Years of 2G (GSM 900) and still no decent 2G service in my town.

[Anonymous]

I am extremely unhappy.

O2 can't seem to get their act together with Wigton - a market town of over 5000 people.

There is NO reception on the MAIN HIGH STREET because we have 1 mast in the wrong part of town to be of any use.

And what makes my blood boil is that I was told by an absolute liar of an O2 employee, spent half an hour telling me how O2 had made a planning application for a new mast in  Wigton and that the local council was the hold up.

I listened to endless mistruths about how there would be a second mast in Wigton, with smaller masts running off it.

On the back of those lies, I took out an additional contract to run as an early replacement for another contract which runs out in a few months time - an effective renewal.

To later learn that O2 hasn't made any planning application and that I've fed mistruths, well that just sends me mad.

I'm sick of it. I'm sick of O2 endlessly getting my hopes up, then to find out later I've been fed mistruths.

What about the TuGo debarcile. Every other O2 agent on the phone thinks the service has been launched when it hasn't. One month, we get a date, for us to be told the next month it's been delayed.

Then there is the boost boxes that are only available to business users with a number of phones on their contracts.

Is it right that 18 years after the launch of GSM, I can't get a signal, O2 can't provide a date for an end to it all, can't sell booster boxes to improve the signal, can't seem to get their act together about TuGo, but have all the time in the world to talk about how they are going to set the world alight with their mythical 4G service?

Look, if you can't get 2G right after 18 years, my grandchildren will be drawing their pensions by the time you get Wigton on 4G!

[Anonymous]

There is an O2 mast in the South of the town, on Lowmoor Road, near where I live. What's frustratring is that this mast cannot penetrate the town centre....which is the one place everyone needs a mobile phone signal more than anywhere else in town.

I would never pretend to be an expert, but either O2 need to make good on their deal with Vodafone and install something at the same site as Vodafone or get some kind of micro cell going in the town centre.

All the other networks have their sites much closer to the town centre, where they need to be.

[Liquid]

No I agree I'm looking forward to seeing O2 and vodaphone share resources. It was finally approved by ofcom in nov 12 and is expected to go live in spring.

Another option could be the installation of a repeater in the town center which would boost everyone's signal. However that would require petitioning your local council and them getting in contact with O2.

Do you know what the councils stance on the cell towers is?

[Anonymous]

There has been a number of problems up here, but I'm not sure if Allerdale council have been involved. 

I'm not sure if it's local paranoia from some quarters, or the press whipping up people into paranoia, but there has been two cases of O2 getting their fingers burnt with planning permission.

O2 wanted some kind of mast at the entrace to an estate and residents said it would be an eyesore.

Another one involved "being too close to a school" - which I think is silly because if you want to protect kids, that lets face it, who will use mobiles - I would rather there was a lower powered cell close by, than them frying their brains as they're phone tries to communicate with a cell that's miles away.

To me, the vodafone site makes logical sense - it would sidestep (most?) of the planning red-tape.

The main problem with new mobile phone masts, is that there is always someone (who isn't on the same network) who's going to say that the thing is a health hazard etc.

When that happens it makes my blood boil. Masts not going up is more damaging to peoples health than masts all over the place.

[adamtemp64]

A few facts that may help .

In 2011 o2 started a complete network upgrade to take into account 4g it was a 3 year project. 2 Companies doing the upgrade nsn networks down south and ericsson up north.

This upgrade is why when the 4g auction is done they can quickly switch on a large 4g network.

4G signals travel further than other frequencies in use and ofcom has set tougher coverage rules for 4g all explained on the ofcom website.

This should also see 3g900 rolled out on all 2g masts.

O2 have asked ofcom to allow them to up the output power on 3g900 by 3db this will give the cells a better coverage.

Also the sharing of sites with vodafone will help fill the gaps on both networks. http://www.o2.co.uk/network/future

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

There has been a number of problems up here, but I'm not sure if Allerdale council have been involved. 

I'm not sure if it's local paranoia from some quarters, or the press whipping up people into paranoia, but there has been two cases of O2 getting their fingers burnt with planning permission.

O2 wanted some kind of mast at the entrace to an estate and residents said it would be an eyesore.

Another one involved "being too close to a school" - which I think is silly because if you want to protect kids, that lets face it, who will use mobiles - I would rather there was a lower powered cell close by, than them frying their brains as they're phone tries to communicate with a cell that's miles away.

To me, the vodafone site makes logical sense - it would sidestep (most?) of the planning red-tape.

The main problem with new mobile phone masts, is that there is always someone (who isn't on the same network) who's going to say that the thing is a health hazard etc.

When that happens it makes my blood boil. Masts not going up is more damaging to peoples health than masts all over the place.

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Hang on, so you know that O2 have tried to do something about the situation but been knocked back by paranoid councils and NIMBY residents?  But you still hold it against O2 that you can't get a great signal in your town's centre?

That makes your wee rant even more pathetic than it did when you first started.  For the best part of 10-15 posts you've been scathing of O2 when all along you know they tried to do something about the situation. 

[Anonymous]

"Hang on, so you know that O2 have tried to do something about the situation but been knocked back by paranoid councils and NIMBY residents?  But you still hold it against O2 that you can't get a great signal in your town's centre?"

No. You need to re-read the post. What I was referring to was other issues in area, but not in Wigton. What happens in towns like Aspatria, does not affect me directly. Another poster asked me what kind of resistance that O2 is likely to encounter if they wanted to put a new site up and I tried my best to give him a history of the area.

That makes your wee rant even more pathetic than it did when you first started.  For the best part of 10-15 posts you've been scathing of O2 when all along you know they tried to do something about the situation.

O2 have done nothing to help resolve the situation and they admitted as much. I've spent a lot of time complaining to them and if you re-read my original post, I'm angry because an O2 rep told me that they had started the ball rolling with local authoritiy for a new mast in Wigton - and after my moaning I did feel a bit guilty. I took an additional contract on the basis that O2 had a new mast in the pipeline - I later found out that it was all either lies or misinformation...and to be honest, if I was a betting man, I'd bet on lies.

That's why I'm angry Pablo.

All I want, is for O2 to sort out the signal in the centre of Wigton. So far I've been told they would, only to be told they have no plans to at all, AFTER I've taken out an additional contract.

After 19 years of no decent 2G coverage in Wigton, the scores on the doors are that O2 has no commitment EVER to sort the problem out, no date set for any decade, yet other places are being promised 4G.

Some people have been very helpful on here, being constructive about how O2 could possibly give this town a decent 2G service. Others have been resorting to personal attacks just because I'm doing a bit of naming and shaming.

If you read a recent post, it appears that O2 could if they wanted to, use their new alliance with Vodafone and get some kit on the Vodafone site in Wigton, to finally give a decent O2 coverage in the town centre of Wigton.

So what are you going to do about it Pablo? Are you going to help keep people happy, or are you going to rubbish the customer for daring to expect to make and receive voice calls in a town centre?

EDIT TO ADD :

Another hope, that Adam has pointed out, is that O2 have committed to upgrading the entire network in the next 3 years....part of which is 3G900 on all masts with a signal strengh enhancement of 3db.

You see, that's another constructive post that I have given kudos to, but it's also something that the O2 reps could have told me. It would also be nice, if O2 could have a draft schedule of this, so that it least it gives people like me a date to loook forward to in our diaries.

That means a lot to me. If I'm told that O2 is trying to get our mast upgraded to 3G900 with additional signal strength, by say February 2014, then I'm happy - it doesn't take much.

But when the offiical line is "No plans to do anything." - then you can see why people won't be happy with that.

[jonsie]

I've followed this thread with interest and it seems to me that a decent 2G signal in the centre of any town or village surely isn't too much to ask in this day and age? I would imagine Wigton is one of the few places where the BT phonebox is a necessity nowadays?

[Anonymous]

Chris

I thought in your post you had conceded that there had been attempts to fix the signalling issue in your area by new masts. It wasn't clear that your post wasn't about your town, but other towns elsewhere.

Personally I'm not in a position to do anything about it other than tell you what I think about the situation. However I did already give you advice on what you could do. That is :

- Put up with it and do nothing
- Do something about it by raising a complaint
- Do something about it by leaving for another network.

I get from your posts that you aren't just sitting back and doing nothing about it, in fact your posts here seem like your first steps in trying to do something about it, however its the wrong place for it as this forum is for general advice/debate, not raise an official complaint about something.

I also get from your posts that you have no intentions of leaving o2, presumably because you get a good deal.

So hopefully you choose the other option and raise an official complaint with O2. That way you might feel better that you have tried to do something about the situation and made sure that O2's complaints people know how unhappy you are about the situation.

Yes, some posters on here will give you advice, some will rubbish your thoughts but thats what a forum is, a place to discuss. Not everyone is going to agree with your point of view or your perception about Wigton's importance in the grand scheme of things

EDIT: to answer your last points:

Adam got the information about that from http://www.o2.co.uk/network/future which is O2 telling people what their future plans for the network are.

You said "You see, that's another constructive post that I have given kudos to, but it's also something that the O2 reps could have told me. It would also be nice," - Maybe the advisor didn't know about it at the time.

"If O2 could have a draft schedule of this, so that it least it gives people like me a date to loook forward to in our diaries.  That means a lot to me. If I'm told that O2 is trying to get our mast upgraded to 3G900 with additional signal strength, by say February 2014, then I'm happy - it doesn't take much." - Companies don't generally publish dates they think they're going to be finished by in a particular place in case plans change.

"But when the offiical line is "No plans to do anything." - then you can see why people won't be happy with that" - I haven't seen O2 officially say to you that they don't plan on doing anything.  If you're quoting me, you're quoting my personal thoughts on the situation, which is clear from my opening reply to you and on the signature of every post I make here.

[adamtemp64]

other sources for my post above (cannot edit original)

http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/consultations/variation-900-1800-2100/summary 3g900 power increase

http://consumers.ofcom.org.uk/4g/ benifits of 4g (better coverage)

http://www.fiercewireless.com/europe/story/ericsson-and-nsn-share-o2-uk-network-upgrades/2011-01-28 network upgrade programme

And the o2 media page http://news.o2.co.uk/2012/08/17/post-olympics-4g-is-lining-up-in-the-network-fast-lane/ note 2g 3g and 4g is indoor 98% coverage so expect better outdoor coverage 

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Also.....it's not just King Street...it's anywhere North of it....and a very patchy to the West of it.

So basically, it's only the South and some parts of the East that have coverage. That's it.

A bit more than one road.

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Now he is using a compass, to measure the signal, that is what the O2 coverage checker is for