Dumfries & Galloway Royal Infirmary

[ChrisM_1973]

Extremely dissapointed to discover that O2 have declined to provide access to the brand new Dumfries Hospital that has just finished being built on the outskirts of Dumfries.
Seeing that Vodaphone and EE have agreed to provide coverage using the in-building-solution makes me wonder just exactly why O2 aren't doing so themselves.

This is now the largest Hospital in the south of Scotland and has hundreds of staff and thousands of visitors each day and not having coverage in the case of emergencies is absurd.

I can understand now why two of my colleagues have already moved from O2 to Vodaphone and EE. I can only imagine how many more will leave O2.

This probably needs brought up on social media to make people aware that they won't be able to reach family or loved ones when they're at hospital, either as a patient, staff member or visitor.

Appalling.

[ChrisM_1973]

I can also confirm that there is no coverage inside the building, so it's not a case of there being existing coverage and nothing needing to be done for O2 customers.
I've tried all around the grounds and in all parts of the hospital.

[PhoneChanger]

O2 and Vodafone operate a mast share scheme in some locations so it could be that they will eventually enable this here, however i'm sure there will be a business reason for not operating their own service there, however we'll never know...

[Bambino]

Shameful @ChrisM_1973. We are all customers here, and O2 doesn't monitor this site, so all I can suggest is that you lodge a formal complaint: https://www.o2.co.uk/how-to-complain

[blissgirl]

That;s why I changed to vodafone as In old hospital same problem as op is discribing shamefull that o2 cant be more like vodafone or ee

[darrengf]

This is not good at all.  It’s great to see EE and Vodafone doing it and top marks to them, but why can’t other do the same solution. 

Im begging to wonder what’s happening in O2.  They are starting to build a really great 4G network,  adding indoor coverage only adds and shows that o2 is committed. 

[Skyhawk1010]

Its always very disappointing to hear of ‘not spots’ no matter who and in this case its particularly disappointing that O2 aren’t providing coverage in a very busy place like a hospital.

I don’t defend any ‘not spot’ at all, especially in places like hospitals where patients need to be in contact by loved ones etc.

Back in the day there was the ruse:

‘DO NOT USE MOBILE PHONES AS THEY MAY INTERFERE WITH MEDICAL EQUIPMENT’.

There was always the very handy presence of payphones which of course could be set to charge whatever the  hospital liked. Which wasn’t 2p for 10 mins shall we say.

Nowadays that ruse has stopped. But some networks are still not providing good coverage in hospitals. 

Where I work there’s a combined Three/EE mast actually on the premesis and even then there are black spots within that  hospital premesis. (Vodafone and O2 don’t have a mast within a mile of the building so coverage is rubbish). 

But I digress...

O2 might have decided it isn’t worth attempting to provide improved coverage for several reasons:

1) Difficulty in the acquisition of a suitable site.

2) Rent required is deemed too high.

3) Demand for O2 in that particular area deemed low and unlikely to rise. 

4) The building itself may not be particularly suited to good coverage. This is an issue in other large buildings such as shopping centres and the only real solution is to microcell the premesis. Fitting microcells would be a major undertaking and may well be disruptive. 

The only way round this would be if the Trust wanted to switch the whole of their mobile phone inventory supply over to O2. Then a means of building a mast or masts etc would be found. But if the

Trust is  off with another network who has done all this already then the Trust is unlikely to be enticed away.

So there you are. Not ideal but hopefully a little clearer than it was. 

[jonsie]

I've been in Manchester Salford Royal for the past 6 months and O2 coverage is abysmal. Sometimes get 1 bar of 2g if I'm lucky. Calls could drop anytime through a call. That's were TU was a godsend because the wifi is quite good. 

Luckily I have an EE phone too and I've a lot to sort out making and receiving calls ready for discharge eventually. I think this must be the biggest hospital in the North West and you would think O2 would make an effort seeing as the other networks can. Mind you the centre of Manchester isn't that great.... 

[Skyhawk1010]

I’m almost certain that the Trust concerned has struck a deal with EE and O2 were either beaten to it or didn’t bother.

Manchester and the surrounding areas always had good EE coverage, which goes back to the legacy one/2/one T-Mobile 2G days. One2one had a contract to provide Manchester airport with mobile phones many years back and as a result they boosted coverage well  beyond what’s others did, this worked its way into Manchester as a whole and EE have maintained that to this day.

Conversely, O2 have always been strong in London, Leeds and Slough.  Leeds was where the HQ of what O2  used to be ie Cellnet, Slough is where the HQ of O2 its now and London of course has massive demand in any case. 

i think its a fair bet hospitals in Leeds and Slough are well catered for by O2. 

[jonsie]

No doubt you are right but I hope I never have the need to find out. 😉

I totally agree about the EE coverage always being better in the areas sorry ding Manchester. 

North Manchester hospital in Crumpsall has zero O2 coverage. I didn't have the EE sim at the time but that is what convinced me to buy another mobile and port my PAYG number to EE. Unfortunately I had been transferred to Manchester Royal before I had chance to see whether EE had any signal there.

A few years ago O2 had no coverage at all at Manchester airport but thankfully its pretty good there now. 

Thanks for explaining about EE getting in first around this area.