Slow speeds (Capacity issues?) Belfast

[davybhoy]

Hi all.

I used to be with EE and then VF and when in Belfast CC I could get lightening fast speeds with EE and very good speeds with VF. I have changed to O2 due to a very good deal and never been so sorry in all my life! The speeds are appalling!

I would sometimes struggle to get above 1Mbps and trying to watch the world cup was nearly impossible at times.

I am well aware that VF and EE have far more capacity than O2 but given they just bought a load of 2300Mhz then they really need to realise that there's more to the UK than London ffs!

Not to mention 2300Mhz will be crap for covering long distance and penetrating buildings!

I have complained using the app and on the phone. On the app I just get a message back saying there's no issues (so obviously capacity problem) and on the phone they sent me a new sim which made no difference at all.

It's a shocking network and I'll be buying out of my contract as soon as it's reasonably financially viable!

[Cleoriff]

I suspect it's shocking in different areas @davybhoy

I certainly have never experienced a problem where I live. It's a pity you didn't try a free sim from O2 before you committed yourself to a contract

Ways to cancel here https://community.o2.co.uk/t5/How-to-Guides/Cancelling-Your-Contract-A-Guide/ba-p/566774

Unless you are within the 14 day cooling off period?

[MI5]

@davybhoy
Totally unacceptable in this day and age but a common story all over with O2 unfortunately.
A workaround is to switch to 3g as usually that part of the spectrum is under utilised as everyone else struggles on 4g.......

[viridis]

Used to be able to get 30mbps in cov centre, now it struggles to get above 5....

[davybhoy]

@MI5 I know what you're saying mate and I have done that on several occasions but it's a pain in the ass having to do it and no one should have to.

I could understand if we were paying less than you would at EE or VF but we're not. It's the same price for a far poorer service.

There is no way out of course as they will say you have signal and can make calls and when asked, it is a simple case of, "We have no masts down in that area." That is the most frustrating thing to hear.

I often wonder where this £1m per day investment in the network goes that they claim to be making!

[Flembot]

Is it really a common story?

I'm on O2 currently and I don't like the sound of that. I'm on a Sim only contract at present but want to get the OnePlus 6 on contract with O2.

I have noticed recently in Belfast City Centre, slow speeds and not great coverage recently. It wasn't always like this though. Although I always remember a sort of black spot on East Bridge street outside Lanyon Place station (formerly known as Belfast Central), but that was it. 

Should I be reconsidering who I take out my contract with? Or could the slow speeds and less coverage in Belfast CC have somthing to do with the recent storm "Storm Ali" which hit us recently?

I kinda want to go to the O2 store today to get this new phone... Should I reconsider using O2??

[MI5]

@Flembot, don't rush into anything before trying PAYG sim cards from different networks to see who gives you the best overall experience.
There's no point getting tied into a contract that you can't use.

[davybhoy]

@Flembot I wouldn't be pointing anyone towards O2 at the minute. The problem is a capacity issue. They have coverage and your phone may show full signal of 4G, but they don't have the capacity to deal with the amount of customers.

There will of course be areas where you get great speeds (I always do at home) but it's not good to me there when I have internet!

I was with Vodafone and I wish I had stayed. I was with EE before that and only left as Vodafone had a better deal.

[pgn]

@davybhoy - similar problem up in the Maiden City, I find switching my OP3T from 4G/3G/2G to 3G/2G option gets me much better responses during the afternoon on weekdays...  But I get far better performance when switched back to 4G when at home, about 8 miles away.

Try changing to 3G/2G only near Lanyon Place, see if that gets your load speeds back to something close to normal on web browsing or social media there...

[davybhoy]

@pgn I occasionally switch to 3G/2G mode I order to get a useable speed but I shouldn't have to is the thing.

I had to do this once in a blue moon with Vodafone which I put down to a mast being down perhaps. With Vodafone it was literally twice a year but with O2 I could take you to a few locations where it is just ****** constantly, despite having full or near full 4G signal.

O2 must know about this but obviously don't consider a useable network a priority in a smaller city.

Is this problem going to continue in the future too? As we move towards 5G are they going to run into the same issue? I know there is more spectrum to be auctioned and that they now have 2300Mhz to use 4G, but we have seen in the past that the other netorks outbid O2.

Vodafone and EE are miles ahead of the other networks regarding capacity.