Strange but True !! 3G Data Speeds Depending on Tariffs.

[darrengf]

So On friday night i was at friends house in Rotherham where we were doing some testing on o2 3G and 4G speeds versus there own Fibre Broadband.

So I have an iPhone 6 and on 3G was getting 25.38Mbps down and 2.98Mbs Up which was amazing.

The Fibre Broadband was 14Mbs down and 2.4Mbs up, So as you can imagine we were impressed with o2 3G Speeds

But then the confusion came.

Both my friends have iphone 5, Both on o2 refresh Tariffs, with loads of Data and with 4G sims, so the tests they both did were no more than 3.5Mbps up and 2Mbbs down

Strange in deed.

Now before you say, well its the iPhone 5 doesnt do 4G, Please bare in mind that were on 3G (I had switched my 4G off on the iPhone 6) and the iPhone 5 and iPhone 6 are both capable at the same speed on 3G.

So we thought ok iPhone 5 may need a reboot, so both of the phones were rebooted, again we got the same speed on 3G 3.5Mbps down and 2Mbps up, So a clean of the 4G sim and again same.

However my friend was going to Apple on Sat to get an iPhone 6+ so needed his Tarrif changing to 4G. So we went on line and changed he Tariff last night. It went through without any issues. We noticed his Data Signal went of and came on 10 seconds later.

So what we found next was very strange indeed. We ran the same speedtest on the same iPhone 5 that had just had the Tariff changed.

3G speed was now 22Mbs down and 3.5Mbs up.

So appart from changing the Tariff, the 3G speed increased from 3.5Mbs down to 22Mbs up. Again remebering that it was on the O2 3G network. All we had done was swapped over from a O2 2013 Refresh Tariff, to a O2 4G 2014 Refresh Tariff

So it really does make a difference what Tariff you are on with o2, shouldnt but it does.

Oh and the one friend that wasnt bothered in changing his Tariff so is still on the O2 2013 one, was still only getting 3.5Mbps Down and 2Mpbs up.

Strange but true

[anticpated]

@darrengf 

This might sound ridicolous however if you remove your SIM have a look for a 4G code on the written side. A sim swap to a 4G SIM might allow you to take advantage of more if the faster signals. HSPA+ is typically a fallback speed for 4G.

[darrengf]

The SIM cards are already 4G. So there is no need for any SIM card changed.

Also like I've said. Changing there Tariff allowed him to go from 3Mbps Dowload to 20Mbps download. So the sim isn't the issue.

The only ting I can see is that your Tariff that you are on, does make a difference in what access you get to the O2 network.

[anticpated]

I've started picking up the 4G and higher 3G signals more4 regularly now, However rarely E however never a straight 3G signal which is a bit of odd. However the whole reception is getting better thankfully.

[anticpated]

"The SIM cards are already 4G. So there is no need for any SIM card changed."

Sorry I must have missed that.

[anticpated]

I'm going bench this when i next get a chance.

[anticpated]

@darrengf 

I benched with speedtest earlier today on 4G in my local town.

23.25 Mbps download

12.12 Mbps upload

52ms ping

Server:Newcastle upon Tyne

[darrengf]

@anticpated These are some of the Bench Marks round outskirts of Sheffield

So where I live, we have a few 3G mast and I can wave at them from my house lol, but when outside my house I can pick up 4G from a mast over 3-4 miles away and not in line of site too. iPhone will auto pick the 4G over 3G even though I'm a few 100 yards from the 3G mast 👍

Speeds are 16.26 UL and 10.80DL which isn't bad to say I have only 1 - 2 bars of 4G

Other 4G speeds in and about Sheffield
13.69 DL, 4.04 UL
6.06 DL, 0.77UL
16.37 DL, 18.90 UL
These are all 4G

Now there is a place in Rotherham that according to O2 have good 3G and 4G. I'm sat there now and can pick up GPRS
Speeds are failed and both UL And DL. Report to O2. I get nothing wrong with the network.

So I give up lol

[Toby]

Hi Darren,

Can you let us know if this changes for you? If not, I'll report it to the team. I'm hoping your speeds will normalise.