cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

Government crackdown on mobile 'notspots'

jonsie
Level 94: Supreme
  • 92906 Posts
  • 608 Topics
  • 6913 Solutions
Registered:

I've been otherwised engaged for a while so my apologies if this has been reported on.

Personally, whilst the theory is good I have doubts as to when or if something will finally be done.....

http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-29897202

The government plans to oblige mobile operators to improve their coverage, possibly by sharing rivals' networks.

Partial 'notspots', where there is coverage from some but not all of the mobile networks, affected a fifth of the UK, leaving people unable to make calls or send texts, it said.

One possible solution would see people transferred to rival networks when they lose signal.

But experts are not convinced this would work

 

Message 1 of 14
1,489 Views
13 REPLIES 13

Anonymous
Not applicable
Thank you for sharing this link and attached info about an issue that causes so much hassle for O2 customers and other network customers too.

It is high time something was brought to the table to allow people paying good money for a service are able to use it.

Mast sharing has helped we are led to believe.

From the link ""Operators argue that roaming would shorten battery life as phones searched for the strongest signal, and pose a risk to the security of their networks," he said."

So........ The Networks worry about battery life being shortened but I'm sure if this would be the case a user having these issues would gladly sacrifice some battery power to be able to be connected more of the time !

I'm not sure how a security risk could be a factor so until I read more relevant info I cannot comment on that.

Allowing WiFi Calling would help too I firmly believe as Tugo is way too glitchy for some going from the posts we see here.
Message 2 of 14
1,308 Views

Anonymous
Not applicable
If mast sharing has started already between O2 and Vodafone, I haven't noticed any improvements yet!
Message 3 of 14
1,304 Views

jonsie
Level 94: Supreme
  • 92906 Posts
  • 608 Topics
  • 6913 Solutions
Registered:

@Anonymous wrote:
If mast sharing has started already between O2 and Vodafone, I haven't noticed any improvements yet!

At the moment under the project, they share masts but are responsible for installing and maintaining their own transmitters so there is minimal advantage at the momeny, only the fact that there may be a mast alraedy in a location now where O2 have poor coverage

Message 4 of 14
1,294 Views

Cleoriff
Level 94: Supreme
  • 122356 Posts
  • 824 Topics
  • 7457 Solutions
Registered:

Hi @jonsie 

Yes this has just made BBC news this morning...I thought I would post it but you got there first..:smileywink:

It certainly sounds as if this may be a fairer deal for all us poor customers...

Only going on what I listened to on the TV...it was stated that networks are going to be forced to allow switching by customers between networks...so they get better coverage.

Of course the top networks are saying 'they are not sure this will work'... A comment I suppose, I would fully expect them to make....Rolleys

 

Veritas Numquam Perit

Girl in a jacket
Message 5 of 14
1,284 Views

Anonymous
Not applicable

It sounds like a good idea but in practice, they'll simply charge eachother and the costs will come to us either through special bolt-on tarrifs or more likely, front-loaded onto all tarrifs.

 

Thinking outside the box, wouldn't it make better sense to wrestle the core mobile network and ALL its masts away from the operators, separate the network from the carriers?  That way, we get the best possible coverge wherever possible and it would blow open the competition against the big 4 carriers.

Message 6 of 14
1,233 Views

MI5
Level 94: Supreme
  • 143403 Posts
  • 632 Topics
  • 27489 Solutions
Registered:
How about this for an idea....?
AS you know, when you travel abroad your O2 sim can roam on any of the available networks in that country and usually you get a signal everywhere because of this, so, why not seek out a low cost EU payg sim and use it in your phone in UK. Using the same assumptions, this sim would roam in the UK on any available network so you should always have a signal.
Downside of this is that data would be expensive, but I can see the advantages of always having a call/text ability wherever you are in UK slight_smile
Other possibilities are World SIM (but only O2 network in UK currently), GO SIM or 0044 SIM, all of which can be purchased and topped up in UK and should roam on more than one UK network when in the UK slight_smile
I have no affiliation whatsoever with O2 or any subsidiary companies. Comments posted are entirely of my own opinion. This is not Customer Service so we are unable to help with account specific issues.

Currently using:
Pixel 7a (O2 & Lyca), One Plus 6 (Sfr), iPhone 12 Pro Max (Vodafone)
Message 7 of 14
1,226 Views

Cleoriff
Level 94: Supreme
  • 122356 Posts
  • 824 Topics
  • 7457 Solutions
Registered:

Excellent idea @MI5  However...wouldn't this involve a lot of sim swapping if you only had one phone to play with?

My friend who lives in Spain has two phones. One for the UK when she visits (with an O2 sim in)...One for Spain with a movistar sim in......

I am sure she would have loved to have some compatibility.... having two phones....

A sort of reciprocal agreement as it were....

Veritas Numquam Perit

Girl in a jacket
Message 8 of 14
1,221 Views

MI5
Level 94: Supreme
  • 143403 Posts
  • 632 Topics
  • 27489 Solutions
Registered:

Yes, indeed, a cheapo sim free phone would do for the EU sim or one of the many dual sim android phones that are available these days.
Once all your contacts had the new number as "backup" you could keep on using it for cheaper calls when you were abroad too - Ideal for you if you used your MoviStar sim all the time wink

Once all roaming charges are abolished by the end of 2015 everyone will be doing it unless the big 4 UK networks get their act together to provide some kind of raoming agreements......

I have no affiliation whatsoever with O2 or any subsidiary companies. Comments posted are entirely of my own opinion. This is not Customer Service so we are unable to help with account specific issues.

Currently using:
Pixel 7a (O2 & Lyca), One Plus 6 (Sfr), iPhone 12 Pro Max (Vodafone)
Message 9 of 14
1,211 Views

Cleoriff
Level 94: Supreme
  • 122356 Posts
  • 824 Topics
  • 7457 Solutions
Registered:

@MI5 wrote:

Yes, indeed, a cheapo sim free phone would do for the EU sim or one of the many dual sim android phones that are available these days.
Once all your contacts had the new number as "backup" you could keep on using it for cheaper calls when you were abroad too - Ideal for you if you used your MoviStar sim all the time wink

Once all roaming charges are abolished by the end of 2015 everyone will be doing it unless the big 4 UK networks get their act together to provide some kind of raoming agreements......


Ok....So...still on topic I think...will my new Note 3 have dual sim capability? (I know about travel abroad as you can see... a litte less about mobile phones) Smiley Very Happy

Veritas Numquam Perit

Girl in a jacket
Message 10 of 14
1,204 Views