02 data very slow

[footfarmer]

This is going to sound paranoid; but 6 weeks after I signed a 12 month o2 contract - having had 1 year of relatively okay service on rolling month o2 contract - data on my phone virtually stopped. Needing navigation or websites out and about is imposssible, sites will not load or take so long the moment has past. I've tried the sim on my older phones - even tried a friends newer phone, but the same issue. I have a US provider on my virtual sim and have to take the financial hit on that if i really need to get something off the net when not near a wifi spot. I pay nearly £30 pm and have 6 months left. My calendar is littered with reminders to cancel the moment i can! None of the other networks are amazing - but o2 and 3 are the worst for coverage, with o2 by far the slowest I've encountered having used 4 of the major providers over the last few years.

[MI5]

Maybe a temp issue in your area @footfarmer ?

https://status.o2.co.uk/

[footfarmer]

sadly the same issue in London (C&G), south, south west, and west. Can be showing 4 bars of 4G and it's like I'm on old fashioned dial-up. tried reboots, netwrork selection, no auto updating or background refresh etc but still soul grindingly slow. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[MI5]

Standard capacity issues then @footfarmer 

Not helped by the addition of a few million Virgin mobile customers last year.

[Oxonian]

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@footfarmer wrote:

sadly the same issue in London (C&G), south, south west, and west. Can be showing 4 bars of 4G and it's like I'm on old fashioned dial-up. tried reboots, netwrork selection, no auto updating or background refresh etc but still soul grindingly slow. 🤷🏻‍♂️

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It sounds @footfarmer like it could shortly be the time to start experimenting with PAYG SIMs from other networks in the areas that you frequent. If it is so slow, it might be time to consider moving on, assuming that you can find something better. 👍    

[MI5]

An option in 10 months tome but not now with paying a penalty.

Guide: Cancelling Your Contract 

[Oxonian]

OP said :-

I pay nearly £30 pm and have 6 months left.

That's why @MI5 I suggested "....it could shortly be the time to start experimenting...". 👍

[MI5]

OK, so irrelevant for 6 months.

Still a penalty for leaving now.

[Oxonian]

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@MI5 wrote:

OK, so irrelevant for 6 months.

Still a penalty for leaving now.

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I disagree @MI5 that it is irrelevant for six months.

If you are to do robust checks on other networks using PAYG SIMs, putting the SIM into the second SIM-slot on a dual SIM handset would be the way forward. Then purchase a 30-day bundle - the equivalent of an O2 "Big Bundle" - and test the other network for calls, texts and mobile data in different locations over a 30-day period. 

Hence, with three other MNOs that is a 90-day exercise. With a little time for evaluation and "shopping around" thereafter, that suggests that the exercise should begin about 4-months from the end of the contract. 

That's why I suggested "....it could shortly be the time to start experimenting...". 👍

[MI5]

Jeez