3G coverage

[Anonymous]

I work in a business park in North Wales and this is the coverage map for 3G in the area

As you can see where I am is a business park and there is zero 3G where I work?! I was under the impression when I upgraded nearly 15 months ago that the O2 coverage would be expanding to cover the whole of the UK (clearly this is not the case)

My contract has 9 months left, but if O2 can't sort out their 3G coverage (with the rise of 4G) I'm going to have to leave. Anyone else suffering like this?

[Anonymous]

About par for the course. O2's geographical 3G coverage is woeful. The last 18 month have seen me travelling through the UK and more times than not I have to resort to another network to have any reasonable hope of using data. 

Poblem now is that Telefonica (O2's owners) are cash strapped. O2 Ireland looks like it is being bought by 3 and there are roumours that bid have been made for O2 UK from US operators. 

What cash there is will be ploughed into 4G, so I doubt you will find any improvement soon.

[RueDrBouree]

My understanding is that 3G signal is much weaker than 2G and doesn't pass through walls and trees etc. It also requires more cell towers than 2G. 

I am sure the networks would be happy to switch 2G off but that's not happened as they simply can't offer a 3G signal everywhere. 

O2 have said that they will offer 4G to 99%/95% of the UK population by 2017 (outdoor/indoor). Just a guess but I think its more likely that you get a 4G signal rather than a 3G one. 

Alex

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

Ive just checked all of the major UK carriers (O2, Vodafone, EE and 3) and it looks as though you are in a sort of coverage blackspot.

EE claim to have 3G coverage all over that area, but from experience their coverage checker tells lies and so I wouldn't believe it.

3 appear to have outdoor coverage for 3G access at that postcode but its patchy all over that area.

Vodafone is much like O2 (not surprising as they are now sharing masts).

Unfortunately I dont think this is even something you could resolve by changing carrier unless one of your colleagues on a different network can confirm they have a good 3G signal?

[Anonymous]

Ask around. As it is an industrial area I'm sure someone will have a phone that is working OK.

[Anonymous]

I've colleagues using EE and they can get 3G perfectly fine, don't know anyone using Voda so I'm guessing it could be the same?

It's just very frustrating!

[Anonymous]

I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT I AM SAT NEXT TO THE TRANSMITTER WHICH IS SITUATED IN THE GROUNDS OF THE COUNTESS OF CHESTER HOSPITAL AND MY SPEED READINGS FOR MY IPHONE FOR 3G ARE , ACCORDING TO OKLA, DOWNLOAD 0.19 UPLOAD 0.0

ABSOLUTE GARBAGE O2

WHY IS IT SO CRAP?

[MI5]

WHY ARE YOU SHOUTING ??
It is because the cell tower is heavily over subscribed and suffering from congestion which means the fibre backhaul can't cope with the demand for data going through it.

[jonsie]

This is happening all over the country unfortunately and until the masts are upgraded we are all suffering to some extent.