4g - Making Calls - Do they work?

[xma1e_]

I used to be on O2 Simplicity but switched to EE for 4G. However EE4G is great for data but pretty naff for making calls. I get so many complaints these days because my phone won't pick up calls even with full bars. It's the EE network and finally flagged up on BBC Watchdog.

I am seriously considering coming back to O2 because calls were excellent they just lacked decent phones and 4G, this seems to have changed. Has anyone had problems making call on O2 4G, particularly dropped calls?

Thanks

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

Hi and welcome.

Have you spoken to ee's Customer Service's.

Their may be an issue with their network.

Dropped calls is a fact of every mobile network unfortunately, within reason !

Did you pre check that their network gave good network coverage where you live, commute and work etc.

My friends on o2's 4g have said they have not had any issues.

Have you switched from 4g to 3g or 2g to see if it improves.

Check o2's service status to see if they now offer stable network and data coverage where you are.

http://status.o2.co.uk/

Obviously if you want to port over to o2 you will need a PAC from ee and ask them about any early termination fee's.

Is o2's 4g rolled out in your area yet ?

http://www.o2.co.uk/4g/coverage-and-cities

[jonsie]

My friends using O2 4G have not reported any issues thus far with call quality. I did see the Watchdog programme with reference to data speeds offset by the inability to make fundamental calls and texts. At this stage it seems to be only EE having the problem.

[adamtemp64]

All networks in the uk have not implemented volte yet (voice over lte) So for calls you phone must not be in 4g only mode.

If call quality is affected then that will be a 3g / 2g issue.

[Anonymous]

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@jonsie wrote:

My friends using O2 4G have not reported any issues thus far with call quality. I did see the Watchdog programme with reference to data speeds offset by the inability to make fundamental calls and texts. At this stage it seems to be only EE having the problem.

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I must have missed that airing,

Good reading.

Link for the OP if required.

Worth a read !

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006mg74/features/ee-poor-phone-call-reception-4g

[MI5]

Part of EE's problem was that they had to farm off a large amount of their 3G spectrum to launch 4G which has reslted in over capacity issues on the 3G network.
As adam rightly pointed out above the phone will currently drop to 3G for making and receiving calls....

[PhoneChanger]

This is the same (at present) for all UK networks, 4G is data only at the moment.

[japitts]

Well not really...

EE have refarmed part of their 2G-1800 spectrum for 4G, they've not touched 3G-2100.

As for overcapacity on the 3G side, I think EE have just over 49Mhz worth of 2100 spectrum, the largest chunk. I'm using http://www.prattfamily.demon.co.uk/mikep/frequency.htm which seems as good a source as anything.

Whatever the problems are, I don't think they're spectrum or capacity related at all.

[Anonymous]

On O2 4G and zero problems making calls since it started working on my iPhone.

Perhaps someone can confirm this, but I was under the impression that O2 only use LTE (4G) for data and that calls and texts are sent via their 2&3G networks. You get dropped calls on any network, personally on O2, I get about one a year, which ain't too bad. If you live in an area of very high use, you might get more I guess. Another reason to keep an eye out for planning applications for masts and write in to support them, as plenty of people do the opposite!

[MI5]

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@Anonymous wrote:
Perhaps someone can confirm this, but I was under the impression that O2 only use LTE (4G) for data and that calls and texts are sent via their 2&3G networks. 

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Yes, already mentioned a number of times, correct for ALL UK networks currently....

VOLTE (voice over LTE) is the next awaited introduction.....