15-07-2017 21:06 - edited 15-07-2017 21:23
15-07-2017 21:06 - edited 15-07-2017 21:23
As you know one of my bug bearers with O2 is currently there Roaming in the EU which we all know that they throttle.
On the 15th June 2017, EU made changes that all the EU networks had to offer cross roaming free of charge, so you can use your own allowance in one of the Roaming EU countries.
Now I wanted to give it a Month to settle in before I did any testing to ensure that every network was complaint and that all the issues were sorted out.
So, on the 13th July, I went on a day visit to Dublin with 2 of my friends and a few Devices / Sim cards from different UK networks to do some testing and obviously a bit of eating and drinking too.
Now the test was not totally about speed, but about what was on offer from each network and how they all compared.
I took the following with me
O2 Contract iPhone 7+ Cat 9 Device Capable of 450Mbps DL
O2 PAYG iPhone 6+ Cat 6 Device Capable of 300Mbps DL
Three Contract iPhone 6 Cat 4 Device Capable of 150Mbps DL
Vodafone Contract WileyFox Swift 2 Cat 4 Capable of 150Mpbs DL (Dual Sim Phone)
Tesco PAYG Wileyfox Swift 2 Cat 4 Capable of 150Mbps DL (Dual Sim Phone)
BT Mobile Contract Wileyfox Swift 1 Cat 4 Capable of 150Mbps DL (Dual Sim Phone)
Asda PAYG Wileyfox Swift 1 Cat 4 Capable of 150Mbps DL (Dual Sim Phone)
1st Test Manchester Airport Terminal 3 (7AM) (Main networks only tested)
O2 Contract 4G Signal 8.52Mbps Down, 7.19Mbps Up
Three Contact 3G Signal Data did not work for 2 Hours being in airport
Vodafone 4G Signal 15.96Mbps Down, 10.44Mbps up
BT Mobile 4G Signal 4.81Mbps Down, 8.54Mbps up
Winner at Airport: Vodafone, 2nd O2 Contract
2nd Test Dublin Airport Terminal 1 (9AM) (Only had time to run Main Network Tests)
O2 Contract 3G Only 0.25Mbps Down, 0.30Mbps Up
Three 3G Only 7.46Mbps Down, 1.07Mbps Up
Vodafone 3G 6.07Mbps Down, 3.93Mbps Up
BT Mobile 3G 3.16Mbps Down, 1.64 Up
Winner at Dublin Airport: Three, 2nd Vodafone
3rd Test Centre of Dublin O’Connell Street (10.30AM)
O2 Contract 3G Only 0.49Mbps Down, 0.58Mbps Up
O2 PAYG 3G Only 1.84Mbps Down, 0.44Mbps Up
Three 3G Only 7.46Mbps Down, 1.07Mbps Up
Vodafone 4G 26.30Mbps Down, 11.01Mbps Up
Tesco PAYG 3G Only 2.09Mbps Down, 1.12Mbps Up
BT Mobile 3G 4.59Mbps Down, 1.21Mbps Up
Asda Mobile 3G 3.89Mbps Down, 0.46Mbps Up
Winner on O’Connell Street: Vodafone, 2nd Three
4Th Test was done in the ILAC Shopping Centre in Dublin Centre (12 Noon)
O2 Contract 3G Only 0.50Mbps Down, 0.49Mbps Up
O2 PAYG 3G Only 4.44Mbps Down, 1.43Mbps Up
Three 3G Only 0.86Mbps Down, 0.41Mbps Up
Vodafone 4G 43.73Mbps Down, 26.74Mbps Up
Tesco PAYG 3G Only 2.25Mbps Down, 0.83Mbps Up
BT Mobile 4G 13.56Mbps Down, 23.91Mbps Up
Asda Mobile 4G 26.68Mbps Down, 21.70Mbps Up
Winner in ILAN Centre: Vodafone, 2nd Place Asda
5th Test was done in Burger King Centre of Dublin (2.40PM)
O2 Contract 3G Only 0.51Mbps Down, 1.04Mbps Up
O2 PAYG 3G Only 0.91Mbps Down, 0.18Mbps Up
Three 3G Only 7.41Mbps Down, 0.35Mbps Up
Vodafone 4G 16.66Mbps Down, 14.45Mbps Up
Tesco PAYG 3G Only 5.65Mbps Down, 0.64Mbps Up
BT Mobile 3G 19.05Mbps Down, 3.53Mbps Up
Asda Mobile 3G 9.16Mbps Down, 0.27Mbps Up
Winner in ILAN Centre: BT Mobile (3G), 2nd Place Vodafone (4G)
6th Test was done on the River Bank in Dublin Centre. Only 3 Tests ran (4.20PM)
O2 Contract 3G Only 0.57Mbps Down, 0.42Mbps Up
Three 3G Only 0.52Mbps Down, 0.29Mbps Up
Vodafone 4G 121.07 Down, 26.95 Up
Winner: Vodafone, I’m not even awarding a 2nd Place as no network deserved it.
7th Place Was done at International Banking Centre Dublin (5.40PM)
O2 Contract 3G Only 0.58Mbps Down, 1.01Mbps Up
O2 PAYG 3G Only 6.76Mbps Down, 1.10Mbps Up
Three 3G Only 0.30Mbps Down, 0.35Mbps Up
Vodafone 3G 2.70Mbps Down, 3.03Mbps Up
Tesco PAYG 3G Only 1.46Mbps Down, 0.96Mbps Up
BT Mobile 4G 1.16Mbps Down, 10.40Mbps Up
Asda Mobile 3G 1.82Mbps Down, 0.23Mbps Up
Winner Int Bank Centre: O2 PAYG, 2nd Place Vodafone
8th and Final Test Dublin Airport at Gate waiting to Board Aircraft (8PM)
O2 Contract 3G Only 0.57Mbps Down, 0.56Mbps Up
O2 PAYG 3G Only 3.90Mbps Down, 1.12Mbps Up
Three 3G Only 0.42Mbps Down, 0.35Mbps Up
Vodafone 4G 26.22Mbps Down, 2.95Mbps Up
Tesco PAYG 3G Only 0.08Mbps Down, 0.54Mbps Up
BT Mobile 3G 1.72Mbps Down, 0.34Mbps Up
Asda Mobile 3G 0.23Mbps Down, 00.07Mbps Up
Winner in ILAN Centre: Vodafone, 2nd Place O2 PAYG Just
Findings
O2 Contract is throttled beyond believe. You could see the phone trying its hardest and on many occasions starting the speed test I was getting 10+ Mbps, however throttling kicked in and it went straight to 0.50 mostly. I’m appalled that it’s still throttled badly and its shocking that 4G is still not available. What I can tell you though is that 4G is trying to Activate on O2, but it forces your phone back to 3G. before it would say Network Failure, now it says Network Registered, but would revert to 3G. so O2 need to just put a tick in a box, unlock 4G please and also remove the blasting throttling that your killing us with. Also, O2 Contract is throttled, but not PAYG, what is wrong with O2.
O2 PAYG was not throttled as I could see and speeds varied over Dublin. The main problem is that it would not clamp onto 4G no matter how hard I tried, I was able to connect to Metor and Three, however there wasn’t much difference in them both, the phone would always revert back to Three as its preferred network.
Three Contract, Wow this was all over the place, no data in Manchester and although it didn’t look throttled in Dublin itself, speeds were very hit and miss. The main problem is that Three latches onto its home Three IE network and just doesn’t really let go, Three IE seems somewhat hit and miss and I think that most of the masts are just congested.
BT Mobile, put in a good performance but couldn’t clamp onto 4G much, which was the same as Asda Mobile. The main reason is there network of choice which again is Three IE. Data rates were all over the place. Lots of places were just congested, but no data restrictions were in place for what I could see
Asda Mobile were the same as BT Mobile. No restrictions but struggled on the preferred network which again was Three IE. Shame really as was impressed that a Supermarket PAYG got 4G overseas.
Tesco’s was just hampered with the lack of no 4G. It was never no clear winner, but there wasn’t a restriction in place which is good for a Supermarket Network.
Clear Winner has to be Vodafone. No matter how you look at it, it just won from the word go. It was pretty solid all over on 4G, just reverted to 3G in shops etc, but the 121Mbps download on 4G just shows that they have truly meant what they said and no restrictions at all. The choice of network was Vodafone IE which clearly showed that they have spent money in the network in the city and I’ve no doubt that If the sim card was in my iPhone 7+, the data would have been much higher
Position UK Network 3G/4G in EU EU Network used
1st Place Vodafone (4G and 3G) (Vodafone IE)
2nd Place BT Mobile (4G and 3G) (Three IE and Metor)
3rd Place Asda (4G and 3G) (Three IE and Metor)
4th Place O2 PAYG (3G Only) (Three IE and Metor)
5th Place Three (3G Only) (Three IE) (No Data in MCR Airport Data all over place)
6th Place O2 Contract (3G Only) (Three IE and Metor) (Throttled)
I really do hope you enjoyed reading this. O2 Please please please, enable 4G roaming and stop Throttling, its making you look like cheap skates and bad as a network for over seas.
And what are you throttling only O2 Contract customers?
on 23-05-2018 20:46
on 23-05-2018 20:46
@Unknown_M wrote:
Watch out for something happening to data outside the EU from mid June 😌
Why, what's on the horizon?
on 23-05-2018 21:02
on 23-05-2018 21:02
@pgn wrote:
@Unknown_M wrote:
Watch out for something happening to data outside the EU from mid June 😌Why, what's on the horizon?
Whatever it is, I'm sure @darrengf has got it covered.
on 23-05-2018 21:09
on 23-05-2018 21:09
on 23-05-2018 21:14
on 23-05-2018 21:14
on 23-05-2018 21:40
23-05-2018 22:59 - edited 23-05-2018 23:00
23-05-2018 22:59 - edited 23-05-2018 23:00
@Unknown_M wrote:
Let's just say.... the choke is about to be lifted.
Link/Evidence @Unknown_M?.... Not doubting you may be right, but having a link to prove it would be good
Veritas Numquam Perit
23-05-2018 23:12 - edited 23-05-2018 23:50
23-05-2018 23:12 - edited 23-05-2018 23:50
Mmmm now this is intesting. Escapade my radar but I’m on it lol.
i know of possibly one more country to 4G roaming. This is Sweden. However this is very vague info, so may be totally incorrect.
also Additional 4G roaming countries are expected to be added by the end of May 2018. From one of the posts 😀
i wonder what the changes are.
at presemt o2 offer 4G in places like Australia, Canada and USA for example.
but speeds are restricted and data allowance is also restricted. To enable true 4G are o2 going to remove the “Choke” and possible also allow data to come from you own allowance just like you can on other networks. So no more being restricted.
24-05-2018 00:07 - edited 24-05-2018 00:08
24-05-2018 00:07 - edited 24-05-2018 00:08
So this doesn’t answer the question.
but may now shed a little more light what is possibly happening.
please note that the info below is business tariffs on o2. But if you look at all th changes. And if you have seen all the roaming changes early this month on Vodafone adding more countries to global roaming as well. Something like this may be coming to consumer on o2. Who knows. But will keep looking and asking for info unless some one posts first 😉
again nothing concrete and it may be all completely incorrect.
But imwill I’ll let you read it any how
http://www.solutionconsultants.co.uk/changes-world-traveller-select-mobile-roaming-tariffs/
on 24-05-2018 01:30
on 24-05-2018 01:30
tbh @darrengf if that is it I can't say that I would be overly excited, if it's applie to consumer contracts.
Perhaps @Unknown_M can drop a further hint as my interpretation of the choke coming off would be no more data throttling outside the EU?
on 24-05-2018 06:55
on 24-05-2018 06:55
@jonsie wrote:tbh @darrengf if that is it I can't say that I would be overly excited, if it's applie to consumer contracts.
Perhaps @Unknown_M can drop a further hint as my interpretation of the choke coming off would be no more data throttling outside the EU?
I did ask if @Unknown_M would give us a source for the comment 'the choke is coming off' @jonsie @darrengf, Sadly, nothing was forthcoming (which is a bit frustrating to say the least)
Veritas Numquam Perit