No response from customer services

[Avinunca1]

Twice now I have emailed O2 to complain about poor mobile data provision in Shrewsbury town centre. Twice they have acknowledged my complaint telling me they would respond within 7 days. First email from them 31st Dec and second 20th Jan.

I suspect O2 have moved internet provision away from older networks 3g/4G etc to 5G.

Just a short walk away from the town centre I am easily able to use message services and call up websites. In the centre however it is very difficult to use services requiring mobile data and I have to use wifi from shops or cafés. My phone of course does not have 5G.

Calls in and out work fine.

Question is - does O2 still respond to complaints or do they ignore them?

[Avinunca1]

I run the Network Server app whenecer I am in the town centre. It ALWAYS indicates a data problem. I always flag it but nothing happens. Maybe if hundreds of people did the same O2 might improve provisioning.

[pgn]

That is how it's meant to work, @Avinunca1 - a social app on many phones reporting home when it can.

I know I get SMS notifications when work is planned on the mast closest to where I work (they were preparing it for 5G not long ago, SMS before work start, during work and after completion, all unprompted - and 4G signal was ropey for a couple of days while work was in progress). 

Google Maps does the same, that is how it generates the red and yellow for traffic at various junctions.

Perhaps the My Network app was ahead of its time, O2 used to have some very good ideas for apps, many of which went out to users for a while, and then just got chopped, alas: TuGo was one that I can remember, very useful as it brought the phone to your desktop PC so you could see and send SMS from your "proper" keyboard. They canned it 🤷‍♀️

O2 have a lot to do to get their network up to spec for the additional user load after Virgin Media and O2 merged - but their update to MyO2 has stretched them further than they can go in other areas, I feel.

Keep reporting those signal drops, and I hope WiFi Calling, if you are eligible, works for you in some of these places: https://www.o2.co.uk/connectivity/wifi-and-4g-calling (not available for PAYG customers, Contract only!). Good luck!

[japitts]

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@Avinunca1 wrote:

After pestering O2 on FB I had a response. They couldn't give me any detail on network improvement plans or any timescale.

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This is no surprise. Precise plans on dealing with network rollout, which includes capacity, tech & carrier-adds, will be specific to the teams directly involved. Frontline CS will see the "there is an issue" flag and have limited, if any, further info.

Sometimes fixes are long-term ones, but all operators have these issues from time-to-time - some to worse degrees than others.

Users need to factor quality of network service into their purchasing decisions, and bear that in mind alongside an operator's pricing and other factors.

[madasaf1sh]

@japitts 

You just need to read some of the more techy communities to see that all 4 MNO's have the same issues in different parts of the country, and a lot of it is down to planning been refused, I think one town had 9 mast applications refused.. and a local group was proud of it, and that town now has poor mobile and broadband coverage... 

@Avinunca1 

If you log onto your local council planning portal, and see any mast applications then add your support to them, as unfortunately a lot of NIMBYISM in getting infrastructure installed..  Or find a very large local company who is willing to contribute to a mobile network's infrastructure,  but make sure they have deep pockets...  and raise it with your local council, as it wont just be o2..

[Avinunca1]

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0017/232082/mobile-spectrum-demand-discussion-paper....

Quick read page 42

This is very informative. Looks like the issue I complain about - non existent mobile data in town centres isn't going away anytime soon. I will look at my council's planning portal. I know a move to BT/EE would help but I stick with O2 as they haven't broken their promise on post Brex**it charging on European roaming charging.

[japitts]

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@madasaf1sh wrote:

a lot of it is down to planning been refused

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That's not even the half of it. From extensive experience, the planning system is a huge frustration for all operators - but there's also plenty of potential for delay outside that.

Technology-adds & carrier-adds can sometimes be as complex as new site builds - it all depends on the individual site config & what changes are needed.

Some networks have been more proactive than others over recent years though, now being a little caught behind others.