Unusable 4g

[jg]

I use a HUAWEI B818 4g router connected to a good external antenna. Postcode is L372eb. For 5 years I have paid over £20 pcm for data. It seldom works. Today it will not even loan internet speed checkers. At this location , a 400 caravan park there is no WiFi, no landline often no 2 g mobile signal. So often no access to emergency services. Ofcom say 02 is the only Signal here. Each year I raise this issue as a complaint to O2. Every time they say we are working on the mast but each year it gets worse. I am told the mast does not have enough’ back haul’  bandwidth?

It is a holiday destination so on sunny days no 4g. I know of several cases of my neighbours having to walk around the park in rain in the dark to get a 2g signal for an ambulance. Technically I am paying o2 for a service which is not fit for purpose. Of course their coverage map says good 4g. I know of over 100 caravans with 4g antennas many who tell me of unusable signal. I have spent over £600 on equipment but still often no 4g. Or less than 1 mbs. I  have a family member on the same park we can not phone each other we have to text! I believe o2 has a moral and customer safety liability to rectify this but they refuse. 

[MI5 · Accepted solution]

@jg 

There is no liability on any network to provide a signal everywhere.

Status checkers are computer simulations only and are not to be relied on.

Sounds like you are in a dead spot so mobile comms are not suitable for that location.

[madasaf1sh]

@jg 

o2 have no such responsibility, and do not guarantee coverage, and the Coverage Map is a computer simulation, and should not be relied upon for detailed coverage, and to data there is no minimum data speed, and its all contended so if everyone is using data, then it will slow down for everyone.

Have a look here for Service Status https://status.o2.co.uk for issues with local masts

Get the Holiday Park, to pay for a Mast, or for you all to contribute to the £100K cost to implement one, or get the Holiday Park to invest in WiFi Service, which would be a lot cheaper.

Your over option is to move to a network that provide coverage in that area, such as EE, and OfCom cant be relied upon for any information.

Just to add if calling 999 your call will be connected to any network..

[Enlli]

400 Caravans in one place many using mobile for broadband is going to put a strain on any network. And is yours the only site or are there others close by?

You say you have put up with this for 5 years? Have you not experimented with other networks in that time, or is it they don't supply a signal there, or in the same position.

[jg]

Thanks but according to Ofcom 02 has the only signal here. Sadly the park owner tells us we don’t need WiFi ( even if there are 100 4g antennas and we are all paying for data. She says wifi will stop the children playing out!

[Enlli]

OK. Looked at your location on Google earth. With Liverpool Bay to one side and the NT nature reserve to the other there is little maneuver for masts. 

They could put one up at the back nearer to Formby, but it would have to be tall and that is never going to get passed by planning permission and the NIMBY brigade.

[jg]

Thanks but I have tried other providers and EE was worse than o2. 

[madasaf1sh]

@jg 

Sounds like the Park owner is trying to cheap out, and understand they can make money from it..

I can see EE has coverage, as does Vodafone, when looking at the masts on Cellmapper, you will only get about 7Mbps though...

[jg]

7 mbs would be fantastic! I spoke to a company who would install full fibre to the site all for free, take payment over a website and allow the site owner to set the price levels and receive payment. But she hasn’t even got a card machine and still wants cheque payment. This is however a worrying safety issue. 

[jg]

Also this is a holiday location so gets very crowded on sunny days and therefore no 4g which we need to use wifi calls.