4G Virtual Interview- 03/10/13 - Page 5

Anonymous · ‎22-09-2013

Hey Guys.

We know how excited you are by 4G, so we want to give you all the chance to ask our experts questions in the form of our Virtual Interview!

We've got Sarah Craig and Alistair Baird from our 4G delivery team who'll be here on the 3^rd of October answering your questions, say hello to them! They’re really looking forward to getting you the latest and greatest information on O2 4G

As you know we’re bringing 13 cities 4G by the end of the year so we really want to know what questions you have, this will help us make sure we're doing all we can to get it right.

If you’re new to the community and want to get involved in this Virtual Interview check out our guide on what to do to ask a question, remember you need to be logged in to ask us. The guide on how to register/login to the community can be found here

To get your question answered by the team, simply reply to this thread below.

The Virtual interview will be at 12:30pm till 1:30pm on the 3rd of October, to take part just ask your question on this thread, if we don’t answer you in the hour we’ll make sure your question gets answered!

Ask away guys, look forward to seeing all of your questions!

Thanks

Brad

Anonymous · ‎03-10-2013

Hi Aldaweb,
Thanks for your question.
In terms of coverage we are continuing to improve coverage in launched cities as we continue to rollout in launch areas.
Also in response to your question on VoLTE, the TEF group are trialling this technolog in Germany at the moment, but we have no current plans in the UK. Question back, do you think customers are interested in this technology?

Anonymous · ‎03-10-2013

@MI5 wrote:
Hi Sarah, looking forward to this - I'm considering a 4G contract right now....

Hi MI5

That's great news, I look forward to hearing how you get on and thanks for your fast response to so many questions!

MI5 · ‎03-10-2013

I hope I'm not disappointed

Will 3G and 4G signals be comparable in all areas or will there be areas where one signal is stronger than the other? (Obviously talking about 4G enabled areas)...?

I have no affiliation whatsoever with O2 or any subsidiary companies. Comments posted are entirely of my own opinion. This is not Customer Service so we are unable to help with account specific issues.
Please select the post that helped you best and mark as the solution. This helps other members in resolving their issues faster. Thank you.

Anonymous · ‎03-10-2013

Thanks for your question PhoneCharger,
3 more cities are coming soon - Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow and then Newcastle and Edinburgh are before christmas. Next years plans are under currently construction.

Anonymous · ‎03-10-2013

@Anonymous wrote:
Hi Brad,

Thanks for providing us with the chance to speak to the 4G people themselves.
Now, the link you gave to the guide just takes us to the main O2 Community FAQ/guidance notes. Nothing specific about this interview. I assume we start posting in here and those guys will come on that day and answer questions that we've posted?

Furthermore, my questions would be:

a) Precisely what form of 4G is O2 using? Is it one where the entire network is 4G and all calls also go through the data connection? Or is it a variant where calls still go through circuit-switched GSM/3G?

b) Is handover going to work as seamlessly as 3G, i.e. will we get seamless service (for example streaming music) while travelling and going between 4G and 3G coverage areas?

Hi DonDino,

a) The underlying technology is LTE which is a data only bearer and so calls drop back to our 3G.

b) Customers will experience seemless connectivity between 4G and 3G.

Anonymous · ‎03-10-2013

@MI5 wrote:
I hope I'm not disappointed
Will 3G and 4G signals be comparable in all areas or will there be areas where one signal is stronger than the other? (Obviously talking about 4G enabled areas)...?

Hi MI5

that's our aim. Alistair, anything to add?

Anonymous · ‎03-10-2013

Hi Mark,
We plan to have 98% coverage for 2G/3G & 4G within 2 years of our regulatory commitment of 2017. Its a key commitment from O2 that we are committed to all technology layers, not just 4G.

Anonymous · ‎03-10-2013

Hi MI5, so as part of our network planning we make sure the 3G & 4G layers overlap with a very similar footprint.

MI5 · ‎03-10-2013

OK, thanks both...

I have no affiliation whatsoever with O2 or any subsidiary companies. Comments posted are entirely of my own opinion. This is not Customer Service so we are unable to help with account specific issues.
Please select the post that helped you best and mark as the solution. This helps other members in resolving their issues faster. Thank you.

Anonymous · ‎03-10-2013

@Anonymous wrote:
1. Has O2 passed Apple's 4G tests and when will Apple allow O2 4G on its handsets (as in weeks is highly vague answer)?
2. How does O2 plan to support multiple users on its 4G network in coming years (as 4G subscribers increase YoY ) in densely populated areas (eg. Central London) as it does not hold any 2.6 GHz frequency?

Hi Mezz

Apple settings have been available since 27th September. We are really pleased with our outcome from the auction as this gives the best spectrum for indoor customer experience and for reach so that we can get to 98% of the population. As traffic increases there are options for increasing capacity like small cells. Our techie teams are already looking at the choices.