Work is planned again for my area over the course of 4 days, they changed the entire poll last week.
"Scaffolding the area around the pole, removing the shroud and investigating faulty kit contained within. Some cab work may be necessary but this will be minimal and insubstantial."
That's what it says, who knows Three may finally be installing their Samsung cab, it may have already done so and may need to tweak it a bit.
I can only hope...
Haha as a laugh i've just checked coverage checker myself apparently there is work on my local mast on the 20th for 6-8 Hrs. Seeing as my local mast still hasn't even got EE 4G yet no chance of that being 4G added. Though it could be prep work for 4G the mast has been DC-HSDPA for at least a year or two now.
Maybe it's getting denser or improved 4G coverage. Last time I was there it was awful - low signal strength and/or very poor speeds
SIgnal strength outside is fine, usually full or near full bars (city center) and driving, speeds were pretty good last time I tested on the highstreet, I'll test again at lunch.
Indoors is a different story, currently here in the office its 0-1 bars of 4G with -108dBm shown in the Network Signal Info app = speedtests of 4.4down/2.8up. Certainly better than 3G though, full signal bars at -83dBm = 0.57down/0.12up.
What signal? It was promised around here nine months ago and still nothing. Asked in the local 3 shop said last Saturday, they said it would be 'summer' but they didn't really know. (Very nice young lady though). ;-)
It should be easier for them to rollout 4g as well shouldn't it because EE has done most of their masts in preparation already. I know it's free but I think I would have rather paid a bit more with them and actually be able to get it. Seriously considering moving to another network.
For me as well it's the total lying. My postcode has been stuck on next 3 months for half a year and let's not forgot the 2014 list that was a complete fabrication. I'll wait and see what the April update to the list brings but I doubt it'll be good news.
SIgnal strength outside is fine, usually full or near full bars (city center) and driving, speeds were pretty good last time I tested on the highstreet, I'll test again at lunch.
Indoors is a different story, currently here in the office its 0-1 bars of 4G with -108dBm shown in the Network Signal Info app = speedtests of 4.4down/2.8up. Certainly better than 3G though, full signal bars at -83dBm = 0.57down/0.12up.
The speeds sound about the same as when I was there (the 3G is especially awful as you say). I was around and in train station / the road with the Sainsburys on it while trying it
Just coming back from Birmingham and Three's 4G signal outside the NEC exhibition halls was pretty good (20 megabits in both directions) but venture inside and it was quickly back to 3G, and with cell breathing it often meant no data at all despite good signal.
By the time I checked in to the Premier Inn on the edge of the NEC complex, I could get 4G from my window (still reasonable speeds) but indoors within the hotel I had NO signal at all.
It's very frustrating to go to somewhere like the NEC (and there's also the airport on the other side of the complex) and have pretty much no signal indoors. It's not as if you're going to be outside a lot at either the exhibition centre or the airport!!
And how does Three cope when there are many exhibitions on at once? I was there yesterday for a trade day of Gadget Show Live that was mostly empty and to the best of my knowledge there was no other exhibitions in the whole complex!
It should be easier for them to rollout 4g as well shouldn't it because EE has done most of their masts in preparation already. I know it's free but I think I would have rather paid a bit more with them and actually be able to get it. Seriously considering moving to another network.
For me as well it's the total lying. My postcode has been stuck on next 3 months for half a year and let's not forgot the 2014 list that was a complete fabrication. I'll wait and see what the April update to the list brings but I doubt it'll be good news.
3 months appears to mean nothing to Three. They've been promising new masts to solve congestion in my area within "3 months", since 2013.
MBNL has changed 3 of the mast polls in the last 3 weeks around my area but ive never seen work being done over 4 days at the one near my house so there could be hope of 4g finally near my house as they have still only activated 2 masts for 4g and that was almost a year ago. I'm in London they need to get their act together because their rollout has seemed to have slowed considerably
Three's 4G rollout appears to have halted, or they're simply not updating the website to tell anyone to expect 4G in the next nnn months.
It was said that Three is rather quietly introducing 800MHz in many parts of London, so perhaps all priorities are on that now and we'll see very little improvement elsewhere until much later in the year.
It really is price and the unlimited data keeping me on Three now. Since before Christmas, my experience has fallen quite a bit. Areas that once offered me great service have become very variable, and I'm now getting many occasions where the phone loses signal completely as it switches from 3G to 4G and vice versa.
In some places three is excellent still. In York where I am now I'm getting 60mbps on Three and 85 on EE. They have the capability so either the money has dried up or they're changing their strategy heavily.
Three has clearly changed strategy and is now pushing to use 800MHz in many areas, which should actually make a big difference. It could mean slightly slower speeds, but at least make 4G available almost seamlessly within towns/cities - rather than this current mess of one or two sites amongst many 3G sites.
If I look at the battery stats on my phone, I can see just how often I now have red sections where my phone has been losing signal (presumably as it hops back and forth) and the increased battery drain - so this is also causing other problems too.
Now I understand Three changing strategy, but exactly when is 800MHz going to actually be open to the public, next quarter, before Christmas, before the end of 2016?
Even when it is available to the public, will 5MHz be enough for heavily congested areas, and then we have all the issues around VoLTE, CSFB etc. Many iPhone 5 users also won't be helped at all, apart from congestion relief due to users who used to be using 2100MHz 3G or 1800MHz 4G now moving over to 800MHz 4G.
I remember Jabba a couple of months ago putting a map up of the coverage expectations of where 1800mhz and 800mhz would be used, I have a feeling it was end of 2016. The 1800mhz would be where EE's coverage is now and 800mhz would be used elsewhere, but he did say that it's probably changed again since them.
I agree, this halfhearted effort is having an effect on all of my devices, the fact that my devices seem desperate to go to 4g is making my battery awful. I'd take 5 bars of DC-HSDPA over 1 bar of 4g but it's maul to switch each time.
On my EE sim the near contiguous coverage in the northwest works pretty well battery wise, presumably due to seamless handoffs and having more than 1 or 2 bars most of the time on 4g.
Yes I remember that map, it did actually make perfect sense for a cheap but good 4G rollout. Now if they actually had stuck to that plan I don't think we would have nealry half the complaints as we do on this forum.
I also share the exact same sentiments with you about EE in the northwest.
Three has clearly changed strategy and is now pushing to use 800MHz in many areas, which should actually make a big difference. It could mean slightly slower speeds, but at least make 4G available almost seamlessly within towns/cities - rather than this current mess of one or two sites amongst many 3G sites.
If I look at the battery stats on my phone, I can see just how often I now have red sections where my phone has been losing signal (presumably as it hops back and forth) and the increased battery drain - so this is also causing other problems too.
Honestly I think it's down to a lot of wrong decisions. If they had intended do a 800MHz rollout they should of not take the 2x15MHz of 1800MHz from EE. Ofcom were going let them have a 2x10MHz of 800MHz [Coverage Obligation lot] at reserve price and some reserve price 2600MHz. So they could be a true competitor in the UK. But instead they went with the EE 1800MHz block. Focusing on a 4G 1800MHz rollout which delayed there initial 4G rollout and now they have gone about face.
Honestly Its all down to the O2 deal they have obviously had an agreement at top that because they were intending buy O2 they needed switch to an 800MHz rollout. But in the process it has annoyed countless people and i've left the network and can't imagine i'm the only one.
Honestly that has got to change they have the 90% Geographic coverage obligation now. That obviously needs to be 4G 800MHz and just looking at that with the massive part of scotland missing I doubt it would be 90%.
I don;t understand how 5Mhz can be enough for any network really but that's probably because I don;t really understand how it is used mast to mast.
I mean since they only have 5Mhz won't it be the same chunk on each sector of every mast and if so how do you overlap one mast to the other??
I clearly know nothing!!
EDIT: I understand roughly how TDMA on 2G works with adjacent cells having different overlapping chunks of spectrum but how does it work on LTE with such a small amount of spectrum?
I don;t understand how 5Mhz can be enough for any network really but that's probably because I don;t really understand how it is used mast to mast.
I mean since they only have 5Mhz won't it be the same chunk on each sector of every mast and if so how do you overlap one mast to the other??
I clearly know nothing!!
I could explain but will just give you an example of how it won't work. Sprint in america run a 2x5MHz 1900MHz LTE network as there main band it is entirely awful. They are quickly rushing to try and push there 2500MHz TDD LTE rollout because they have massive congestion. I just can't see Three's Plan working at all specially with 1800MHz being so low powered on EE and Three.
Bare in mind that a 1900MHz network can handle data better than a 800MHz simply because of frequency as well. I haven't heard of any network doing what Three is.
Comments
Haha as a laugh i've just checked coverage checker myself apparently there is work on my local mast on the 20th for 6-8 Hrs. Seeing as my local mast still hasn't even got EE 4G yet no chance of that being 4G added. Though it could be prep work for 4G the mast has been DC-HSDPA for at least a year or two now.
Maybe it's getting denser or improved 4G coverage. Last time I was there it was awful - low signal strength and/or very poor speeds
But I haven't seen any improvement in the signal strength other than a slight increase in 3G speeds.
Work is once again planned for 10-04-2015.
SIgnal strength outside is fine, usually full or near full bars (city center) and driving, speeds were pretty good last time I tested on the highstreet, I'll test again at lunch.
Indoors is a different story, currently here in the office its 0-1 bars of 4G with -108dBm shown in the Network Signal Info app = speedtests of 4.4down/2.8up. Certainly better than 3G though, full signal bars at -83dBm = 0.57down/0.12up.
The signal is so crap most of the time because all of the networks enable two masts miles apart and in between it is 2G or 3G.
For me as well it's the total lying. My postcode has been stuck on next 3 months for half a year and let's not forgot the 2014 list that was a complete fabrication. I'll wait and see what the April update to the list brings but I doubt it'll be good news.
The speeds sound about the same as when I was there (the 3G is especially awful as you say). I was around and in train station / the road with the Sainsburys on it while trying it
EE's 4G network there is a lot better
By the time I checked in to the Premier Inn on the edge of the NEC complex, I could get 4G from my window (still reasonable speeds) but indoors within the hotel I had NO signal at all.
It's very frustrating to go to somewhere like the NEC (and there's also the airport on the other side of the complex) and have pretty much no signal indoors. It's not as if you're going to be outside a lot at either the exhibition centre or the airport!!
And how does Three cope when there are many exhibitions on at once? I was there yesterday for a trade day of Gadget Show Live that was mostly empty and to the best of my knowledge there was no other exhibitions in the whole complex!
3 months appears to mean nothing to Three. They've been promising new masts to solve congestion in my area within "3 months", since 2013.
It was said that Three is rather quietly introducing 800MHz in many parts of London, so perhaps all priorities are on that now and we'll see very little improvement elsewhere until much later in the year.
It really is price and the unlimited data keeping me on Three now. Since before Christmas, my experience has fallen quite a bit. Areas that once offered me great service have become very variable, and I'm now getting many occasions where the phone loses signal completely as it switches from 3G to 4G and vice versa.
I don't need unlimited data but I'd like more than a gig, and I couldn't care less about feel at home
If I look at the battery stats on my phone, I can see just how often I now have red sections where my phone has been losing signal (presumably as it hops back and forth) and the increased battery drain - so this is also causing other problems too.
Even when it is available to the public, will 5MHz be enough for heavily congested areas, and then we have all the issues around VoLTE, CSFB etc. Many iPhone 5 users also won't be helped at all, apart from congestion relief due to users who used to be using 2100MHz 3G or 1800MHz 4G now moving over to 800MHz 4G.
I agree, this halfhearted effort is having an effect on all of my devices, the fact that my devices seem desperate to go to 4g is making my battery awful. I'd take 5 bars of DC-HSDPA over 1 bar of 4g but it's maul to switch each time.
On my EE sim the near contiguous coverage in the northwest works pretty well battery wise, presumably due to seamless handoffs and having more than 1 or 2 bars most of the time on 4g.
I also share the exact same sentiments with you about EE in the northwest.
It's actually less than EE's current rollout.
Honestly I think it's down to a lot of wrong decisions. If they had intended do a 800MHz rollout they should of not take the 2x15MHz of 1800MHz from EE. Ofcom were going let them have a 2x10MHz of 800MHz [Coverage Obligation lot] at reserve price and some reserve price 2600MHz. So they could be a true competitor in the UK. But instead they went with the EE 1800MHz block. Focusing on a 4G 1800MHz rollout which delayed there initial 4G rollout and now they have gone about face.
Honestly Its all down to the O2 deal they have obviously had an agreement at top that because they were intending buy O2 they needed switch to an 800MHz rollout. But in the process it has annoyed countless people and i've left the network and can't imagine i'm the only one.
Honestly that has got to change they have the 90% Geographic coverage obligation now. That obviously needs to be 4G 800MHz and just looking at that with the massive part of scotland missing I doubt it would be 90%.
I mean since they only have 5Mhz won't it be the same chunk on each sector of every mast and if so how do you overlap one mast to the other??
I clearly know nothing!!
EDIT: I understand roughly how TDMA on 2G works with adjacent cells having different overlapping chunks of spectrum but how does it work on LTE with such a small amount of spectrum?
I could explain but will just give you an example of how it won't work. Sprint in america run a 2x5MHz 1900MHz LTE network as there main band it is entirely awful. They are quickly rushing to try and push there 2500MHz TDD LTE rollout because they have massive congestion. I just can't see Three's Plan working at all specially with 1800MHz being so low powered on EE and Three.
Bare in mind that a 1900MHz network can handle data better than a 800MHz simply because of frequency as well. I haven't heard of any network doing what Three is.
On LTE adjacent masts can use the same spectrum.