O2 (giff gaff) 3G, will it get better?

Ultraman1966Ultraman1966 Posts: 271
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I know this sounds like a stupid question but it's 2013 now and I'm still finding that O2 has pretty poor 3G coverage; or where they do have coverage the data speed is vastly inferior to Three and/or EE (T-mobile).
I've been with Giff Gaff for 6 months nearly and I kind of want to switch to Three for a trial but I know it'll be a hassle getting my PAC from Three (from personal experience).

Seeing as O2 is very secretive about network upgrades, what is the deal? Now that 4G spectrums are pretty much secured will they push quickly to upgrade their equipment and boost their networks or continue to have a second rate network?
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Comments

  • jabbamk1jabbamk1 Posts: 8,942
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    I know this sounds like a stupid question but it's 2013 now and I'm still finding that O2 has pretty poor 3G coverage; or where they do have coverage the data speed is vastly inferior to Three and/or EE (T-mobile).
    I've been with Giff Gaff for 6 months nearly and I kind of want to switch to Three for a trial but I know it'll be a hassle getting my PAC from Three (from personal experience).

    Seeing as O2 is very secretive about network upgrades, what is the deal? Now that 4G spectrums are pretty much secured will they push quickly to upgrade their equipment and boost their networks or continue to have a second rate network?

    Answered your own question mate.

    From what i've heard the O2 network should be amazing by the end of this year. But then i was told that by an O2 employee.... and he told me that last year as well.
  • Everything GoesEverything Goes Posts: 12,972
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    Criticising O2's against The Wavejock Commandments :eek:

    You 2 are in big trouble now :D
  • Ultraman1966Ultraman1966 Posts: 271
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    I'm not looking for absolute certainty but it'll be nice to have a vague idea. Having said that, I can't see O2 bothering...looks like I may have to jump ship after all...
  • gillyallangillyallan Posts: 31,708
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    When phone companies upgrade their networks to 4G will this also upgrade 3G in those areas ?
  • chenkschenks Posts: 13,231
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    bear in mind that giff gaff has a lower priority on the O2 network than actual O2 customers.
  • Ultraman1966Ultraman1966 Posts: 271
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    That would explain the pathetic download speeds but wouldn't account for the poor 3G coverage.
  • Thine WonkThine Wonk Posts: 17,190
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    Well they have a lot of catching up to do. They were 5 years behind 3 / EE in terms of 3G coverage, so they aren't going to jump from 85% to 98% over night. Of course MBNL is a moving target too, as they are also upgrading and spending money each year.

    For me O2 are far too secretive, making it really hard to see 3G only on the coverage map, they used to even stop you from zooming out on the map. We get no idea of what they are working on over the next 12 months, or what improvements customers will see.

    I'd stick with what you know is good until O2 improve and then cut over if you want. I wouldn't change on the promise of improvements, which might not happen and remember EE / 3 are improving all the time too, speeds have doubled between root metrics surveys in the places they re-visited.
  • mooxmoox Posts: 18,880
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    It certainly hasn't changed much in the last few years down here - if it's not an urban area you can forget it. EE and 3 have done so much better in the same time.

    Although their local cell that serves the nearby A-road has been upgraded and it can deliver some impressive speeds. 11+ Mbps last time I tried. It doesn't really serve the village though, none of the cell sites there reach into my village enough (the O2 and EE/3 (MBNL?) sites have been upgraded, I don't think Vodafone has)
  • gomezzgomezz Posts: 44,505
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    I know it'll be a hassle getting my PAC from Three (from personal experience)
    You mean getting a PAC from O2? :confused:
  • The SackThe Sack Posts: 10,334
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    chenks wrote: »
    bear in mind that giff gaff has a lower priority on the O2 network than actual O2 customers.

    Thing is i know several people that moved from O2 to GiffGaff and said there 3g coverage is much improved.

    I dont see how but they are adamant it is.
  • chenkschenks Posts: 13,231
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    The Sack wrote: »
    Thing is i know several people that moved from O2 to GiffGaff and said there 3g coverage is much improved.

    I dont see how but they are adamant it is.

    considering they both use the same masts, then it's most likely placebo affect kicking in.

    giff gaff gets lower priority than even o2 PAYG customers, so they are third in the priority list i believe.

    if the particular mast you are connected to is close to capacity then giff gaff customers will get dropped to cater for real O2 customers.
  • The Lord LucanThe Lord Lucan Posts: 5,054
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    Yeah.. total placebo affect. I've had people argue with me that GG has it's own network that has better coverage than O2 also... Even stating they found O2's coverage was rubbish but GG is miles better!!!! :eek:

    In general i find a lot of GG customers fairly uneducated about what they are on, that it is actually owned by O2 and that gets less priority in general network wise.
  • mooxmoox Posts: 18,880
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    In general i find a lot of GG customers fairly uneducated about what they are on, that it is actually owned by O2 and that gets less priority in general network wise.

    I think all GG customers know about is a) how cheap it is, although you don't have to pay much more elsewhere and b) how to work the stupid referral system for maximum free credit - look at their forums, everyone has got a referral link for free SIMs.
  • wavejockglwwavejockglw Posts: 10,596
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    GiffGaff seems to work pretty well in most major cities and is a good option for students and others who don't want commitment. The £10 deal is great value now as is the 312 Goodybag with unlimited data, although it has no tethering option. I know quite a few students with smartphones who use GiffGaff in Glasgow and their opinions of it have been positive.

    The proposition is a budget one with nothing much in the way of extras but it has a following that seems to be growing and meets the needs of those who have a limited amount of money to spend.

    As for the OP's original question 'will it get better'? Of course it will as cornerstone rolls out and delivers improved coverage and capacity for both O2 and Vodafone over the next few years.
  • The Lord LucanThe Lord Lucan Posts: 5,054
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    Cornerstone.. What's that??
  • wavejockglwwavejockglw Posts: 10,596
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    Cornerstone.. What's that??

    It's what they used as a project name for mast sharing previously and some still refer to the new project as that.

    More Information:

    Telefónica UK and Vodafone UK propose jointly to operate and manage a single network grid in the UK that will run two competing nationwide mobile internet and voice networks. Both companies will retain complete control over their wireless spectrum, intelligent core networks and customer data. They will continue to actively compete with each other in all products and services, enabled through the ‘intelligent’ parts of their networks.

    A new 50/50 joint venture company will be created through the consolidation of both Telefónica UK and Vodafone UK’s existing basic network infrastructure***, including towers and masts, which will be transferred to the joint venture or decommissioned over time. Under the proposals, both companies will have access to a single grid of 18,500 masts representing an increase in sites of more than 40% for each operator. The joint venture will also be responsible for the building of new sites needed to extend coverage into rural and remote areas.

    There will be opportunities for the decommissioning of duplicate sites and, as a result, the two companies expect there will be a more than 10% overall reduction in the total number of sites, in the UK, used by the two operators.

    Each operator will over time take the responsibility for design, management and maintenance of the radio equipment as well as local transmission (that connects to each operator’s intelligent backbone network) in one half of the country. Telefónica UK will manage and maintain these elements in the East (including Northern Ireland and most of Scotland) and Vodafone UK in the West (including Wales).

    Just as under Cornerstone, the two companies’ existing network partnership, all shared sites will continue to carry Telefónica UK’s traffic on Telefónica’s spectrum and Vodafone UK’s traffic on Vodafone’s spectrum.

    http://www.modaco.com/page/news/_/android/anything-you-can-do-o2-and-vodafone-uk-agree-network-sharing-deal-r770
  • denial_orstupiddenial_orstupid Posts: 665
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    moox wrote: »
    I think all GG customers know about is a) how cheap it is, although you don't have to pay much more elsewhere and b) how to work the stupid referral system for maximum free credit - look at their forums, everyone has got a referral link for free SIMs.

    that stupid referral system earned me £3,425 last year and i am on course to make it £3,000 again this year .

    really stupid :rolleyes:

    people on there making far more than me too .
  • chenkschenks Posts: 13,231
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    GiffGaff seems to work pretty well in most major cities and is a good option for students and others who don't want commitment. The £10 deal is great value now as is the 312 Goodybag with unlimited data, although it has no tethering option. I know quite a few students with smartphones who use GiffGaff in Glasgow and their opinions of it have been positive.

    The proposition is a budget one with nothing much in the way of extras but it has a following that seems to be growing and meets the needs of those who have a limited amount of money to spend.

    As for the OP's original question 'will it get better'? Of course it will as cornerstone rolls out and delivers improved coverage and capacity for both O2 and Vodafone over the next few years.

    do you have a piece of O2 propaganda for all occasions?? :D
  • mooxmoox Posts: 18,880
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    that stupid referral system earned me £3,425 last year and i am on course to make it £3,000 again this year .

    really stupid :rolleyes:

    people on there making far more than me too .

    Good for you - I'll stick to being with a proper network where I can actually get customer service and whose forums aren't full of people trying to shove their bloody SIM cards down my throat or giving obvious answers to questions to get some sort of internet points.

    Sounds like a lot of work just to get 3 grand. A proper job would probably get you more for less.
  • mooxmoox Posts: 18,880
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    GiffGaff seems to work pretty well in most major cities and is a good option for students and others who don't want commitment. The £10 deal is great value now as is the 312 Goodybag with unlimited data, although it has no tethering option. I know quite a few students with smartphones who use GiffGaff in Glasgow and their opinions of it have been positive.

    The proposition is a budget one with nothing much in the way of extras but it has a following that seems to be growing and meets the needs of those who have a limited amount of money to spend.

    As for the OP's original question 'will it get better'? Of course it will as cornerstone rolls out and delivers improved coverage and capacity for both O2 and Vodafone over the next few years.

    As a recent student, no one I know uses PAYG anymore. Many of them are on the usual expensive contracts to get that "free" phone, and the few that are on SIM free contracts have only done so after I said how much cheaper it can be.

    Lack of money? Plenty of it for going out, I've found...
  • jabbamk1jabbamk1 Posts: 8,942
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    Cornerstone.. What's that??

    .... :eek:
  • wavejockglwwavejockglw Posts: 10,596
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    chenks wrote: »
    do you have a piece of O2 propaganda for all occasions?? :D

    No - just like to balance things when others post endlessly about lack of O2 3G coverage. Recent surveys published don't seem to have found O2 much worse than others. Of course as stated already, reading comments on here you would never think so.

    It would be hard for O2, Tesco Mobile and giffgaff to retain customers if the user experience was anything like that described so often here. O2, Tesco Mobile and giffgaff are all gaining customers as a result of having such a poor network! EE with all their network improvements have lost 1 million customers in 12 months!

    The evidence speaks for itself! Remember that old story about the hare and the tortoise!
  • chenkschenks Posts: 13,231
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    No - just like to balance things when others post endlessly about lack of O2 3G coverage. Recent surveys published don't seem to have found O2 much worse than others. Of course as stated already, reading comments on here you would never think so.

    It would be hard for O2, Tesco Mobile and giffgaff to retain customers if the user experience was anything like that described so often here. O2, Tesco Mobile and giffgaff are all gaining customers as a result of having such a poor network! EE with all their network improvements have lost 1 million customers in 12 months!

    The evidence speaks for itself! Remember that old story about the hare and the tortoise!

    as an O2 customer (having been one since 2007), i can say that, in my area anyway, the 3G coverage is pretty poor.

    i only stick with O2 as i have a really cheap sim only deal that still gives me unlimited data and no other other can get close to the price i pay for it. (£15pm with 30% f&f discount).
  • wavejockglwwavejockglw Posts: 10,596
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    chenks wrote: »
    as an O2 customer (having been one since 2007), i can say that, in my area anyway, the 3G coverage is pretty poor.

    i only stick with O2 as i have a really cheap sim only deal that still gives me unlimited data and no other other can get close to the price i pay for it. (£15pm with 30% f&f discount).

    My only question would have to be, If it's so poor what good is it regardless how cheap it is.

    A bargain is not a bargain if you can't get value from it.
  • The Lord LucanThe Lord Lucan Posts: 5,054
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    Exactly when prices are so low.. expectations are also. O2 have been vigorously trying to undercut the competition in recent months.
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