Which Network??

hybridtheory · 26/12/15 - 23:10

Hi

I currently have an iPhone 6S purchased from Apple. I'm out of contract and can leave at any time. I pay £15 pm for AYCE Data/Texts/Voice with 4Gb of Tethering. I have a Home Signal Box at home and at my fiancee's. While I've mostly been hapy with Three, I find it annoyed when I get dropped calls with I have signal or can't access webpages when I have signal. For example, when I leave my fiancees house no further than a few feet away, I have full signal but can't access the web. A simple webpage like Google wont load. While its great that Three have Feel at Home, Ive very rarely used the service.

I've been thinking of leaving Three for a while, according to my Three account I use about 1-2 GB of data each month.

I'm considering moving to either EE or Vodafone. Both newtworks have greats signal in my two main areas of concern.

For £18.89 I can get a sim only with EE with Unlimited Texts/Voice and 4GB of Data.

For £19.80 I can get a sim only with Vodafone with Unlimited Texts/Voice and 4GB of Data.

I'm really torn on what to do. Leave Three, but which network EE or Vodafone :-s

Thanks

Baz

d123 · 26/12/15 - 23:23

hybridtheory wrote: »

Hi

I currently have an iPhone 6S purchased from Apple. I'm out of contract and can leave at any time. I pay £15 pm for AYCE Data/Texts/Voice with 4Gb of Tethering. I have a Home Signal Box at home and at my fiancee's. While I've mostly been hapy with Three, I find it annoyed when I get dropped calls with I have signal or can't access webpages when I have signal. For example, when I leave my fiancees house no further than a few feet away, I have full signal but can't access the web. A simple webpage like Google wont load. While its great that Three have Feel at Home, Ive very rarely used the service.

I've been thinking of leaving Three for a while, according to my Three account I use about 1-2 GB of data each month.

I'm considering moving to either EE or Vodafone. Both newtworks have greats signal in my two main areas of concern.

For £18.89 I can get a sim only with EE with Unlimited Texts/Voice and 4GB of Data.

For £19.80 I can get a sim only with Vodafone with Unlimited Texts/Voice and 4GB of Data.

I'm really torn on what to do. Leave Three, but which network EE or Vodafone :-s

Thanks

Baz

Just minus the "thr" from your current network

.

No other network will compare for at lest the next year or 2.

thebennyboy · 26/12/15 - 23:34

EE is way better than Voda for overall coverage and quality of service. I would say EE hands down.

clewsy · 26/12/15 - 23:38

As VF and O2 share most sites. What about going with the MNVO like Tesco Mobile. £12.50 for 2gb of data sim only at the moment on one of their deals.

You get 4g with them, hence the reason I think as an MVNO that offers good service and value , you can't beat them.

thebennyboy · 26/12/15 - 23:43

Could also have a look at BT Mobile, they use EE but are way more reasonably priced.

£25 (£20 if you have BT Broadband) per month for 20GB data, Unlimited texts and minutes.

or

£14 (£9 if you have BT Broadband) per month for 2GB data, 500 mins and unlimited texts

£42 cashback through topcashback too with both plans.

d123 · 27/12/15 - 00:21

The only problem with recommending an MVNO is the fact that for the short term at least they are not going to be offering the 4G 'extras' like WifiCalling, VoLTE or even 800Mhz (with some networks).

The next year or 2 is probably best spent direct with a network if you fancy being able to use the network features to their maximum.

psychopomp1 · 27/12/15 - 05:15

Definitely EE as you will be be able to use Wifi calling & VoLTE (soon). However the same 4GB deal with EE works out at only 8.99 per month after 144.00 cashback by taking out the EE deal with mobilephonesdirect. Your contract will still be with EE direct

http://www.mobilephonesdirect.co.uk/sim-only-deals

Gigabit · 27/12/15 - 08:37

O2 and Vodafone share masts yes. However, Vodafone put their cells in more strategic locations on the mast than O2.

Randomguy1 · 27/12/15 - 09:29

psychopomp1 wrote: »

Definitely EE as you will be be able to use Wifi calling & VoLTE (soon). However the same 4GB deal with EE works out at only 8.99 per month after 144.00 cashback by taking out the EE deal with mobilephonesdirect. Your contract will still be with EE direct

http://www.mobilephonesdirect.co.uk/sim-only-deals

You can use wifi calling on Vodafone too.

[Deleted User] · 27/12/15 - 09:37

hybridtheory wrote: »

Hi

I currently have an iPhone 6S purchased from Apple. I'm out of contract and can leave at any time. I pay £15 pm for AYCE Data/Texts/Voice with 4Gb of Tethering. I have a Home Signal Box at home and at my fiancee's. While I've mostly been hapy with Three, I find it annoyed when I get dropped calls with I have signal or can't access webpages when I have signal. For example, when I leave my fiancees house no further than a few feet away, I have full signal but can't access the web. A simple webpage like Google wont load. While its great that Three have Feel at Home, Ive very rarely used the service.

I've been thinking of leaving Three for a while, according to my Three account I use about 1-2 GB of data each month.

I'm considering moving to either EE or Vodafone. Both newtworks have greats signal in my two main areas of concern.

For £18.89 I can get a sim only with EE with Unlimited Texts/Voice and 4GB of Data.

For £19.80 I can get a sim only with Vodafone with Unlimited Texts/Voice and 4GB of Data.

I'm really torn on what to do. Leave Three, but which network EE or Vodafone :-s

Thanks

Baz

Baz-which networks give you great/better coverage than 3?

d123 · 27/12/15 - 11:08

Randomguy1 wrote: »

You can use wifi calling on Vodafone too.

With a smaller range of handsets, and like the idiots that Vodafone are they made it literally WifiCalling, no support for SMS...

bigpete15 · 27/12/15 - 12:51

Baz, I notice your location is Antrim, I'm from ballymena myself, know all the networks fairly well in the greater Belfast / Co. Antrim areas. If you want to pm me a location I may be able to give you my coverage experience.
I use EE with an iPhone 6s for my personal line and highly recommend ee.
Current business phone from my employer is on Vodafone, previously my work phone was on o2 and in our local area I would say o2 is better than Vodafone. Neither coming close to the performance of ee

hybridtheory · 27/12/15 - 15:12

bigpete15 wrote: »

Baz, I notice your location is Antrim, I'm from ballymena myself, know all the networks fairly well in the greater Belfast / Co. Antrim areas. If you want to pm me a location I may be able to give you my coverage experience.
I use EE with an iPhone 6s for my personal line and highly recommend ee.
Current business phone from my employer is on Vodafone, previously my work phone was on o2 and in our local area I would say o2 is better than Vodafone. Neither coming close to the performance of ee

Hi

Yeah my location is Antrim, but I'm currently in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire. I used to be with o2 before switching to Three. o2 do have a high percentage of customers in Northern Ireland.

I'll pm u my Antrim post code.

Thanks

Baz

hybridtheory · 27/12/15 - 15:14

Silent No More wrote: »

Baz-which networks give you great/better coverage than 3?

Hi

According to EE's website I will have similar coverage from them in my two main areas. I guess the only way to be sure is order a free sim from EE and try it out.

Thanks

Baz

hybridtheory · 27/12/15 - 15:16

psychopomp1 wrote: »

Definitely EE as you will be be able to use Wifi calling & VoLTE (soon). However the same 4GB deal with EE works out at only 8.99 per month after 144.00 cashback by taking out the EE deal with mobilephonesdirect. Your contract will still be with EE direct

http://www.mobilephonesdirect.co.uk/sim-only-deals

Hi

WiFi Calling and VoLTE (Soon) will be good to have. Would I still get these MPD?

Thanks

Baz

hybridtheory · 27/12/15 - 15:21

Hi

If I were to jump ship and go with EE. I have a few concerns.

Will EE's 800Mhz spectrum run at a higher power and priority than Three's?

Reading on another thread on hear about peoples 2016 predictions. A few have said the BT/EE merger will go through but BT don't like to invest and EE will go downhill. Obviously this is ony speculation and nobody can can for 100% sure at the moment.

If I stay with Three and the Three/o2 Merger happens, could that make a stronger competitor to EE? Again I know that nobady can say yah or nay at this present time.

Thanks

Baz

Randomguy1 · 27/12/15 - 15:54

hybridtheory wrote: »

Hi

If I were to jump ship and go with EE. I have a few concerns.

Will EE's 800Mhz spectrum run at a higher power and priority than Three's?

Reading on another thread on hear about peoples 2016 predictions. A few have said the BT/EE merger will go through but BT don't like to invest and EE will go downhill. Obviously this is ony speculation and nobody can can for 100% sure at the moment.

If I stay with Three and the Three/o2 Merger happens, could that make a stronger competitor to EE? Again I know that nobady can say yah or nay at this present time.

Thanks

Baz

BT Openreach are investing in super fast broadband.

rasseru16 · 27/12/15 - 16:07

Definitely go with EE, No other network comes close!

d123 · 27/12/15 - 16:35

hybridtheory wrote: »

WiFi Calling and VoLTE (Soon) will be good to have. Would I still get these MPD?

MPD are just the retailer, the contract is still with EE, so yes, you get all the features like WC and VoLTE.

DevonBloke · 27/12/15 - 17:36

As d123 and others have stated, there is no other choice at the moment (unless you were in an EE notspot, which it doesn't sound like you are).
Too much crazy shit going on at EE at the moment to not go for them.
I mean, they are literally going bat-shit crazy down here at the moment.
Enabled a major 4G mast over Totnes on the 23rd of December for God's sake!!!
There was a poor bloke in high viz overalls up an Orange tree mast near me (GPRS currently) for about 4 hours 3 days before that. Lovely new MW dish up there now (no 4G yet but must be imminent).

1. As long as you have the right device then you will have WiFi calling. Awesome!! I personally recommend iPhone for this. All calls for me at least to either another EE WC device or EE3G are now in full rate AMR wideband audio.

2. Unlike VOD, you can send SMS messages over WiFi calling (again, as stated by d123).
Why did WiFi calling take so long to come and why is VoLTE taking so long??
Because it appears that Messers Bennett and Swantee either do the fecking job properly or don't do it at all. Good call!!

3. Within 2 years EE 4G1800 will be like TM and Orange 2G used to be but better! 3G has masked the awesomeness of fixed coverage for too long now and we forget how good it was.
Better because it will be both the remaining Orange masts together with the TM masts (18,000+), the coverage will be fixed and have fast 4G data.

4. EE are rolling 800Mhz out to 4000ish masts filling in all those hard to reach spots.

5. VoLTE will be implemented across all 4G bands (2600, 1800 & 800Mhz) and as far as I can make out they will implement full SRVCC and reverse SRVCC to enable calls to hand over both too and (more trickily, from) 3G.

6. As far as is possible to make out using common sense and the fact that Tom Bennett doesn't appear to do compromises, EE network priority will be 4G2600 -> 4G1800 -> 4G800 -> 3G2100 -> 2G1800. This is obviously the way anyone with their head screwed on properly would do it.

It should be pointed out that I am a bit of an EE fan.
However this is only because....
1. I always do things properly or not all all.
2. This appears to be what EE are doing.

Three appear to be having as laugh with 4G, O2 have no Spectrum and Vodafone brought out WC with no SMS. I mean, who, just who would actually do that and think it was acceptable!!
The definition of incompetence in a nutshell.
That kind of crap makes me mad!

EDIT: Someone at VOD needs to be fired and it very probably isn't anyone on the front line or working on the ground!

tycho-mag · 27/12/15 - 17:42

DevonBloke wrote: »

It should be pointed out that I am a bit of an EE fan.

:-)

Likewise, but maybe because:

1 - I live pretty close to an MBNL site (was awesome T-Mobile speeds before the merger).
2 - EE worked very well in this area for years when both O2 and Vod were useless and three had no indoor signal.

Three appear to be having as laugh with 4G, O2 have no Spectrum and Vodafone brought out WC with no SMS. I mean, who, just who would actually do that and think it was acceptable!!

explains why its limited to one type of iPhone doesn't it. Reduces the number of people complaining they're missing texts.

Vod probably still think everyone wants this RCS stuff, when everyone is now WhatsApp / Facebook Messenger-ing anyway.

hybridtheory · 27/12/15 - 18:02

DevonBloke wrote: »

As d123 and others have stated, there is no other choice at the moment (unless you were in an EE notspot, which it doesn't sound like you are).
Too much crazy shit going on at EE at the moment to not go for them.
I mean, they are literally going bat-shit crazy down here at the moment.
Enabled a major 4G mast over Totnes on the 23rd of December for God's sake!!!
There was a poor bloke in high viz overalls up an Orange tree mast near me (GPRS currently) for about 4 hours 3 days before that. Lovely new MW dish up there now (no 4G yet but must be imminent).

1. As long as you have the right device then you will have WiFi calling. Awesome!! I personally recommend iPhone for this. All calls for me at least to either another EE WC device or EE3G are now in full rate AMR wideband audio.

2. Unlike VOD, you can send SMS messages over WiFi calling (again, as stated by d123).
Why did WiFi calling take so long to come and why is VoLTE taking so long??
Because it appears that Messers Bennett and Swantee either do the fecking job properly or don't do it at all. Good call!!

3. Within 2 years EE 4G1800 will be like TM and Orange 2G used to be but better! 3G has masked the awesomeness of fixed coverage for too long now and we forget how good it was.
Better because it will be both the remaining Orange masts together with the TM masts (18,000+), the coverage will be fixed and have fast 4G data.

4. EE are rolling 800Mhz out to 4000ish masts filling in all those hard to reach spots.

5. VoLTE will be implemented across all 4G bands (2600, 1800 & 800Mhz) and as far as I can make out they will implement full SRVCC and reverse SRVCC to enable calls to hand over both too and (more trickily, from) 3G.

6. As far as is possible to make out using common sense and the fact that Tom Bennett doesn't appear to do compromises, EE network priority will be 4G2600 -> 4G1800 -> 4G800 -> 3G2100 -> 2G1800. This is obviously the way anyone with their head screwed on properly would do it.

It should be pointed out that I am a bit of an EE fan.
However this is only because....
1. I always do things properly or not all all.
2. This appears to be what EE are doing.

Three appear to be having as laugh with 4G, O2 have no Spectrum and Vodafone brought out WC with no SMS. I mean, who, just who would actually do that and think it was acceptable!!
The definition of incompetence in a nutshell.
That kind of crap makes me mad!

EDIT: Someone at VOD needs to be fired and it very probably isn't anyone on the front line or working on the ground!

Hi Thx for all ur informative info, much appreciated. I'm a bit of a perfectionist and have real bad OCD. Like u, if ur not going to give it 100% don't bother. In this sense then EE do seem to be the network for me :-)

What r EE's roaming policy? X amount for calls/texts/Data. Not that I go abroad that often, its good to know if its ever needed. Especially if I were to nip over the border into the Republic of Ireland or cross the channel to France or Belgium.

Thanks

Baz

hybridtheory · 27/12/15 - 18:04

Randomguy1 wrote: »

BT Openreach are investing in super fast broadband.

Hi

I presume ur referring to Mobile Broadband?

Thanks

Baz

clewsy · 27/12/15 - 18:14

I think you could be over worrying about some issues. For the length of most sim only deals you are unlikely to find a network that doesn't have enough bandwidth in your area.

WiFi calling that some go on about I'd hardly ideal. It nails battery life and is hit and miss at the moment. Calls still work better on 2g which is where vf and o2 nail EE every time.

However if its data on the move then EE is probably king. However data in the home or even a household signal then EE may not be the ideal choice unless you want to rely on wifi calling and all the cons that go with it.

As for the MPD deal. It's great if you can manage to keep up with the faff. If not then it is a very expensive contract and remember you do one thing wrong and you wont get the discount. Of course at the end of the day, its all down to your own choice.

duffman25 · 27/12/15 - 18:37

ee or 02 keep away from vodafone

hybridtheory · 27/12/15 - 19:21

clewsy wrote: »

WiFi calling that some go on about I'd hardly ideal. It nails battery life and is hit and miss at the moment.

Hi Thats interesting to get ur opinion on EE WiFi Calling. Ive seen a few people on here rave about it and say it works seamlessly on the iPhone.

Thanks

Baz

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