[ney]

You would think by now the mobile networks would have sorted out the prob that seems to happen every year. Christmas was not to bad last year unlike the year before but at the new year st it hit 12am my o2 mobile was fine for first 2mins then said system overload and I could not text or phone for a good 40mins. Signal even when down for 1 or 2mins. The year before was even worse. Its about time the mobile networks got it sorted for the end off the years dont you think as they now what its like.

Darren

i agree.

I got a vodafone live phone and on xmas day and the week after the GPRS and MMS services were practically useless, very rare i could get on etc, now its fine.... Christmas rush, hate it!

Dan

[GyleEx]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ney

You would think by now the mobile networks would have sorted out the prob that seems to happen every year. Christmas was not to bad last year unlike the year before but at the new year st it hit 12am my o2 mobile was fine for first 2mins then said system overload and I could not text or phone for a good 40mins. Signal even when down for 1 or 2mins. The year before was even worse. Its about time the mobile networks got it sorted for the end off the years dont you think as they now what its like.

Darren

Darren

Although I share your frustrations of trying to call and text shortly after the New Year started I can't see the mobile 'phone companies investing in new kit just for a small inconvenience over a one or two hour period. If I were the owner of one of the companies, my way of thinking would be that if the call is that important, the caller will keep trying and eventually get through. Whilst typing though, a thought's just crossed my mind; if I had reason to call the emergency services during the busy period, would I have been able to get though? Do the networks have some sort of device that even though their switching centres are struggling, they have a proportion of their network allocated for 999 calls only? I'd be interested to know the answer from anyone....

[sean2003]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GyleEx

Darren

Although I share your frustrations of trying to call and text shortly after the New Year started I can't see the mobile 'phone companies investing in new kit just for a small inconvenience over a one or two hour period. If I were the owner of one of the companies, my way of thinking would be that if the call is that important, the caller will keep trying and eventually get through. Whilst typing though, a thought's just crossed my mind; if I had reason to call the emergency services during the busy period, would I have been able to get though? Do the networks have some sort of device that even though their switching centres are struggling, they have a proportion of their network allocated for 999 calls only? I'd be interested to know the answer from anyone....

I heard a while back , they do keep many lines free for 999 calls only.

[tjclague]

you can make 999 calls even if you have no signal because even if you are on a network like voda, you can use voda and all the other network's masts to reach the emergency services.
tjc

[ney]

Someone told me last week that the 999 number was to be faced out on mobiles networks incess u knock your mobile by mistake even if keypad is locked 999 can still be called and 112 is the number to phone from your mobile and thats the emergancy number across mainland Europe. It dose get mad mad want mobile goses down at the New Year. Mobiles I think go down more the landline services.

Darren

i am sure they do go down more than land lines, mine seems to! landline never goes down here!

Dan

[japitts]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tjclague

you can make 999 calls even if you have no signal because even if you are on a network like voda, you can use voda and all the other network's masts to reach the emergency services.
tjc

Incorrect, and saying such things could potentially cost lives.

It is part of the GSM spec that a handset out of coverage will attempt to make emergency calls on networks other than its home one. That doe NOT mean the network will accept the call - in the UK they will not. Try it, if you're not sure. I guarantee you that without coverage of your home network, you will NOT be able to make calls, emergency or otherwise.

As for the other comments about lines being kept free for 999 calls, they are not. However, if a 999 or 112 call is being attempted and there are no available timeslots, a normal call will be dropped to allow the emergency call through

[*Joe*]

Quote:

Originally Posted by japitts

Incorrect, and saying such things could potentially cost lives.

It is part of the GSM spec that a handset out of coverage will attempt to make emergency calls on networks other than its home one. That doe NOT mean the network will accept the call - in the UK they will not. Try it, if you're not sure. I guarantee you that without coverage of your home network, you will NOT be able to make calls, emergency or otherwise.

As for the other comments about lines being kept free for 999 calls, they are not. However, if a 999 or 112 call is being attempted and there are no available timeslots, a normal call will be dropped to allow the emergency call through

NOT TRUE!!! My phone (motorola t720) normally says "orange" on, or "no service" but if I am in an area serviced by another network it says "emergency calls only" and there was an incident a while ago (on the A11) where we were the car behind a collision, and I was out of Orange coverage then, but still made a 999 call (both 999 and 112 work)
999 is the local emergency services number. But 112 is the number that was standardised for the GSM standard, all GSM networks in all countries will route a 112 call to the emergency services, regardless of whether 112 operates on the countries landlines!

[BexTech]

Many phones by default say emergency calls only, when out of home network coverage.

Maybe when you dialled 999, you got signal back.

I asked the then oftel, and the now ofcom about being able to make 'SOS' calls when no home coverage, and was told this is currently not available, and something that was in discussion.

112 calls also work from UK landlines.

[japitts]

BexTech - you took the words right out of my mouth!!

Joe - I don't wish to sound rude, but anyone who suggests UK GSM mobiles will make emergency calls when their home network does not have coverage, runs the risk of someone relying on this advice - and this could cost someone's life. I can categorically assure you that no UK network will route calls unless they are from mobiles registered with themselves. The phone will attempt the call, but within the UK at least, the networks will reject the call. It may well be a different situation overseas, but not in the UK.

In your case I suspect your phone found coverage as you were dialling 999.