Reading some of the posts recently O2 seems to be the best network out there. I wonder why people are so happy with O2 ? Where I live their 2G coverge is patchy 3G is almost unheard of. They are expensive compared to other networks and the days of plans including 0845/MMS,video calling and unlimited data are long gone. The few times I have had to contact their CS I have found them to be ok but nothing special.
So why are people so happy with them ?

Why are you asking? Are people not allowed to be happy with o2?

I've never had any problems with them, customer service is quick and helpful, I'm on a pretty good package. True 3G could be better but it works where I need it the most.

I've been with o2 since I got my first phone on Cellnet

Why are you an O2 hater, I dont get it?

Why do people like anything?

It's because THEY have had a good experience with that company or product.

The mobile networks are just like Banks or Supermarkets.

Everyone (well, most people) have used one of them and given the population of the UK, you're bound to have a number of those people with bad experiences from all of those companies.

O2 works great for me, but it might not work great for other people. Their coverage is excellent around here and I really like the way that their services are operated.

Its not so much I am a O2 hater I am just puzzled why customers like them so much. IMO they dont have anything going for them.

I think that for some people the overriding factor is cost, followed by bundling, e.g "get a mobile contract and get cheap broadband/landline", with no thought given to network quality. coverage, etc.

This is especially evident by those who like to spout off about Giffgaff at every juncture - they might be cheap (and unlimited, at least until their "masters" at O2 tell them to limit it), but it's backed by a terrible network. No point having unlimited data when you're constantly on GPRS, provided the data network hasn't collapsed again.

Some of it might be inertia from when o2 bent over for Apple, to get iPhone exclusivity. Can't be bothered to move to a network that is willing to actually spend some money on improving infrastructure.

O2 - last for 3G coverage, last for 3G speeds, last for data reliability, it seems. I personally wouldn't touch them with a 100 foot bargepole (except for perhaps their LLU-based broadband, as that is actually half-decent)

Everybody has good and bad experiences with companies. Like the poster above, there would be NO chance of me ever returning to O2, 3G coverage so poor and unreliable. My brother recently took out an iPhone 4 on contract with them, he has had so much hassle with them, O2 causing hefty bank charges because of a mistake on their end, refused to help pay them, and forced him to pay £40 for their mistake or they would disconnect his services, bank told them to complain to Ofcom so that's what they are doing at minute.

But myself I have never had any problems with Orange, whereas others have. Down here in my region 3G coverage is excellent with no problems at all, but could differ widely across the country.

Every network has fans and dislikers

02 use to be the best in the country when they offered truly unlimited and mms where included now they are rubbish and i would say giffgaff/t-mobile are the best 2.

I would say a lot of this is down to peoples personal experience with coverage wherever they may be. In big cities like London - O2/GiffGaff is great, but in many rural areas it's terrible. I would also say from personal experience the customer service and UK based support O2 provide is better then most.

However, it's no good having free this and free that thrown in if you can't get a decent signal where you are.

O2 is the dogs bollocks. Brilliant signal, priority tickets etc and every now and then they give you gifts. On pay as you go i got a gift everytime i topped up. I think it was them that also randomly sent out small chocolates to their customers.

People really like the gifts and clever marketing like a prize when you top up, the same people why people play scratchcards and stuff. They are a good sales and marketing company which is 90% what a mobile network is to be honest.

i was with O2 for years on PAYG and had no problem apart from when I went to a mates place, but then where he lives all networks have problems there, even with my Vodafone phone I had to put it in the kitchen window to get a signal. Better now that he have Vodafone suresignal or what ever it is called.

The only reason i left o2 was because Bt had a good offer on with the BT broadband anywhere service, I thought it was a good offer, turned out not to be so good. i then went to Vodafone instead of O2 because o2 would not give me a contract.

but nothing wrong with o2 signal around here, in fact in some places it is better than Vodafone.

I can't stand O2, but they are the only network with coverage at home and work. The other 4 networks don't.

That's the only reason I am with them. Other than that, I wouldn't touch them with a bucket of barf!

I think the O2 hype owes a lot to the previous 'Genie' SIM card (which then became O2 online). They were the first network to offer free text message in mass loads e.g. 300 for a £10 top up. A lot of people are under the impression that O2 has the cheapest tariffs and granted, with offers like O2 Unlimited (unlimited calls and texts to other O2 numbers for £15 per month on Pay & Go) they really do have some great offers. There are other options out there with other networks, but I think the 'loyalty' and 'fan base' does stem from the fact that O2 (or BT Cellnet as it was then) was the place to be. Not to mention the 2p a minute call charge at evenings and weekends.

O2 also offer extra free minutes to other O2 numbers with their tariffs, both on P&G and contract. Therefore, for a lot of people, it makes sense to be on O2. I know I have a lot of friends on the O2 unlimited tariff, which is why I have the Pay & Go SIM with O2.

As other people have said, it is of course down to personal choice. A lot of people aren't mobile-savvy and therefore stick to what they know.

Just to add, I am with O2 Pay & Go and Vodafone Pay Monthly.

This was the case for me. I was a PAYG customer with Cellnet and subsequently O2 for 6 years. I was happy in the beginning because I could get good coverage pretty much everywhere I went. However, I moved to a semi-rural area and as you wrote, the coverage was terrible. I expect many others have had the same sort of problem with various networks - I could only get coverage in one room of the house and even then it was patchy.

In the end I changed to Orange because it had the best coverage at home.