[newscot]

I thought it was all being switched on this month?

[plymouthbloke1974]

Originally Posted by newscot

I thought it was all being switched on this month?

Errrrr no. Wrong month

[davybhoy]

Orange helpers on Facebook have have said that it is supposed to be happening in Spring. That's as good as it gets as far as they go...

[Lummo]

Next month i believe!

[brynhyfrydd]

I thought it had already happened.

ohh well.

[Pliny the Elder]

Will this be better for Orange or T Mobile customers? Who will benefit the most?

[wavejockglw]

Both will benefit depending on where the service is used.

T-Mobile, Orange and 3 will share transmission sites thoughout the UK via a company called Mobile Broadband Ltd. Vodafone and 02 have also reached agreement to share their transmission sites so there will effectively only be two networks offering slightly different coverage. All of the operators will still have their own bandwidth which will carry their services separately although Orange & T-Mobile customers will be able to roam from one network to the other.

This should make the choice of network simpler for customers.

[legends wear 7]

O2 and Vodafone are only sharing locations. Not network infrastructure thus they are still two different networks.

[unklesam]

So can 3 piggy back onto Orange and Tmo yet it Orange and Tmo can't roam on 3 correct?

[coolesticeking]

3 will not be able to piggy-back onto T-Mobile but can roam onto Orange just as it currently is, BUT 3 are turning the Orange Back-Up off in the areas in which they feel it's own 3G is good.

[Thine Wonk]

Originally Posted by coolesticeking

3 will not be able to piggy-back onto T-Mobile but can roam onto Orange just as it currently is, BUT 3 are turning the Orange Back-Up off in the areas in which they feel it's own 3G is good.

3 currently do and will continue to share 3G coverage with T-mobile, meaning 3 and T-mobile's coverage is shared. Soon Orange will decommission the majority their 3G infrastructure and 3 / T-mobile masts will allow access to Orange users. Orange will keep around 3,000 3G masts just for them, for capacity reasons.

[coolesticeking]

Originally Posted by Thine Wonk

3 currently do and will continue to share 3G coverage with T-mobile, meaning 3 and T-mobile's coverage is shared. Soon Orange will decommission the majority their 3G infrastructure and 3 / T-mobile masts will allow access to Orange users. Orange will keep around 3,000 3G masts just for them, for capacity reasons.

They share the mast... Nothing else!

Backhaul/Bandwidth is not shared...

Because you can get the same signal on T-Mobile and 3 because it's the same mast, does not mean T-Mobile and 3 will give you the same speed or quality.

Talking about coverage, I get a better 3G signal from T-Mobile than 3 as it's been higher on the mast than 3's lower down!

[Thine Wonk]

Originally Posted by coolesticeking

Because you can get the same signal on T-Mobile and 3 because it's the same mast, does not mean T-Mobile and 3 will give you the same speed or quality.

Talking about coverage, I get a better 3G signal from T-Mobile than 3 as it's been higher on the mast than 3's lower down!

No they share the RAN. The backhaul is different, but the transmission is shared. There is only 1 set of cells on the mast, if there are 2 then it's a t-mobile 2G or belongs to another network.

I'm correcting you above because you said "3 will not be able to piggy-back onto T-Mobile". Although it has a different backhaul they do share transmission at sites.

[coolesticeking]

This was before only a T-Mobile Site because I used to get a great 3 signal before they moved it to this:

3 radio transmitters found at this map location.
Name of Operator 3
Operator Site Ref. WS0133
Station Type Macrocell
Height of Antenna 15.85 Metres
Frequency Range 2100 MHz
Transmitter Power 23.76 dBW
Maximum licensed power 32 dBW
Type of Transmission UMTS


Name of Operator T-MOBILE
Operator Site Ref. 99169
Station Type Macrocell
Height of Antenna 15 Metres
Frequency Range 1800 MHz
Transmitter Power 27 dBW
Maximum licensed power 32 dBW
Type of Transmission GSM


Name of Operator T-MOBILE
Operator Site Ref. 99169
Station Type Macrocell
Height of Antenna 16.5 Metres
Frequency Range 2100 MHz
Transmitter Power 19 dBW
Maximum licensed power 32 dBW
Type of Transmission UMTS

[Thine Wonk]

Originally Posted by coolesticeking

This was before only a T-Mobile Site because I used to get a great 3 signal before they moved it to this:

3 radio transmitters found at this map location.
Name of Operator 3
Operator Site Ref. WS0133
Station Type Macrocell
Height of Antenna 15.85 Metres
Frequency Range 2100 MHz
Transmitter Power 23.76 dBW
Maximum licensed power 32 dBW
Type of Transmission UMTS


Name of Operator T-MOBILE
Operator Site Ref. 99169
Station Type Macrocell
Height of Antenna 15 Metres
Frequency Range 1800 MHz
Transmitter Power 27 dBW
Maximum licensed power 32 dBW
Type of Transmission GSM


Name of Operator T-MOBILE
Operator Site Ref. 99169
Station Type Macrocell
Height of Antenna 16.5 Metres
Frequency Range 2100 MHz
Transmitter Power 19 dBW
Maximum licensed power 32 dBW
Type of Transmission UMTS

This data may be out of date, but all the 3 and T-mobile masts I've seen are 1 shared set of cells for 3G.

[unklesam]

Originally Posted by Thine Wonk

3 currently do and will continue to share 3G coverage with T-mobile, meaning 3 and T-mobile's coverage is shared. Soon Orange will decommission the majority their 3G infrastructure and 3 / T-mobile masts will allow access to Orange users. Orange will keep around 3,000 3G masts just for them, for capacity reasons.

Well I can't get 3 or Tmo around here so if Orange is switched of I will have no signal

[Thine Wonk]

Originally Posted by unklesam

Well I can't get 3 or Tmo around here so if Orange is switched of I will have no signal

When did you last try, their coverage has increased so much in the last year.

You won't necessarily lose your Orange mast.

[unklesam]

Originally Posted by Thine Wonk

When did you last try, their coverage has increased so much in the last year.

You won't necessarily lose your Orange mast.

Its rubbish in N.I, I suppose because there was no One2One over here so less masts. I find with Orange Tmo and 3 its a case of coverage in large towns and cities, where as O2 and Vodafone have signal everywhere. A search now reveals

Telefonica O2-UK
Vodafone UK
Orange

[Thine Wonk]

Originally Posted by unklesam

Its rubbish in N.I, I suppose because there was no One2One over here so less masts. I find with Orange Tmo and 3 its a case of coverage in large towns and cities, where as O2 and Vodafone have signal everywhere. A search now reveals

Telefonica O2-UK
Vodafone UK
Orange

Do you have a 3g phone?

[plymouthbloke1974]

Originally Posted by unklesam

Its rubbish in N.I, I suppose because there was no One2One over here so less masts. I find with Orange Tmo and 3 its a case of coverage in large towns and cities, where as O2 and Vodafone have signal everywhere. A search now reveals

Telefonica O2-UK
Vodafone UK
Orange

Most of T-Mobiles masts in NI are being removed and Oranges coverage strengthened in the coming months.

[unklesam]

Originally Posted by Thine Wonk

Do you have a 3g phone?

Yes a 3GS and a Galaxy S

[TheBigM]

Originally Posted by unklesam

Its rubbish in N.I, I suppose because there was no One2One over here so less masts. I find with Orange Tmo and 3 its a case of coverage in large towns and cities, where as O2 and Vodafone have signal everywhere. A search now reveals

Telefonica O2-UK
Vodafone UK
Orange

I'd probably go with Vodafone then.

[furrycheeky]

Its all working where I am, My phone is native Orange, but at several local places it detects that Tmobile is a better choice and I get "UK Orange-Tmobile". All services work as they should and internet connection is just as good.

Great benefit to me, living outside a main town there used to be obvious black spots that are now covered.

[goodkarma]

dont know if this is relevant, but since the T-mobile and orange merger, i have noticed that my network and 3g coverage is worse off. It was better when it was only orange. Basically i come out of my local tube station and check the bus timetable on the Buss app on my iphone 3g to see how long the buss will be. since the tmobile and orange merger i regulary get no service when i come out of the tube station and when i do get network its not 3g, so the buss app dont work. very dissapointed with this degradation of service

[plymouthbloke1974]

3G network share was planned for 1st week in May. Just heard it's been postponed.