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Results:Which mobile phone network do you prefer?
O2
255 (28.49%)
T-Mobile
63 (7.04%)
Virgin Mobile
111 (12.40%)
Orange
250 (27.93%)
Vodafone
138 (15.42%)
Tesco Mobile
8 (0.89%)
Fresh Mobile
1 (0.11%)
3
68 (7.60%)
BT Mobile
1 (0.11%)
Voters: 895. You can't vote on this poll right now - are you signed in?
Which network do you prefer?
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Steven L Hunter
20-10-2004
Originally Posted by takot:
“i was talking about threepay, but think about it, there is a price plan, where you spend £15, get 25 voice minutes, 100 texts, and £1.50 cerdit, this is a very good deal. As iv compared it to t-mobile, where 3 is much better. Then theres virgin, vodofone, bt mobile, and then it is very close between the three 3, orange, and o2, they are very similar to their great values.
But.....3 also gives you a great handset(maybe a bit bulky, but they are always getting better!)”

The £15 voucher has changed on 3, you get either 50 voice minutes + £5.00 or 100 text messages + £5.00, they did away with the good value £15 voucher, i was going to buy a brand new LG U8120 on ThreePay today but decided not to stay with 3 as i get a better deal with Virgin's bundles so i looked at all the networks websites, at CPW site and The Link and i came close to getting a Motorola V525 on Vodafone Pay as you Talk but i decided to go for the Nokia 3220 on Tesco Mobile. It's hard really to choose phones. I have had ThreePay since May (I think) when i bought an NEC e313 and then last month i bought a Motorola A835 and used my same sim in it but couldn't stay with Three again for getting another phone so have requested for a PAC code.
Soruk
20-10-2004
I voted Orange - I've still got the Everyday 50 tariff, which includes 0845, 0870 and data calls. I make a lot of calls to USA, so the 0845 and 0870 callthroughs save me an absolute fortune as they are effectively free

I've also got the Orange World 4 GPRS package which costs £4 and offers 4 hours of CSD (dial-up) WAP and 4Mb GPRS data (WAP or internet). Above that, GPRS is £1/Mb.

I also have service on Virgin Mobile, and use them more when roaming as their rates can beat Orange's depending on location (when you pay monthly).
dudly
20-10-2004
i think you may have o2 and bt mobile mixed up! (i might be wrong)
but i used to be on btcellnet and a week before o2 came to life i had a text from cellnet telling me they were changeing there name to o2! so watch out o2 will start to get greedy just like cellnet!
DBC
20-10-2004
Originally Posted by dudly:
“i think you may have o2 and bt mobile mixed up! (i might be wrong)
but i used to be on btcellnet and a week before o2 came to life i had a text from cellnet telling me they were changeing there name to o2! so watch out o2 will start to get greedy just like cellnet!”


No they are two separate companies. Cellnet used to be owned by BT but they sold the whole thing off and it turned into O2. Then some bright spark at BT decided that they still wanted to have some dealings with mobile phones. So they set up BT mobile which , like Virgin Mobile , is actually a sub-system of T-Mobile and uses their network. But all the dealings with BT mobile , including billing is handled by BT.
Soruk
20-10-2004
What do you mean will? I have a BTCellnet branded PAYG SIM, with the 2p/min weekend rate and 10p weekday rate to other BTCellnet phones.

In summer 2003 they hiked the weekend rate to 5p/min, added a 5p minimum charge and doubled the daytime rate to same net phones to 20p/min (to match the landline rate). 0871 numbers went up from standard rate (inc. 2p/min at weekends) to 35p/min any time. SMS went up from 10p to 12p, international SMS doubled from 10p to 20p.

New customers got even worse - 10p/min at weekends.

Now, their new PAYG tariff is an identical match to the Tesco Mobile one (which is incidentally an O2 virtual). I'd be inclined to think Tesco aren't too happy with that move...
kev
21-10-2004
As a former customer of Orange i can say their service has gone down hill in recent years, back in 2001 customer service was second to none, messages delivered instantly (except New years eve), competitive pricing...

Come the end of 2003, already annoyed with their increasing tarrifs, failure to ackowledge a problem with the T68i (that only affected GSM1800 networks), and the twits go and put me onto a dearer priceplan without insurance, then refuse to put me back on Talk 200 as it no longer exists - but the nearest equivlent with insurance costs £10 more, then i needed numerous calls to get the issue resolved. Not one promised return call materialised. Replacement handsets wern't delivered, constant GPRS problems. Only saving grace is that their Cust Serv reps were constantly polite and helpful (even if they did bugger all after you hung up).

Switch to T-Mobile - better pricing, better insurance cover (cheaper too) - i think it's third party rather than T-Mobile though, totally reliable GPRS (as long as i reboot the handset once a week), no dropped calls and the most friendly, helpful customer services representives on the planet, with sub 30 second queuing times as peak periods, they will explain what problems are when you ask and give you a (accurate) estimation of when they will be fixed. Massivly improved package since the days of One 2 One.

People i know on 02 pre-pay have all recently switched networks from 02 due to constant problems they all seam to be having (phones out of sevice, unable to top up and poor signal)

Vodafone - always looked more expensive too me, and the celeb endorsmant adverts are on all too frequent and make it look like they have got money to burn...

Don't know anyone on the Virtual networks, and everyone i knew that was on 3 have switched to Vodafone and T-Mobile.
mrgs1
21-10-2004
Vodafone is the best network where i live. It's down to signal all other networks mast's are up to 4 mile's away so i gave up on orange they think they have blanket coverage by their website and O2. In the cotswolds the gsm 1800 network's do'nt penetrate like vodafone and 02.
rwgibson99
24-10-2004
So, can we reach any conclusions from this poll?

Can we say that Orange and O2 are better than T-Mobile and Vodafone without knowing how many respondants have (or have had) these services?

AM surprised that O2 has rated so highly, given the other threads today about their network being over-utilised, calls being rejected etc.

Do we know whether there is any difference in quality, or value, between contract accounts and pay-as-you-go on the same network? (e.g. Could O2 be reserving their network for contract customers, gazumping PAYG and Tesco callers off when it suits?)

What happened to the JD Power surveys on the UK Mobile networks?
barker14
24-10-2004
Even though im on orange i can appreciate why 02 still rate very high when compared to vodafone etc....

There have VERY competitive price plans and if you dont have any special extras added on your plan (im a student... ) then o2 is the best network. However its day like this that let themselves down, im sure that the technical people who look after the 02 network know that it would be nought to its knees tonight by the ton of people using it for free calls.

Paul
Redcoat
24-10-2004
I've been on Vodafone, Orange and O2 and each has it's good & bad points; Vodafone tends to have very good coverage but it's calls can be expensive. Orange USED to be extermly competitive, especially it's PAYG price plans which had 5p texts, but have gone downhill since the days of France Telecom taking over. Signal is not as reliable as Vodafone or O2 here in the sticks. O2 has its occasional faults like GPRS going down at times however for barebones budgets, especially for Online PAYG it's hard to beat, plus signal is consistently good where I live. Reason I'm on O2 Online PAYG is because about 80% of the people I know on my mobile phonebook are on O2. If it wasn't so heavy I'd still be with Orange as I still have an OVP Virgin Sim Card which I now use only very occasionally.
takot
25-10-2004
just a question, what do people think of that banner on some buses, quote "tell vodafone where to get off" by t-mobile. What do peeps think of that?
barker14
25-10-2004
From what happened last night im sure that they are going to get an ear bashing tonight not especially from business users who wouldnt have been able to make a call yesterday and probable loose more customers than they were hoping to make.

Paul
rwgibson99
25-10-2004
This is what I was trying to ask - can we tell whether any networks are better than the others? "I prefer <network X> because all my mates are on it" is a valid response in this poll, as is "<Network Y> is cheap, and it doesn't matter to me that half my calls get disconnected".

The O2 experience yesterday has deterred me from considering O2 (and Tesco) as my main mobile provider. A mobile phone is a lifeline to some people, and for it to function intermittantly is unacceptable.
rwgibson99
25-10-2004
Originally Posted by takot:
“just a question, what do people think of that banner on some buses, quote "tell vodafone where to get off" by t-mobile. What do peeps think of that?”

Nothing wrong with it.
rwgibson99
25-10-2004
Originally Posted by rwgibson99:
“...What happened to the JD Power surveys on the UK Mobile networks?...”

With apologies for answering my own question: The 2004 JP Power winners are:-

PAYG = Virgin
Contract = Vodafone

http://www.jdpa.com/awards/industry/...sp?StudyID=856

http://www.jdpa.com/awards/industry/...sp?StudyID=856
barker14
25-10-2004
Hi does anyone know where you can get the 2003/4 call success rates as i cannot find them on the ofcom website?

Paul
Chris S
25-10-2004
RE: Orange Customer Service...

I've just recently left Orange to go to 3.


I've never really had a problem with Orange's customer service. It's good when you get through but you have to wait a LONG while before that happens. 3's customer service is about the same as Oranges, maybe about 15 minutes on the phone until you get through.

Touch wood - i've only ever had to ring orange and 3 once.
lee18xx
25-10-2004
Although I'm with o2 I voted for Vodafone as I have been with them the most and had the less problems with them
Steven L Hunter
26-10-2004
I have noticed though that Vodafone's 30 day packs are not that good as you only get a certain amount of calls/texts/mms each day, I have purchased a vodafone pay as you talk sim off ebay to use on my second phone for backup and fun etc. I don't think i would need a text or voice pack as i use virgin bundles I also notice that the calls are 5p/min at weekends and evenings and not after first 3 mins is this correct? if so this will be great as it will fit in with my free time which i would be using it for
imno12u
26-10-2004
I would love to see Virgin overtake Vodafone. Vodafone let me down by just being generally behind other networks and showing far too much favourability to its contract users.
barker14
31-10-2004
even though o2 say they have better coverage than orange howcome if i use my o2 sim and have full bars the quality isnt that good but with orange if its on one bar it still sounds fantastic?

paul
sean2003
01-11-2004
Originally Posted by barker14:
“even though o2 say they have better coverage than orange howcome if i use my o2 sim and have full bars the quality isnt that good but with orange if its on one bar it still sounds fantastic?

paul”


Yeah, Orange is like using a landline. Sounds great with only 1 bar as you say. o2 goes up and down like a yo-yo. And you get all sorts of silly noise's on calls. They do use the 800GSM band Orange use 1800GSM
kev
01-11-2004
Originally Posted by barker14:
“even though o2 say they have better coverage than orange howcome if i use my o2 sim and have full bars the quality isnt that good but with orange if its on one bar it still sounds fantastic?

paul”

I know both Orange and T-Mobile use EFR which is meant to enhance sound quality, no idea about 02 and Vodafone.

Also some handsets are optimised towards the GSM 1800 band and some towards the GSM 900 band. (Triband handsets in this country tend to perform badly on GSM 1900 - hence the USA having different model numbers for the same handset)
OllieOnline
02-11-2004
I voted for Orange - for what I use it for Orange is great - though their coverage seems to slipping a bit lately NOT AS GOOD as it once was - when I left (what was then) BT Cellnet to move onto Orange it did it because of coverage and admittedly customer service. But I have noticed now on my O2 pre pay phone which i keep going as a backup that the signal strengh on Orange is now worse than Orange! Strange that!

Though all in Orange are still great! love their customer service!
a04188
03-11-2004
Originally Posted by @drian:
“Voted Virgin mobile.

Brilliant Customer Services and they don't charge a fortune like O2. ”

well said!
i changed from o2 to virgin mobile and i am much happier

I think o2 are absolute rubbish, i have had so many problems with them in the past

i ordered a reconditioned philips 355 camera phone at www.virginmobile.co.uk for only £44. 99 with sim, philips handsfree, neck strap, charger and free next day delivery
the phone looks brand new and had not even one minor scratch or anything

you simply pop the sim card in the phone and it works! you automatically get £5 free top up that you can use straight away.
Virgin mobile is much cheaper than other networks too

when i got my o2 sim i put it in and you have to register and about 30 days later you get your £2.50 free talktime. Which on my sim never worked and when i tried to phone anyone it said i had no money! I then tried to top up a tenner...sadly that never worked either as i just happened to top up on the day that no one could top up due to the problems they were having. I was going to phone customer services but then i decided not to give them 50p a minute.
Apart from that if you manage to be problem free then look at the prices...Very Very Expensive! With virgin i asked a few questions on my phone by e-mailing them and got a helpful reply next day with o2 i e-mailed and they took about a week to reply telling me to phone them instead!

Its just a shame all my friends have o2! But i dont care now cos im sticking to virgin!

My second best operator has to be orange. they have good customer service but it too is quite expensive
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