Since when did O2 3G coverage get so good?

SkipTracer · 27-02-2012, 11:00

Quote:

O2 has always been good in my city, 3G has been available for years but as of late it seems to have improved in areas outwith the city centre. I have always had O2 3G at my home address but it has been a bit ropey on B Roads not too far from where I live. Recently it has been solid though so I guess more sites have been enabled to improve coverage.

O2 still have the lowest number of customer complaints by a huge margin which must say something about the service they provide.

I would not agree with that as I think that o2 have the lowest amount of complaints simply because they have the lowest amount of customers using 3g.

I use o2 via GiffGaff for all my calls and texts but use the 3 network for all my mobile internet stuff because of o2’s dismal 3g coverage.

wavejockglw · 27-02-2012, 11:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by SkipTracer

I would not agree with that as I think that o2 have the lowest amount of complaints simply because they have the lowest amount of customers using 3g.

They have 22 million customers and have been providing 3G phones since 2004 so its likely they will have a high proportion of 3G customers.

lost boy · 27-02-2012, 16:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Lord Lucan

They use limited spectrum for it seeing they have to provide the same 2G service currently. So the 3G900 masts might be having congestion/capacity issues and kicking you back to the 2100 mast instead.

Capacity issues? You know, now you mention it that makes perfect sense and is probably what's going on; it can't be congestion alone as the 2100 mast itself is already congested and, according to their own map, at least two masts within the same area served by the 2100 mast in question have been converted to 3G900, so unless I'm missing something it would be a bit odd to have two "new" masts being overrun and kicking traffic onto one existing (but already congested) mast due to congestion, if that makes sense.

I'm surprised I hadn't thought of that myself - thank you

RileyM · 28-02-2012, 15:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by falko89

I left O2 a few years ago as 3G coverage was the worst out of all the UK networks, now around here anyway its the best, Any local town I have been to now displays an H with full bars, even in my house in a tiny village in the back of beyond I get an H, What happened to O2, They have went from being the worst to being the best, I've also noticed Orange/T-Mo seemed to have slipped badly around here.

Yeah i started noticing the same recently.

until about 2-3 month ago, 3G was impossible in Stretham, Ely, Cambs. No though I can at least get some signal (although barely any), until i go round the round-about to my house, at which point it drops to 2G.

Just yesterday i noticed I now get 3G at my desk it work (Cambridge, UK). Right now my N8 is reporting 50% 3G. Until a week or two ago i could barely get 2G (mobile phone reception is a known issue at Addenbrooke's Hospital).

Lets hope this is the start of ditching 2G altogether

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thine Wonk

You are seeing some areas now which have the 900Mhz coverage, if you have a phone that supports it...

Just checked and the N8 dooes 900 MHz UMTS, which is excellent

Quote:

Originally Posted by lost boy

...as far as O2 masts go my nearest 3G2100 mast is just over a mile away but heavily congested. My nearest 3G900 mast is at most the same distance away.

Where do you guys check this? Could you share?

ajh94 · 28-02-2012, 15:32

Yeah how can u check if a mast is 3G900 or 2100??

lost boy · 28-02-2012, 15:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by lost boy

...as far as O2 masts go my nearest 3G2100 mast is just over a mile away but heavily congested. My nearest 3G900 mast is at most the same distance away.

Quote:

Originally Posted by RileyM

...

Where do you guys check this? Could you share?

For me it's a combination of using sitefinder and O2's own coverage checker - the latter, along with different screens for their 2/3G and 3G900 coverage, has a "show masts" option so, keeping in mind that 3G900 is running on 2G masts that have been converted to run both 2G and 3G900, you can work things out pretty well from that.

ajh94 · 28-02-2012, 16:15

cheers!

old bill2 · 28-02-2012, 16:26

For years in my local town of Saffron Walden O2 has only had 2G coverage. However I noticed for the first time today a excellent 3G signal . Now the only network left with poor coverage is Vodafone .

tony13579 · 28-02-2012, 16:39

I had good coverage in hampshire near cities, however I went to shropshire and pembrokeshire and only had a signal about 20% of the time, let alone 3g. My vodafone is much better. but not in north wales! Orange was better

wavejockglw · 28-02-2012, 16:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by tony13579

I had good coverage in hampshire near cities, however I went to shropshire and pembrokeshire and only had a signal about 20% of the time, let alone 3g. My vodafone is much better. but not in north wales! Orange was better

Proves the point that coverage and speeds etc differ across the country for different operators. Coverage can be great outdoors then poor indoors especially with UMTS 2100 Mhz. 900/1800Mhz are far more robust at building penetration, 900Mhz especially, which is probably why O2 are now investing heavily rolling out additional coverage using this frequency range. They also can cover much wider areas with 900Mhz so its a lower cost option to provide fast 3G in rural areas.

Adam14 · 28-02-2012, 19:32

I'm in the north east of Scotland and O2's 3G coverage is still very poor up here, even in some major towns.

I've been on Three for a few months and have seen a big difference - 3G almost everywhere, very impressive. Their coverage in buildings is not as good, but I get 3G in areas that were previously impossible with O2 and Vodafone.

Dark 1 · 28-02-2012, 22:31

I'd say O2's coverage is improving due to the cozy site sharing deal they've got with Vodafone. Not only are new streetside monopoles regularly springing up around my neck of the woods, but existing Vodafone site are gradually being upgraded to accommodate O2 as a sharer too. And vice versa. I'm certainly not seeing any mast activity happening with any other provider around here.

Matt D · 28-02-2012, 22:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by old bill2

For years in my local town of Saffron Walden O2 has only had 2G coverage. However I noticed for the first time today a excellent 3G signal . Now the only network left with poor coverage is Vodafone .

Ha, I'm originally from Walden

Every time I visit my parents' house, I have to put up with an even worse O2 signal than I get in Cambridge

... not been back for a month or so though so maybe it will be better next time.

neo_wales · 29-02-2012, 00:04

I use Giff Gaff and the 3G near me is very good, some local dead spots but I'm in semi rural Wales so none of the providers are 100%. Judging by what my children say TM and 3 are worse but its all down to location I suppose.

old bill2 · 29-02-2012, 09:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt D

Ha, I'm originally from Walden

Every time I visit my parents' house, I have to put up with an even worse O2 signal than I get in Cambridge

... not been back for a month or so though so maybe it will be better next time.

AS far as I can tell its running 3G900 so it will be handset dependent. O2s coverage checker shows it at Friends school site. The signal covers from Audley End station to Tescos at the other end of town.

Matt D · 29-02-2012, 19:14

My phone supports 3G900. Just checked the O2 maps, and my parents' house is slap bang in the middle of a big patch of 3G900 coverage

misar · 29-02-2012, 20:51

I don't know if the reason is 3G900 but I can confirm a substantial increase in indoor signal strength at 3 outer London locations several months ago. This with a usb dongle.

Actros_man · 01-03-2012, 18:29

Ever since owning a Blackberry for nearly 2 years now on o2, the 3g signal is cack on my journey between Berkshire and Staffordshire...very rarely can i find a good signal for more than a few minutes, which normally leads to a dropped/missed call. Is this down to a naff antenna in the handset? My old N95 hardly ever lost a call. Just received a free sim from 3 to see what the coverage is like and so far, i have full 3g (card in the N95) at home, so that is a good start!

drabble · 01-03-2012, 18:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by Actros_man

Ever since owning a Blackberry for nearly 2 years now on o2, the 3g signal is cack on my journey between Berkshire and Staffordshire...very rarely can i find a good signal for more than a few minutes, which normally leads to a dropped/missed call. Is this down to a naff antenna in the handset? My old N95 hardly ever lost a call. Just received a free sim from 3 to see what the coverage is like and so far, i have full 3g (card in the N95) at home, so that is a good start!

You have a BB 9520 Storm 2? This and the N95 are singleband 3G2100 only so you won't see any improvement unless 02 deploy more 2100 masts, 3 is all 2100 so that shouldn't be an issue. If the BB is dropping calls where the Nokia doesn't this does suggest a problem with the BB or just bad design.

Sun! · 02-03-2012, 00:09

I'd love to know where, at home we still dont have 3G on o2. We do on 3, Vodafone, T-Mobile and Orange.

Having two phones with one on Orange I find they have far far far superior coverage in South Wales.

27-02-2012, 11:00	#26
SkipTracer Forum Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: The City and County of Bristol Posts: 2,623	Quote: Originally Posted by wavejockglw O2 has always been good in my city, 3G has been available for years but as of late it seems to have improved in areas outwith the city centre. I have always had O2 3G at my home address but it has been a bit ropey on B Roads not too far from where I live. Recently it has been solid though so I guess more sites have been enabled to improve coverage. O2 still have the lowest number of customer complaints by a huge margin which must say something about the service they provide. I would not agree with that as I think that o2 have the lowest amount of complaints simply because they have the lowest amount of customers using 3g. I use o2 via GiffGaff for all my calls and texts but use the 3 network for all my mobile internet stuff because of o2’s dismal 3g coverage.

27-02-2012, 11:34	#27
wavejockglw Inactive Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Glasgow Posts: 10,276	Quote: Originally Posted by SkipTracer I would not agree with that as I think that o2 have the lowest amount of complaints simply because they have the lowest amount of customers using 3g. They have 22 million customers and have been providing 3G phones since 2004 so its likely they will have a high proportion of 3G customers.

27-02-2012, 16:41	#28
lost boy Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Norfolkland Posts: 1,787	Quote: Originally Posted by The Lord Lucan They use limited spectrum for it seeing they have to provide the same 2G service currently. So the 3G900 masts might be having congestion/capacity issues and kicking you back to the 2100 mast instead. Capacity issues? You know, now you mention it that makes perfect sense and is probably what's going on; it can't be congestion alone as the 2100 mast itself is already congested and, according to their own map, at least two masts within the same area served by the 2100 mast in question have been converted to 3G900, so unless I'm missing something it would be a bit odd to have two "new" masts being overrun and kicking traffic onto one existing (but already congested) mast due to congestion, if that makes sense. I'm surprised I hadn't thought of that myself - thank you

28-02-2012, 15:05	#29
RileyM Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Ely (CB6 - Sandy Heath TX) Posts: 1,622	Quote: Originally Posted by falko89 I left O2 a few years ago as 3G coverage was the worst out of all the UK networks, now around here anyway its the best, Any local town I have been to now displays an H with full bars, even in my house in a tiny village in the back of beyond I get an H, What happened to O2, They have went from being the worst to being the best, I've also noticed Orange/T-Mo seemed to have slipped badly around here. Yeah i started noticing the same recently. until about 2-3 month ago, 3G was impossible in Stretham, Ely, Cambs. No though I can at least get some signal (although barely any), until i go round the round-about to my house, at which point it drops to 2G. Just yesterday i noticed I now get 3G at my desk it work (Cambridge, UK). Right now my N8 is reporting 50% 3G. Until a week or two ago i could barely get 2G (mobile phone reception is a known issue at Addenbrooke's Hospital). Lets hope this is the start of ditching 2G altogether Quote: Originally Posted by Thine Wonk You are seeing some areas now which have the 900Mhz coverage, if you have a phone that supports it... Just checked and the N8 dooes 900 MHz UMTS, which is excellent Quote: Originally Posted by lost boy ...as far as O2 masts go my nearest 3G2100 mast is just over a mile away but heavily congested. My nearest 3G900 mast is at most the same distance away. Where do you guys check this? Could you share?

28-02-2012, 15:32	#30
ajh94 Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: London & Essex Posts: 987	Yeah how can u check if a mast is 3G900 or 2100??

28-02-2012, 15:49	#31
lost boy Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Norfolkland Posts: 1,787	Quote: Originally Posted by lost boy ...as far as O2 masts go my nearest 3G2100 mast is just over a mile away but heavily congested. My nearest 3G900 mast is at most the same distance away. Quote: Originally Posted by RileyM ... Where do you guys check this? Could you share? For me it's a combination of using sitefinder and O2's own coverage checker - the latter, along with different screens for their 2/3G and 3G900 coverage, has a "show masts" option so, keeping in mind that 3G900 is running on 2G masts that have been converted to run both 2G and 3G900, you can work things out pretty well from that.

28-02-2012, 16:15	#32
ajh94 Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: London & Essex Posts: 987	cheers!

28-02-2012, 16:26	#33
old bill2 Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 621	For years in my local town of Saffron Walden O2 has only had 2G coverage. However I noticed for the first time today a excellent 3G signal . Now the only network left with poor coverage is Vodafone .

28-02-2012, 16:39	#34
tony13579 Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: south coast Posts: 1,120	I had good coverage in hampshire near cities, however I went to shropshire and pembrokeshire and only had a signal about 20% of the time, let alone 3g. My vodafone is much better. but not in north wales! Orange was better

28-02-2012, 16:47	#35
wavejockglw Inactive Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Glasgow Posts: 10,276	Quote: Originally Posted by tony13579 I had good coverage in hampshire near cities, however I went to shropshire and pembrokeshire and only had a signal about 20% of the time, let alone 3g. My vodafone is much better. but not in north wales! Orange was better Proves the point that coverage and speeds etc differ across the country for different operators. Coverage can be great outdoors then poor indoors especially with UMTS 2100 Mhz. 900/1800Mhz are far more robust at building penetration, 900Mhz especially, which is probably why O2 are now investing heavily rolling out additional coverage using this frequency range. They also can cover much wider areas with 900Mhz so its a lower cost option to provide fast 3G in rural areas.

28-02-2012, 19:32	#36
Adam14 Forum Member Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 2,330	I'm in the north east of Scotland and O2's 3G coverage is still very poor up here, even in some major towns. I've been on Three for a few months and have seen a big difference - 3G almost everywhere, very impressive. Their coverage in buildings is not as good, but I get 3G in areas that were previously impossible with O2 and Vodafone.

28-02-2012, 22:31	#37
Dark 1 Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Nottingham Posts: 3,975	I'd say O2's coverage is improving due to the cozy site sharing deal they've got with Vodafone. Not only are new streetside monopoles regularly springing up around my neck of the woods, but existing Vodafone site are gradually being upgraded to accommodate O2 as a sharer too. And vice versa. I'm certainly not seeing any mast activity happening with any other provider around here.

28-02-2012, 22:39	#38
Matt D Forum Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Cambridge Posts: 13,064	Quote: Originally Posted by old bill2 For years in my local town of Saffron Walden O2 has only had 2G coverage. However I noticed for the first time today a excellent 3G signal . Now the only network left with poor coverage is Vodafone . Ha, I'm originally from Walden Every time I visit my parents' house, I have to put up with an even worse O2 signal than I get in Cambridge ... not been back for a month or so though so maybe it will be better next time.

29-02-2012, 00:04	#39
neo_wales Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: South Wales/Gran Canaria Posts: 8,297	I use Giff Gaff and the 3G near me is very good, some local dead spots but I'm in semi rural Wales so none of the providers are 100%. Judging by what my children say TM and 3 are worse but its all down to location I suppose.

29-02-2012, 09:20	#40
old bill2 Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 621	Quote: Originally Posted by Matt D Ha, I'm originally from Walden Every time I visit my parents' house, I have to put up with an even worse O2 signal than I get in Cambridge ... not been back for a month or so though so maybe it will be better next time. AS far as I can tell its running 3G900 so it will be handset dependent. O2s coverage checker shows it at Friends school site. The signal covers from Audley End station to Tescos at the other end of town.

29-02-2012, 19:14	#41
Matt D Forum Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Cambridge Posts: 13,064	My phone supports 3G900. Just checked the O2 maps, and my parents' house is slap bang in the middle of a big patch of 3G900 coverage

29-02-2012, 20:51	#42
misar Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 444	I don't know if the reason is 3G900 but I can confirm a substantial increase in indoor signal strength at 3 outer London locations several months ago. This with a usb dongle.

01-03-2012, 18:29	#43
Actros_man Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 18	Ever since owning a Blackberry for nearly 2 years now on o2, the 3g signal is cack on my journey between Berkshire and Staffordshire...very rarely can i find a good signal for more than a few minutes, which normally leads to a dropped/missed call. Is this down to a naff antenna in the handset? My old N95 hardly ever lost a call. Just received a free sim from 3 to see what the coverage is like and so far, i have full 3g (card in the N95) at home, so that is a good start!

01-03-2012, 18:57	#44
drabble Forum Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 613	Quote: Originally Posted by Actros_man Ever since owning a Blackberry for nearly 2 years now on o2, the 3g signal is cack on my journey between Berkshire and Staffordshire...very rarely can i find a good signal for more than a few minutes, which normally leads to a dropped/missed call. Is this down to a naff antenna in the handset? My old N95 hardly ever lost a call. Just received a free sim from 3 to see what the coverage is like and so far, i have full 3g (card in the N95) at home, so that is a good start! You have a BB 9520 Storm 2? This and the N95 are singleband 3G2100 only so you won't see any improvement unless 02 deploy more 2100 masts, 3 is all 2100 so that shouldn't be an issue. If the BB is dropping calls where the Nokia doesn't this does suggest a problem with the BB or just bad design.

02-03-2012, 00:09	#45
Sun! Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Wales Posts: 1,047	I'd love to know where, at home we still dont have 3G on o2. We do on 3, Vodafone, T-Mobile and Orange. Having two phones with one on Orange I find they have far far far superior coverage in South Wales.

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Since when did O2 3G coverage get so good?