If i remember rightly i had plenty of 2G coverage in Skye. (Orange)
Was never expecting 3G. I travelled the whole island. a few black spots but not enough to worry me... seemed similar / better to the others that were traveling, who were on other networks.

Yes yes yes - if there was a like button on here I'd click it, as I couldn't agree with this more.

It's just the same here - we're bathed with 3G coverage from Three, T-Mobile and Orange (in that order), so much so that I don't need to bother with 2G on a day to day basis.

On the other hand Vodafone's very good for 2G but it's 3G is patchy and very directional (i.e. you see a field, boom the 3G has gone). Meanwhile O2 openly don't give a s*it and struggle to provide 2G let alone 3G, directly due to lack of masts and, consequently, capacity - they don't even provide EDGE now, which pretty much says it all.

As a result, Three gets my money, except for ~35p a week that goes to Orange, simply because those networks work, without needing to step outside or walk up the road or some such stuff.

Absolutely agree.

I cannot take this seriously as O2 provide services to 25 million UK customers including some of the biggest businesses in Britain. Maybe they have all just never visited Norfolk!

Really!!!

I'm in Cornwall. O2 and Vodafone's 2G coverage is absolutely fantastic, with everyone else being "great". As I said for 3G it's pretty much the opposite (except the "great", of course)

I also find that you don't get Vodafone or O2 3G coverage until you hit the town centre and if there's any sort of open space in your field of vision you get nothing.

Actually, I lie. I can get a scrap of an O2 3G signal in my house. If I put the phone on a certain windowsill, with the wind in the right direction, and having consulted the horoscope first. This must be wavejockglw's "900MHz 3G is everywhere thanks to O2" prophecy in action.

Hell, I was driving around near Newbury a few months ago, right outside Vodafone's global HQ. I had a Voda SIM in my phone for some reason - and it was displaying a belting 2G signal. I can understand that 3G coverage is heavily dependent on cell breathing and usage, but you'd think their HQ would have exemplary coverage.

I can't understand the clear fanboyism displayed by some people here. I use what I consider to the best - T-Mobile for telephony (I like the seamless 2G/3G roaming), 3 for data (their 3GB SIMs from eBay are good value).

Other than being the other end of the country from you, and the best two 2G providers here being Vodafone and T-Mobile, I agree once again.

With regards to town centre 3G coverage; while Vodafone have no problems with it, O2 do - the half of the town centre closest to the 3G mast is solid 2G, which just sounds barking mad, and proves O2's 3G and 3G900 coverage maps (which both claim blanket coverage) to be scurrilous lies.

As for the fanboyism - I suppose I get it in a way, though some people here go way OTT with it which doesn't help anyone. I'm kind of like you though, I use whatever does what I want it to when I want it to - as things stand that means Three as my main line (contract for personal use, payg for work), Orange as back up.

Easter.

(FWIW, the village concerned is Barton under Needwood, about 25 miles north of Brum)