[ajh94]

What ever happened to the O2 and Vodafone network sharing deal, we never hear anything about it's on the O2 website somewhere and it is all confirmed, does anyone know when it starts or if it has started already? If it has started already, how's it going?

Also didn't OfCom say that O2 have to make their 3G up to 90% coverage by 2013? What's happening what that?

[Thine Wonk]

I don't know, unlike MBNL I can't find a website with any information and there's been nothing in the tech press etc.

[legends wear 7]

would be surprised if they even have the company setup and resourced yet

[Thine Wonk]

Originally Posted by legends wear 7

would be surprised if they even have the company setup and resourced yet

They could have started all that whilst awaiting for approval surely, it's been planned for a long time and it wasn't expected to hit any regulatory issues as two other companies already had a network with more customers on it, they were never planning a full merger, or even using the same frequencies, just a RAN share. It's been over 2 months since the approval and no signs of any plans released yet, no company set up, no website as far as I can tell.

What was the company they were going to form called again?

[legends wear 7]

Originally Posted by Thine Wonk

They could have started all that whilst awaiting for approval surely, it's been planned for a long time and it wasn't expected to hit any regulatory issues as two other companies already had a network with more customers on it, they were never planning a full merger, or even using the same frequencies, just a RAN share. It's been over 2 months since the approval and no signs of any plans released yet, no company set up, no website as far as I can tell.

What was the company they were going to form called again?

cornerstone telecommunications infrastructure, seen some jobs doing the rounds in the market

[Thine Wonk]

Interesting, registered office for that company at companies house is the Vodafone HQ, cool. Hopefully we'll see a website and some action soon.

[tfl]

D'you think this will mean areas that have say no Vodafone 3G will gain 3G coverage if O2 already has some there?

[Redcoat]

AFAIK there are already a few "Cornerstone" sites in some fairly remote areas of the UK where neither Voda or O2 had any previous coverage which now sees 2G coverage of both networks from these sites.

However at present Cornerstone isn't anywhere near the sort of integration that is currently present within MBNL network, though an agreement has been made for either Vodafone or O2 to be technically responsible for such a future 'Cornerstone' network in certain geographic areas. IIRC O2 will be responsible for Northern Ireland.

[ajh94]

Interestingly not too long ago a mast was put up near me, i drove past it when it was being built and funnily enough if you look at it on google street view it is not there and there are men building it. Anyway when I look on sitefinder it has 2 UMTS transmitters at the same site, 1 O2 2100MHz one and 1 Vodafone 2100MHz one. That has to be a shared site?

[ajh94]

Street view (The mast builder's van): https://maps.google.com/maps?q=cm7+3...17.29,,0,29.95

Street view (The mast being built): https://maps.google.com/maps?q=cm7+3...227.06,,0,13.6

Go to sitefinder here: http://www.sitefinder.ofcom.org.uk/search type in CM7 3LA and click the mast on Coggeshall Road (near the roundabout) and you will see it's a shared O2 and Voda one for 3G.

I only just realised and that's right near me.

[Everything Goes]

Its not uncommon to have shared sites. There is one near where I live which has T-Mobile, Orange, O2 and 3.

http://www.isarchitects.co.uk/u/cms/1005_ex_004.jpg

[ajh94]

Wow 3 networks on 1 site?

[tfl]

Originally Posted by ajh94

Street view (The mast builder's van): https://maps.google.com/maps?q=cm7+3...17.29,,0,29.95

Street view (The mast being built): https://maps.google.com/maps?q=cm7+3...227.06,,0,13.6

Go to sitefinder here: http://www.sitefinder.ofcom.org.uk/search type in CM7 3LA and click the mast on Coggeshall Road (near the roundabout) and you will see it's a shared O2 and Voda one for 3G.

I only just realised and that's right near me.

I just checked this post code on the Vodafone coverage checker and it shows no 3G coverage only variable coverage (EDGE) but then when I clicked on see future coverage the entire area was covered by 3G. Is the mast up and running or is the coverage checker just out of date?

[Everything Goes]

Some info isnt always that up to date.

[ajh94]

Originally Posted by tfl

I just checked this post code on the Vodafone coverage checker and it shows no 3G coverage only variable coverage (EDGE) but then when I clicked on see future coverage the entire area was covered by 3G. Is the mast up and running or is the coverage checker just out of date?

It must be out of date as Vodafone and O2 both have really strong HSPA+ covering that whole area

[Daveoc64]

Originally Posted by ajh94

Wow 3 networks on 1 site?

It's quite common to have all five networks on one site.

[chenks]

Originally Posted by Everything Goes

Its not uncommon to have shared sites. There is one near where I live which has T-Mobile, Orange, O2 and 3.

http://www.isarchitects.co.uk/u/cms/1005_ex_004.jpg

hah... nasty irvine cross, about 1 minutes walk away from my house :-)

i would say though that is there is an O2 mast there then it can't be working, as my O2 signal is pretty bad and i'm probably about 600 yards away from it.

i can walk into my living and get 1 bar of 3G and then walk into bedroom and lose 3G and get 4 bars of 2G.

i'm pretty sure the 3G O2 mast is up in the fields behind the Lawthorn area in Irvine.

[tfl]

But the question is will the O2 Voda sharing agreement significantly improve coverage?

[The Lord Lucan]

Originally Posted by Daveoc64

It's quite common to have all five networks on one site.

I've even seen 8 on one site: TMUK, O2, Airwave (fire/police), Voda, Orange, EE4G, Rail Network and whatever the hell this is.....

http://i.imgur.com/JPDjb.png

[The Lord Lucan]

Originally Posted by tfl

But the question is will the O2 Voda sharing agreement significantly improve coverage?

Probably improve greatly in Wales and the west of England... haha!

[wavejockglw]

Originally Posted by tfl

But the question is will the O2 Voda sharing agreement significantly improve coverage?

Vodafone and O2 already have the greatest geographic coverage of the UK and are the choice of public services where voice, text and basic data are misson critical.

Both O2 and Vodafone have stated they intend to further expand 2100 & 900MHz UMTS and roll out LTE quicker as a result of co-location. They can do that by saving money on shared sites and will have 18,500 eventually when consolodation has been completed. That is 500 more than MBNL intend to have operational for 3 and EE by 2016.

[The Lord Lucan]

Originally Posted by wavejockglw

Vodafone and O2 already have the greatest geographic coverage of the UK and are the choice of public services where voice, text and basic data are misson critical.

Are they.. The Scottish Government, Most (if not all) of the Scottish police forces are with Orange. Even the FM is with them. (long story, i've held his personal phone.)

[chenks]

Originally Posted by The Lord Lucan

Are they.. The Scottish Government, Most (if not all) of the Scottish police forces are with Orange. Even the FM is with them. (long story, i've held his personal phone.)

i know some (if not all) English police also use Orange.

[tfl]

Originally Posted by wavejockglw

Vodafone and O2 already have the greatest geographic coverage of the UK and are the choice of public services where voice, text and basic data are misson critical.

Both O2 and Vodafone have stated they intend to further expand 2100 & 900MHz UMTS and roll out LTE quicker as a result of co-location. They can do that by saving money on shared sites and will have 18,500 eventually when consolodation has been completed. That is 500 more than MBNL intend to have operational for 3 and EE by 2016.

Regardless of how many more towers they will have compared to MBNL they will never have the same levels of high speed data coverage.

[wrexham103.4]

there are loads of areas around that voda and o2 dont cover, so unless they put up masts in those areas its not going to make any difference around here. Voda seem to have a lot more masts around than O2 here tho, they seem to be everywhere!