Hi does anyone know if 2G data (GPRS or EDGE) is still available "when" roaming on Orange's network with a 3 phone?

Thanks for your help.

If you can find somewhere with Orange service, it might be. I think most places have had it turned off now.

Not sure wether it still exists theoretically but you'll probably be hard pushed to find anywhere (at least in built up areas) that roaming onto the Orange network is still available. Most areas have had this switched off now.

I've yet to go properly rural since I moved to Three but I can not fault their coverage where I live and work.

yes and no,

There is still Orange 2G access in some places throughout the UK. However, Orange 2G can only be used for calls/texts. You can not use Orange's network for data.

Tbh i rarely have no signal with Three everywhere i go these days. There is one deadspot i drive by now and then that has Orange 2G roaming there. In fact i don't think any network has a 3G signal there.

Just been up to the north of Scotland.. where 3G is largely non existent. No Three 2G !

In the vast majority if cases no, I rarely have no signal but when I do there's typically no Orange backup. That's my experience anyway.

Lets hope LTE extends coverage, but this is one thing to consider when joining Three.

On my 3 PAYG SIM, the answer is no - calls & texts only. 2G roaming is still possible over here where I live, but where this can be done has now shrunk considerably across the UK.

Calls and texts only where you roam onto 2G Orange. No data.

Bizarre that you didn't get anything in the north of Scotland, but I got Three 2G (Orange) in Newcastle and York.

Very strange.. My EE phone was getting 2- full bars Orange 2G.

It makes me so curious how the 2G backup works anyway, in particular with 3... how does the handset/sim know where 2G backup is allowed? Is it certain Orange masts that are programmed for use with the 3 sim cards or something even more complex as 2G backup is largely off but not entirely -oO-

That's effectively how it works.

Presumably Orange don't have any 2G coverage in the north of Scotland but do in Newcastle and York.

Like Lord Lucan said though, he got a signal with an EE SIM (Orange)!
And still odd as the Newcastle area is covered very well by Three and I could still pick 2G.

Orange backup is alive and well in large parts of rural wales. No data though.

Between Melton Mowbray and Waltham in Leicestershire the Orange EDGE network is available to Three customers but the data doesn't work

There is only Orange 2G fallback where Three consider they have no 3G coverage which is why they are going round switching off 2G as they improve their 3G network. presumably they think that there is adequate 3G coverage in Northern Scotland.

Agree with what's been said here by most.

Almost all of North West Wales still has Orange 2G backup enabled for Three customers, but it is calls and texts only - no data.

Until about a year ago, a three customer roaming on Orange could use the GPRS connection but only to view the Planet 3 walled garden and check remaining mins etc.

Now however, no data at all. Infact the complete lack of any 2G data backup is the only reason I left Three...!

As others have said, no it's 3G only now. There's virtually no 2G on apart from very rural areas, and in those areas no GPRS data is available.

If you are in an ultra rural area, I would recommend skipping Three and going with the likes of O2 or Vodafone.

If you are in a rural/remote area i would recomend trying a pay as you go sim for all networks.
Ive been im some rural/very remote places with a working three (3g) signal, but found that others have had no O2/vodafone coverage.

and if your going somehwere remote where you absolutly must have a phone signal then get hold of a cheap back up phone with a sim card from another provider.

Im not sure if this is the case, but dot
Orange/Tmobile/EE and Three all use the same backroom provider, MNBL and Vodafone/O2 use another backroom provier?
if thats true then theres only two core network providers, so if you want back up/redundancy you need networks on both main providers.

I'm on EE, hopefully when the Orange 2G site at Wymondham is integrated into the MBNL system the 3G signal won't bomb out in this area.

No, thats not the case.

o2 and voda are seperate networks with seperate sites. Even with the new agreement they have, they will still run as seperate networks and you wont roam between the two.

Orange and TMobile are now EE and share each others 2g/3g and LTE network. Where there is duplication of signal and a site is not needed, it will probably be removed.

TMobile and Three operate there 3G networks from basically the same sites. Seperate networks, cant roam between the two but chances are, where you get a Three signal, you will get a Tmobile signal. Orange have been/will be jumping onto this agreement too but you wont be roaming from Three to Orange or vice versa.

2G backup still available all over Swansea (pop. of 240k), which is odd, as 3's coverage here is very good. No data on 2G though.

It does seem to be very random, where it's available. Interesting...

2G backup is still available in urban (Shrews/Telford) and rural areas of shropshire. Once again no data.