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Vodafone and O2 4G experience thread


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Old 03-05-2015, 12:23
clewsy
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Well its the same in Stoke. Look at the patchy 4g from a few sites. It appears more selective these days how they are upgrading but then saying that I'm deffo seeing more 3g on o2 than I have seen before.

Clearly improving but no where near EE yet
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Old 03-05-2015, 12:39
Stereo Steve
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Ive noticed in some places VF / O2 are just improving the 3g coverage and not touching 4g. Seems to be the roof top masts mostly.

I wonder if they can switch it on at a later date? Yet where they install those shared street works masts they seem to be 2g, 3g and 4g for both networks.
Perhaps they are laying in the upgraded back haul which gives 3G a boost but are waiting on planning permission for 4G gear? Dunno.
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Old 03-05-2015, 14:48
lightspeed2398
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Not strictly all 4g but I thought I'd share my experience of trying Voda PAYG out today.

I'm exploring my options for when I move off of Three and I decided this month to try out a Voda PAYG sim. I got a SIM and topped up £40 (I was going to go full hog and try out a 6gb plan) , problem was it messed it all up and I ended up with a £20 pack despite £40 being taken. Spoke with customer support. Very good, sorted it all out. Offer for free Spotify sorted out.

The 4g is a lot better than I expected. 45 at my house where EE generally get about 30Mbps and just on a quick ride into Manchester the 4g held most of the way (unlike Three).
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Old 03-05-2015, 14:57
d123
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Vodafone really do need to do something about their PAYG prices though. £40 for 6GB is extortionate.
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Old 03-05-2015, 14:59
lightspeed2398
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Vodafone really do need to do something about their PAYG prices though. £40 for 6GB is extortionate.
I absolutely agree. There was a message when I bought it saying that they're changing to "Big Value Bundles" soon, perhaps a price refresh at the same time as SIM only?

I was happy to pay it as a one off to see what their service is like, but if I move to SIM only with them it'll be slightly better.
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Old 03-05-2015, 15:41
Denco1
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They should also include tethering with PAYG when they charge these prices.
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Old 03-05-2015, 15:56
d123
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They should also include tethering with PAYG when they charge these prices.
Any network that prohibits tethering on a limited allowance is just making stupid decisions. There is no rational reason to disallow it.
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Old 03-05-2015, 17:13
jonmorris
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Any network that prohibits tethering on a limited allowance is just making stupid decisions. There is no rational reason to disallow it.
There is, but it's purely a cynical/greedy one. Namely that if you offer 20GB on the handset only, many people won't easily be able to consume it.

Open it up to tethering and then it will be quite easy to use it up.

I think Three has the right approach with unlimited handset, limited tethering - but should offer more tethering at more affordable prices. If I could pay £15 for AYCE handset data, 4GB of tethering and then pay, say, £1 per GB for more tethering data I wouldn't be too upset as I won't often need more data.

As it stands, you can add 1GB extra for 5GB and then that's it - you hit a brick wall with no option (AFAIK) to buy more.
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Old 07-05-2015, 14:28
lightspeed2398
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My Vodafone SIM is having a bit of a fun time with data at my house ATM. Checking the coverage checker get the message "We're doing some work on our network in this area to improve your 2G and 3G call and data coverage."

Anyone got an idea what kind of maintenance that is?
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Old 21-05-2015, 08:13
Stereo Steve
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Plymouth and Truro just came up as planned on the checker if anyone is remotely interested.
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Old 21-05-2015, 09:20
plymouthbloke1974
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Read Plymouth as "A small section of West Plymouth that covers about 10% of the city and surrounding areas"..... Poor show.
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Old 21-05-2015, 09:30
moox
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Read Plymouth as "A small section of West Plymouth that covers about 10% of the city and surrounding areas"..... Poor show.
Their Truro coverage seems to mean "a bit of the city centre". Between that and all the 3G sites that seem to be running off of dialup modems, I won't be asking for my PAC to move over any time soon
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Old 21-05-2015, 09:30
Gigabit
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I forgot that Vodafone EDGE is actually fairly usable. Shame I mostly use O2 which remains on GPRS with virtually no data flow most of the time...

EDGE speed test (Vodafone): http://imgur.com/BNUB6Ss
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Old 21-05-2015, 16:05
Stereo Steve
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I forgot that Vodafone EDGE is actually fairly usable. Shame I mostly use O2 which remains on GPRS with virtually no data flow most of the time...

EDGE speed test (Vodafone): http://imgur.com/BNUB6Ss
Not in Totnes it isn't. Hasn't been for years. It's a known issue that they refuse (or can't) fix. Full signal and no data at all.
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Old 21-05-2015, 16:25
lost boy
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I forgot that Vodafone EDGE is actually fairly usable. Shame I mostly use O2 which remains on GPRS with virtually no data flow most of the time...

EDGE speed test (Vodafone): http://imgur.com/BNUB6Ss
Not in Totnes it isn't. Hasn't been for years. It's a known issue that they refuse (or can't) fix. Full signal and no data at all.
I agree, Vodafone EDGE is unusable here (other side of the country) too - even when the signal is blasting in, the second 'E' comes up on screen data grinds to a halt. On the flip side, O2's GPRS is faster (unless you connect to the mast that's been faulty for years, but let's not go there).
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Old 21-05-2015, 17:29
Stereo Steve
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Read Plymouth as "A small section of West Plymouth that covers about 10% of the city and surrounding areas"..... Poor show.
One would assume the rest would follow fairly swiftly though. Poor VOD customers in Exeter aren't even in the plan which is odd as it's a big old place with a lot of businesses too.

I think they'll get the main towns done soon enough. The big question is whether they will stop there like they did with 3G or continue out to us peasants.
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Old 21-05-2015, 17:37
jaffboy151
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One would assume the rest would follow fairly swiftly though. Poor VOD customers in Exeter aren't even in the plan which is odd as it's a big old place with a lot of businesses too.

I think they'll get the main towns done soon enough. The big question is whether they will stop there like they did with 3G or continue out to us peasants.
THIS... Is the big question and why I'm holding off from moving to them for the moment until it becomes a bit clearer, unless three chuck me off my one plan between now and the end of the year that is. I'd take the plunge now and live with the slower areas for the time being if there were signs that they would get upgraded, but I've yet to see any yet, I may well find most areas covered by a weak 800mhz mast in the nearby towns bit like I do with 900mhz 3G but it' can be dam slow!
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Old 21-05-2015, 17:56
Stereo Steve
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THIS... Is the big question and why I'm holding off from moving to them for the moment until it becomes a bit clearer, unless three chuck me off my one plan between now and the end of the year that is. I'd take the plunge now and live with the slower areas for the time being if there were signs that they would get upgraded, but I've yet to see any yet, I may well find most areas covered by a weak 800mhz mast in the nearby towns bit like I do with 900mhz 3G but it' can be dam slow!
I found 900 3G to be hopeless (on O2). To be honest, going from 3 or EE to VOD is like going back in time usless you are in a big city or a 'lucky' area. I've gone dual SIM for the mo as VOD is so much better for 2G voice around here. Penetrates the old buildings better and get's into the valleys better. But I have an EE one for data. I think that before 800 get's turned up (where it's on), any network will need VoLTE to be working properly and possibly restrict it to only VoLTE devices.

I was looking at the VOD map earlier and got up around Barnstaple where if you click on 3G and then go between current and planned, it actually looks like they are turning some 3G off but no 4G on! Perhaps just trying to rub the yokel's faces in it.
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Old 22-05-2015, 10:28
engineermoore
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I was in Dundee for a few days last week and despite getting an ok signal, the data speeds were so slow that they were simply not useful. I have no idea what was going on with the network but when a phone shows 5 bars of H+ you really should be able to load an email!

I am surprised to see that the o2 website shows 4g coverage for Dundee. In my 4 days there I did not once get 4g. I was in the city centre and at the university, areas I would expect to be covered.
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Old 22-05-2015, 10:44
Gigabit
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To be fair, where Vodafone have rolled out 4G, 3G seems to be reasonably fast: 9Mbps down, in Alton, Hants for example.
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Old 22-05-2015, 16:49
jaffboy151
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To be fair, where Vodafone have rolled out 4G, 3G seems to be reasonably fast: 9Mbps down, in Alton, Hants for example.
With the testing over the past month I've done I'd agree with this, in areas where I suspect the spade work has begun for 4g upgrade I've found speeds equal or above that of EE & three on band 1 and around 3-4 mbps for band 8, trouble I'm having deciding about which network to go with is, three/EE is generally faster in most areas but on the move despite ee having many sites 4g now they are so weak in strength that when traveling they are like pi** holes in the snow, making it unless for streaming as you drop back and stay on 3g, which wouldn't be a problem but MBNL have at least 2 masts which I use everyday which provide less then edge speed and seem to be doing little about it for the past 12 months, Vodafone is great on this everyday work route but as we know has big areas of no at all and requires a big leap of faith to think they might actually fill them.
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Old 22-05-2015, 17:41
sibley88
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Looks like Vodafone have reached Leighton Buzzard. Getting -113 outside here on 4G, doesn't even show on the planned coverage on their coverage checker. It dropped back to 3G fairly easily but managed to get 18mb down 4mb up before that happened

Now they just need to get Ampthill off GPRS and Milton Keynes to 4G now.
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Old 22-05-2015, 19:34
M1kos
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two sites in MK being worked on next week both oddly placed on rounderbouts!
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Old 22-05-2015, 20:46
clewsy
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two sites in MK being worked on next week both oddly placed on rounderbouts!
That could be anywhere in MK
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Old 22-05-2015, 22:27
Stereo Steve
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With the testing over the past month I've done I'd agree with this, in areas where I suspect the spade work has begun for 4g upgrade I've found speeds equal or above that of EE & three on band 1 and around 3-4 mbps for band 8, trouble I'm having deciding about which network to go with is, three/EE is generally faster in most areas but on the move despite ee having many sites 4g now they are so weak in strength that when traveling they are like pi** holes in the snow, making it unless for streaming as you drop back and stay on 3g, which wouldn't be a problem but MBNL have at least 2 masts which I use everyday which provide less then edge speed and seem to be doing little about it for the past 12 months, Vodafone is great on this everyday work route but as we know has big areas of no at all and requires a big leap of faith to think they might actually fill them.
Does seem to be an issue. VOD boss says they are getting it right where they are doing it before moving on whereas EE seems to have enabled everything with a view to sorting it all out later. Which to choose? I couldn't be just with VOD where I am as there is no data at all and no sign of it. Like you say, signing a 2 year contract on promises is a little scary. But VOD 2G is much better than EE 2G where I am so I'm waiting for someone to sort their shit out so I can sign up. I don't care if it's EE / VOD or 3O2.
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