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Vodafone and O2 4G experience thread
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jchamier
31-08-2015
Originally Posted by djfrancis:
“Is it me or dos Vodafone go to 3G on standby? And H+ when data is getting used?”

Depends on the handset, it may idle on 3G to allow for incoming voice calls - it shouldn't need to due to CSFB. iPhones don't on Vodafone or EE.

Drive up the A1 from London to Middlesbrough with EE and Vodafone and you'll see the Vodafone is mostly in GRPS coverage and the EE is all 3G and quite a bit 4G. Drive down the M4 from London to Bristol and the Vodafone has more 3G but a few pockets of GPRS only - when EE is mostly 4G and rest is 3G.

Yes they're both improving but Voda still has a long way to go, many years of neglect can't be caught up that quick.
Gigabit
31-08-2015
O2 will sit on GPRS forever. Good guy O2.
jchamier
31-08-2015
Originally Posted by Gigabit:
“O2 will sit on GPRS forever. Good guy O2.”

I saw that with Vodafone for a long time, but it seems to have improved.

I always thought it was the "businesses need voice calls, so we will prioritise voice" idea, missing the fact that 2G cell sectors can only manage a handful of concurrent calls versus 3G.
djfrancis
31-08-2015
Interesting, Vodafone network is the only one i have noticed that goes onto EDGE when idle but the iPhones stays at 3G however saying that i can manually select WCDMA from More Networks and it will stay 3G happily at -62 dbm.

When i did have O2/giffgaff it was always H by default.

Originally Posted by jchamier:
“Drive up the A1 from London to Middlesbrough with EE and Vodafone and you'll see the Vodafone is mostly in GRPS coverage and the EE is all 3G and quite a bit 4G. Drive down the M4 from London to Bristol and the Vodafone has more 3G but a few pockets of GPRS only - when EE is mostly 4G and rest is 3G.”

So thats why the Megabus WiFi are so slow!
Gigabit
31-08-2015
I must say I've never noticed go onto EDGE when idle.

My Android phone will forever be switching from HSPA+ to EDGE at my home location but that's only because the HSPA+ signal is awful so it gives up after a while using that.
alanwarwic
31-08-2015
Modern phones are getting more and more hapless at 2G, the aerials are attuned to 3G and now 4G.

If you need to drop to edge, I think the old HTC Wildfire beats anything out there.
So the question is also, if they might need to drop to Edge, can they?
jchamier
31-08-2015
Originally Posted by alanwarwic:
“Modern phones are getting more and more hapless at 2G, the aerials are attuned to 3G and now 4G.”

Not sure, I thought antennas were tuned to frequencies rather than protocols?

Voda and O2 have 2G and 3G at 900 mhz.
EE has 2G and 4G at 1800 mhz.

They all have 3G at 2100mhz.
M1kos
31-08-2015
Just been up at Canary Wharf London docklands I couldn't work out why my signal on voda was so poor u had only one or two bars of signal anyway it turned out that Voda has deployed 2600 and my phone was clinging on too piss poor weak signals instead of the stronger 800. I think this is stupid as -120dbm is pointless as slow and faster 800 is available same thing happens in central London I just didn't realise why
jchamier
31-08-2015
Originally Posted by M1kos:
“Just been up at Canary Wharf London docklands I couldn't work out why my signal on voda was so poor u had only one or two bars of signal anyway it turned out that Voda has deployed 2600 and my phone was clinging on too piss poor weak signals instead of the stronger 800. I think this is stupid as -120dbm is pointless as slow and faster 800 is available same thing happens in central London I just didn't realise why”

Canary Wharf has so many subscribers in a small land area, that Vodafone need to run their 2600mhz spectrum. 2x20 Mhz @ 2600 is a lot more capacity than 2x10Mhz @ 800.

Your phone will prefer 2600 until it can't get it and will then jump to 800 - this means you're likely to see 10 to 15 megabit speeds, rather than 1 to 2 megabit On a bank holiday. On a working day I'd expect you to see 1mbps at best - given the volume of people there :-/
Gigabit
31-08-2015
jchamier is right. For a long time Vodafone's network just wouldn't work in the City during the day, even calls wouldn't work.
jchamier
31-08-2015
Originally Posted by Gigabit:
“jchamier is right. For a long time Vodafone's network just wouldn't work in the City during the day, even calls wouldn't work.”

I was with O2 with the iPhone 3GS for 24 months, and for half that time I was working in London. I had moved over from T-Mobile for the iPhone and couldn't believe how awful O2 was in Waterloo station or on trains - trying to make calls half the time was the 'network busy' tone as they just didn't have remotely enough capacity.

Vodafone was / is the same, not investing in the network at the same rate as selling handsets.
M1kos
31-08-2015
They need a lot more sites to cope as well I know of three locally which are waiting upgrade / deployment
M1kos
31-08-2015
And my point is that the threshold that the phone switched back to 800 was -120 which is too low should be -100 imo
djfrancis
01-09-2015
How many devices can a phone mast hold upto? Or would that depend on the connection the mast is on with it been on ISDN, ADSL or ADSL2 cant see them been with Cable unless is a extremely high demand city.

For works going on in London you view them on http://public.londonworks.gov.uk

Borough -> City of London
Owners -> Vodafone Group or T-Mobile (UK) Ltd for EE/Three.

Mobile network speed testing, London, July 30th 2015
https://youtu.be/D3TFS08PvG4?t=98
Gigabit
01-09-2015
O2 still doesn't work in London Waterloo during the rush hour.

You might manage to make a call but data just on 3G just doesn't work at all. 4G might manage Google, just.
M1kos
01-09-2015
Originally Posted by djfrancis:
“How many devices can a phone mast hold upto? Or would that depend on the connection the mast is on with it been on ISDN, ADSL or ADSL2 cant see them been with Cable unless is a extremely high demand city.

For works going on in London you view them on http://public.londonworks.gov.uk

Borough -> City of London
Owners -> Vodafone Group or T-Mobile (UK) Ltd for EE/Three.

Mobile network speed testing, London, July 30th 2015
https://youtu.be/D3TFS08PvG4?t=98”

What about o2 I can't get it too show anything shame roadworks.Org has discontinued the advanced search
djfrancis
01-09-2015
I have always thought Vodafone Group to do O2 masts aswell now since they gone CTIL but looking though south northamptonshire council planning, Back in 2013 http://snc.planning-register.co.uk/p...px?recno=69322

Telefonica O2 UK Limited

Or

O2 (UK) Ltd
Pedro_C
01-09-2015
While Vodafone may be neck to neck with EE in the South East, in South Dorset (Weymouth area) things are rather different.

Vodafone (and O2) is mostly 2G, with EE having 3G everywhere and also a very significant amount of double speed 4G. Spent about half an hour today with 80mbps on the EE phone and gridlocked GPRS on Vodafone. At least O2 had reasonably snappy Edge. When in the major towns, Vodafone and O2 do have reasonable 3G coverage (though still a few 2G only parts), but the speed (2-10mbps) is a long way off 4G'd areas, not helped by at least one mast being only HSPA up to 14.4, rather than DCHSDPA 42.2. Additionally, the roads between the towns is GPRS, with EE having blanket 3G.

However, if Vodafone's 4G coverage is lacking, O2's is so very much worse. I'm not going to describe the coverage maps, but I think it's fair to say O2's 4G is almost completely non-existent, whereas I'd describe Vodafone's as "In progress", as they have quite significant coverage and superb speeds (75mbps) in some rural areas, such as Puddletown, with further planned upgrades.
Stereo Steve
01-09-2015
There is stuff happening down here at last. Plymouth is firing up this month I think (parts of it anyway). Nothing planned on the map for Exeter which is odd while other places like Barnstaple are planned in. Nothing against those places and I don't live in or go to Exeter much but it's a bit of a hub so not sure why it's not being done.

I wonder if it's more down to where they have decent backhaul already in place. No idea what VOD 3G is like in Exeter. Around my way, they have 3G in place or have it planned almost everywhere apart from the 3 masts which surround my house.

Which is nice.
Gigabit
01-09-2015
It still stuns me that some roads have no signal at all from EE and granted O2 only has GPRS but in that situation I'd take any signal.
plymouthbloke1974
01-09-2015
Originally Posted by Stereo Steve:
“There is stuff happening down here at last. Plymouth is firing up this month I think (parts of it anyway). Nothing planned on the map for Exeter which is odd while other places like Barnstaple are planned in. Nothing against those places and I don't live in or go to Exeter much but it's a bit of a hub so not sure why it's not being done.

I wonder if it's more down to where they have decent backhaul already in place. No idea what VOD 3G is like in Exeter. Around my way, they have 3G in place or have it planned almost everywhere apart from the 3 masts which surround my house.

Which is nice.”

Anyone who wants 4G in Devon or Cornwall will be on EE. Their 4G coverage beats Vodafone's 3G!
jchamier
01-09-2015
Originally Posted by Gigabit:
“O2 still doesn't work in London Waterloo during the rush hour..”

Not unsurprisingly. They have 2G that is saturated and some 3G provision, and the smallest allocation of 4G. But they have a LOT of users. This doesn't mix.
Stereo Steve
01-09-2015
Originally Posted by plymouthbloke1974:
“Anyone who wants 4G in Devon or Cornwall will be on EE. Their 4G coverage beats Vodafone's 3G!”

I know this but they ain't rolling out 800 which matters to me. 1800 EE does not work in the places I am most likely to be lying in with less limbs than I had before. Cornerstone 2G does work in these places but no data. I don't actually want 4G. 3G is perfect for me. I just want one of the networks to provide a solid voice and data service around the place. Make a call, check the bank. I don't need to stream a 4K video while skyping my mate in Australia. Not many people do. At the moment it's O2/VOD for voice and 3/EE for data. You can argue all you want but them's the facts. If you want proof, go into Totnes town centre any night and ask all the taxi drivers if they are on 3 or EE. Nope. It would cost them business as they need to talk. Ask anyone with a smartphone if they are on VOD or O2. Probably some might be but they are um.... well, they need telling.

If EE got serious about 800, it would make me very happy.
lost boy
02-09-2015
Originally Posted by Pedro_C:
“While Vodafone may be neck to neck with EE in the South East, in South Dorset (Weymouth area) things are rather different.

Vodafone (and O2) is mostly 2G, with EE having 3G everywhere and also a very significant amount of double speed 4G. Spent about half an hour today with 80mbps on the EE phone and gridlocked GPRS on Vodafone. At least O2 had reasonably snappy Edge. When in the major towns, Vodafone and O2 do have reasonable 3G coverage (though still a few 2G only parts), but the speed (2-10mbps) is a long way off 4G'd areas, not helped by at least one mast being only HSPA up to 14.4, rather than DCHSDPA 42.2. Additionally, the roads between the towns is GPRS, with EE having blanket 3G. .”

Similar story here at the other side of the country:

EE - 3G everywhere, and lots of 4G (lots of which is double speed too).
Three - 3G everywhere.
O2 - Mostly 2G, GPRS at that, but when you can get a 3G2100 signal it's quite snappy... 3G900, snails would beat it as it's overloaded.
Voda - other than EDGE instead of GPRS, and rather less 3G900, just as O2 above.

Originally Posted by Pedro_C:
“However, if Vodafone's 4G coverage is lacking, O2's is so very much worse. I'm not going to describe the coverage maps, but I think it's fair to say O2's 4G is almost completely non-existent, whereas I'd describe Vodafone's as "In progress", as they have quite significant coverage and superb speeds (75mbps) in some rural areas, such as Puddletown, with further planned upgrades.”

Well, can't differentiate between O2 and Vodafone 4G here - between them they have activated one mast for 4G within the wider area. Granted that's more than Three (so far) *shudder* but evidently, according to Vodafone anyway, that's it for the time being.
moox
02-09-2015
Originally Posted by lost boy:
“Similar story here at the other side of the country:

EE - 3G everywhere, and lots of 4G (lots of which is double speed too).
Three - 3G everywhere.
O2 - Mostly 2G, GPRS at that, but when you can get a 3G2100 signal it's quite snappy... 3G900, snails would beat it as it's overloaded.
Voda - other than EDGE instead of GPRS, and rather less 3G900, just as O2 above.”

Sounds like Cornwall. It seems that 800MHz 4G from 3 will change things dramatically around here, though.

Not that much VF EDGE though, and where 3G900 exists it's crap in terms of speed
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