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Vodafone and O2 4G experience thread


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Old 14-08-2014, 12:22
Kierankay
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O2 & Vodafone have both now updated their coverage maps, as far as I can see there is a big improvement in central Scotland
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Old 14-08-2014, 12:29
corf
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Still nothing in Wales.........
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Old 14-08-2014, 18:31
mrMick
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Nothing new here either. Moving along..
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Old 17-08-2014, 16:28
Steven L Hunter
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O2 & Vodafone have both now updated their coverage maps, as far as I can see there is a big improvement in central Scotland
You rarely get 4G in Edinburgh never mind Central scotland it's really bad now at parts of even the city centre east end.
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Old 17-08-2014, 19:01
paulker
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You rarely get 4G in Edinburgh never mind Central scotland it's really bad now at parts of even the city centre east end.
Vodafone 4g in Glasgow is ace.
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Old 17-08-2014, 21:24
plymouthbloke1974
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I think it's amazing how little of the SW Vodafone cover - they don't even cover Bristol!
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Old 17-08-2014, 21:54
iGeek2014
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I'd like to experience Vodafone 3G where i live, never mind 4G.

Vodafone called me a couple of weeks ago asking me to upgrade to a 4G account i simply told them there isn't any 3G and no plans for 4G here so i saw no point.

"Ah yes, you're area is due to upgraded by november!" He said, cheerily. I just laughed... "You guys said that last year as well... it didn't happen..." .. the call ended about then..
I don't think anybody in Customer Services at Vodafone knows anything about 4G rollouts!

I had a call asking if I wanted to buy an iPad and data plan with them; I told them I'd already bought one using another network's PAYG tariff because I can only get GPRS in Ashbourne where I work.

He then asked where I'd lived in Derby and told me if I drove up the road to a lane I'd get 4G.... and to keep an eye on the coverage checker to see when where I live would get it...

At this rate my 12 month contract will be over with them!
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Old 17-08-2014, 21:59
mrMick
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My contracts have a year to go, at which point I will consider my options if no change is seen.
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Old 18-08-2014, 00:02
uno
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Vodafone and O2 are very secretive about future rollout plans even to their own staff, Many who take great pride in their job have tried to get information to help do their job better this includes most customer facing staff even store managers and area managers.

I know of one store manager in a large town the middle of England tried to get info of when 4G was coming to the surrounding area and both him and the area manager could not get any roll out plans.

However there is still lots of mast upgrade going on around the country especially around Gloucestershire,Northamptonshire,Peterborough ,Derbyshire and Cornwall so I expect these will be the next places to go live. With summer holidays of engineers the roll out has slowed in the last 6 weeks so not as many getting completed but that should increase again soon.

They have have also been going back to areas already covered to increase coverage so upgrading more masts especially some of the roof top sites.
As Vodafone/ O2 are doing it slightly different to EE who did roof top ones first to give range and distance then did the street side ones where as Voda/O2 have done street side first.

I am also told that there has been a new software update for the 4G base stations which has meant engineers going round plugging in laptop to update them, This is why you may see maintainance scheduled on the Vodafone & O2 masts in areas for just 30-60 mins but all takes time to do.
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Old 18-08-2014, 08:26
paulker
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Vodafone and O2 are very secretive about future rollout plans even to their own staff, Many who take great pride in their job have tried to get information to help do their job better this includes most customer facing staff even store managers and area managers.

I know of one store manager in a large town the middle of England tried to get info of when 4G was coming to the surrounding area and both him and the area manager could not get any roll out plans.

However there is still lots of mast upgrade going on around the country especially around Gloucestershire,Northamptonshire,Peterborough ,Derbyshire and Cornwall so I expect these will be the next places to go live. With summer holidays of engineers the roll out has slowed in the last 6 weeks so not as many getting completed but that should increase again soon.

They have have also been going back to areas already covered to increase coverage so upgrading more masts especially some of the roof top sites.
As Vodafone/ O2 are doing it slightly different to EE who did roof top ones first to give range and distance then did the street side ones where as Voda/O2 have done street side first.

I am also told that there has been a new software update for the 4G base stations which has meant engineers going round plugging in laptop to update them, This is why you may see maintainance scheduled on the Vodafone & O2 masts in areas for just 30-60 mins but all takes time to do.
When I look at the Vodafone maintenance site they seem to go back time and time again to the same masts. Seems crazy to me.
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Old 18-08-2014, 18:33
uno
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Paulker- It has to be remembered that these new upgraded masts are 2G,3G and 4G ao lots of technology in the cabinets and as shared lots more that may need looking at for example the Voda side could be fine yet O2 3G could be playing up needing to turn the power off to the whole cabinet.

Also the 2&3G side of things often needs a little bit of fine tuning to fit in with neighbouring masts and make sure that no blackspots are created. Some masts are also getting their backhaul upgrades done after they have been live a few weeks even a couple of months after.

I know the engineers that have been working around Leicestershire have also been revisiting some sites to add 2600 equipment and upgrades although not sure if thats live yet or not as i have only seen it when I know they have ben working on a specific mast.
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Old 31-08-2014, 18:55
japaul
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Some evidence of Vodafone 2600 MHz
http://imgur.com/vg48s85

Band 7 = 2600. 2x20 (like EE double speed).
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Old 31-08-2014, 19:07
jabbamk1
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Some evidence of Vodafone 2600 MHz
http://imgur.com/vg48s85

Band 7 = 2600. 2x20 (like EE double speed).
Do you have an idea which specific locations will be using this band?
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Old 31-08-2014, 21:10
mrMick
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Can't even see any change for the next 3 months where i am lol oh well
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Old 31-08-2014, 22:15
japaul
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Do you have an idea which specific locations will be using this band?
AFAIK, currently there's 2600 in London (not seen it myself though), Reading (small cells) and around Newbury. This particular one was picked up whilst at the Castle pub in Donnington (which isn't far from Vodafone). Technically in testing but open for anyone to use.
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Old 31-08-2014, 22:23
M1kos
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Anyone know an Android app that shows with lte frequency your on because i cant find one
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Old 31-08-2014, 22:27
enapace
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Anyone know an Android app that shows with lte frequency your on because i cant find one
https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...ster.mrf&hl=en
https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...iscovery&hl=en

try one of them should work.
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Old 31-08-2014, 22:55
Gigabit
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Neither of those apps show you the frequency.
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Old 31-08-2014, 23:20
jabbamk1
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On my phone I can set access to certain bands individually to test which ones are active in each area.

http://i481.photobucket.com/albums/r...psiavupg08.png
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Old 02-09-2014, 13:42
uno
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I went away to Birmingham at the weekend and noticd there was some Vodafome 2600 coverage around the Bull ring/New Street and also around the Criowne Plaza hotel.

What was interesting was the speed tests normally on Vodafones 4G 800mhz i get between 25-44mbps speed but on 2600 it was always over 50mbps upto 76 so very fast speeds.

I know in my local area Leicestershire that Vodafone have recently been busy going round to a number of masts adding 2600 equipment and testing it but as yet is not live I imagine that they may wait until VOLTE and IOS 8 is in use and have heard reports that Vodafone have a new service in final planning stages for 4G customers which will improve the services offered.
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Old 02-09-2014, 15:36
japaul
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I went away to Birmingham at the weekend and noticd there was some Vodafome 2600 coverage around the Bull ring/New Street and also around the Criowne Plaza hotel.

What was interesting was the speed tests normally on Vodafones 4G 800mhz i get between 25-44mbps speed but on 2600 it was always over 50mbps upto 76 so very fast speeds.
OK, didn't know it was in use elsewhere. It's reasonable to expect it to be faster since they've got more spectrum to play with at 2600 than at 800.
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Old 02-09-2014, 18:25
Gigabit
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On my phone I can set access to certain bands individually to test which ones are active in each area.

http://i481.photobucket.com/albums/r...psiavupg08.png
How do you get that?
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Old 02-09-2014, 21:04
jchamier
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What was interesting was the speed tests normally on Vodafones 4G 800mhz i get between 25-44mbps speed but on 2600 it was always over 50mbps upto 76 so very fast speeds.
Looks like 2x20 compared to 2x10 mhz . I think voda only has enough spectrum for 2x10 at 800mhz, and 2x20 at 2600. EE is gradually getting around the country upgrading masts to 2x20 at 1800, but they only have 2x5 at 800, so tiny amount, but EE has some 2600.

I think O2 and Three only have 2x10 at 800. ::-/
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Old 02-09-2014, 21:31
japaul
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Looks like 2x20 compared to 2x10 mhz . I think voda only has enough spectrum for 2x10 at 800mhz, and 2x20 at 2600. EE is gradually getting around the country upgrading masts to 2x20 at 1800, but they only have 2x10 at 800 as well.
EE 2x5 at 800
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Old 02-09-2014, 21:34
jchamier
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Thanks, updated my post. 2x5 is tiny amount - so for EE customers 800 isn't going to be dramatic, given the good coverage EE has with 1800 for 2G already.
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