So it looks like they've finally removed the 2G display on the 3G map?

No still has the "Data on 2G" layer on the 3G map. Still complete garbage for 2G, 3G, 4G coverage in my mate's part of Fleet (where EE has turned off two micro pole masts) - no cell network has indoor coverage (No Service on O2 and Voda - and 1 bar GPRS on EE which makes unusable calls). WiFi calling only saviour on EE.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jl0d...XhY9tTG1DiJWY9

Any idea why this 900MHz 2G, 2100MHz 3G mast requires three 900MHz panels per sector and one 2100MHz. http://pedroc.co.uk/fourpanelspersector.jpg It covers a tiny area -a couple of hundred metres radius max.

If anyone can help out Pedro with his 3 panel mystery then maybe someone can explain what's going on with this mast at the train station at Nantwich?
It's a shared site with Vodafone 2g/3g & orange 2g/3g according to the old sitefinder website.
Here's the mast before upgrades.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/te4d14pyf3...12130.png?dl=0
Here it is now after the upgrade.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/k3p0w4eghr...54.52.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/m2jehqvf9p...54.44.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/fnnkzi41lv...55.29.jpg?dl=0
I can't work out which of the networks these panels are for, and why they have installed 3 panels per sector.
Vodafone clearly broadcast 3g from this site as the signal is around - 59db but for nearly 2 months now 4g is around - 110db (coming from a street mast on the edge of town)
Three has never used this mast and EE was only 1 bar 4g so I think they use the same mast as three (the mbnl site on the post office in town)
I'm guessing it's cornerstone who's done the upgrades as the other panels look old and crusty like unused old orange ones. But if it is cornerstone, why the three panels and why no 4g?
The Vodafone 4g coverage for Nantwich has the whole town covered but this isn't true as this mast isn't active.
If it's worth it I can get some close up pics of the panels with my dslr camera instead of my phone.

The lower panels are definitely of the EE variety. The top are definitely O2 Voda. It's not uncommon for an O2/Voda sharer to use two sets of panels, one for O2 and one for Voda. So it's not unreasonable that it's O2, Voda, Voda high freq 4G

In fact each panel only seems to have one input wired, so 800 (future), 900 and 2100

2 of the 3 antennas per sector look like they are possibly antenna integrated radios like another of the sites you have posted about recently. The 4G delay maybe due to backhaul.
Would definitely be worth a go taking some close ups as this would although us to determine whether they are AIRs, or which frequency the ports are.
I do know of a couple of 3 antennas per sector cornerstone sites, all of which are also 1800MHz 2G sites.

I've never seen AIRs beside those on pics here, so up close and personal will be appreciated.

It's OK, this morning it's reverted back to the 'appalling coverage' mode.

Thought they must be cornerstone panels....
I'm overseas for next few weeks but will definitely go down when I return to get a closer look at those antennas with a better camera, unless it's all wired up by then and this is old news.

Banbury now has Vodafone and O2 4G in places

Vodafone just with snail speed 3g at Birmingham airport tonight, 😕 EE with fast 4g... (sound of a ball being dropped somewhere)

Ah, must have been in a bad spot in the airport, 4g all the way now... 😁

Extra outdoor 3G now back on the map in the South Hams. Might try and test it tomorrow. I think it must be 3G900.

Ok. VOD seem to be saying that they suddenly have far more 3G in the South Hams than ththe did a few days ago. Looking at the map, it looks like the same masts but more reach so my conclusion is they have all gone 3G900 but no new masts have been turned on.

I've got the Gnet tracker app on my phone and I can identify 1800 / 800 4G using that. How do I know that a signal I am picking up is 3G900 or 2100?

Do a speedtest: 900MHz rarely provides more than 9mbps. Also, putting the phone to 2G only and comparing the strengths: 3G 900 is often only barely weaker whereas 2100 will be quite a lot (depending on distance, LoS etc)

I know how much you chaps love pictures of phone masts, so I've built a webpage showing off some of Vodafone and O2's legacy 2G and 3G setups Vodafone and O2 legacy 900 and 2100MHz mast setups

When you mention o2 and Voda legacy setup this is more like what comes to mind

This one even has Voda branding

http://coolshell.cn//wp-content/uplo...-can-phone.jpg

I was thinking more of this!
http://vintage-mobile.livejournal.com/38361.html

Signal as good as today, notice its "NO SERVICE"

lol

With regards service, the more things change the more they stay the same with Voda .

Voda 4G now live in Exeter and Exmouth

God, that was close. I was just looking at those when my 8 year old Son came up the stairs.
Just managed to close the mast porn before he saw.
Goddamit man, have some responsibility. Posting your filth all over the place. LOL

Thanks for the pics. Interesting.

I could be wrong but I have a feeling that in the last pic with the 3x 900 panels on the middle two are redundant TACS antennas. The right hand side one looks like GSM but the middle two are differnet.

Old site from the TACS and GSM days?

However, I found a big book about GPRS in a library somewhere which explained why having 3-4 GPRS antennas was a good thing...It was something to do with polarisation and diversity. Infact, on the planning application for the mast, it said 3xGSM 1xUMTS per sector, so the 3x900 panels are all for GSM900. Also, this mast is fairly new, 2003 ish, long after TACS

Probably 2xreceive, 1xtransmit

Interesting! Most of the "old" big masts for O2 and VF are like that but very few of he new beacon ones are. Must be due to improvements in antenna technology?