O2's AWFUL 3G network

jchamier · 09-02-2014, 16:51

Quote:

Vodafone are really poor in my area. Me and my teacher ran a speedtest on Thursday, his iPhone 4s. next to my iPhone 5s. He got 1.7Mbps down on Vodafone and I got 13Mbps on Three 4G. He was amazed at how fast 4G was. He was in total disbelief when I told him I can pick up speeds of up to 20Mbps on Three 3G and up to 60-70Mbps on Three 4G. I showed him my 67Mbps 4G result and it 3 attempts of explaining before he finally realised it wasn't fibre broadband.

Don't forget 4S can't do DC-HSPA and Vodafone are limiting everyone not on a 4G contract to 10Mbps over 3G.

My work phone is an iPhone 5 and I've seen 9.1Mbps, but generally I get 3Mbps even in good/full signal areas.

jchamier · 09-02-2014, 16:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by qasdfdsaq

Must say, the speed test I ran last month really puts EE's 3G network to shame:
http://qasdfdsaq.com/images/speedtes...0-23-54-41.png
Middle of a field in Scotland on O2's 3G network.

Yeah, that looks like T-mobile 3G speeds here in North East Hants. My work colleagues with O2 report max of 5Mbps.

When O2 decide to roll 4G out here, things should improve, but given we are only 30miles from Heathrow, we might get O2 upgrades by end 2015

jonmorris · 09-02-2014, 16:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by qasdfdsaq

Must say, the speed test I ran last month really puts EE's 3G network to shame:

http://qasdfdsaq.com/images/speedtes...0-23-54-41.png

Middle of a field in Scotland on O2's 3G network.

What the hell are you doing in the middle of a field at almost midnight?!

jabbamk1 · 09-02-2014, 16:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by jonmorris

What the hell are you doing in the middle of a field at almost midnight?

My thoughts exactly haha

qasdfdsaq · 09-02-2014, 17:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by jonmorris

What the hell are you doing in the middle of a field at almost midnight?!

I have said before I'm homeless...

http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showp...postcount=1964

AlecR · 09-02-2014, 17:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Three

You've posted a 'T-Mobile' speedtest claiming it puts O2's 3G network to shame with no explanation of how? Do you have an accompanying O2 speedtest?

You are aware T-Mobile is EE yes?

As it happens I do have an O2 speed test, in the middle of a town:

http://imgur.com/eVj2lJh

AlecR · 09-02-2014, 17:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by qasdfdsaq

Must say, the speed test I ran last month really puts EE's 3G network to shame:

http://qasdfdsaq.com/images/speedtes...0-23-54-41.png

Middle of a field in Scotland on O2's 3G network.

Can't say I've ever seen those speeds on O2 in the south. I saw 5 once but that's it.

Three · 09-02-2014, 17:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlecR

You are aware T-Mobile is EE yes?

As it happens I do have an O2 speed test, in the middle of a town:

http://imgur.com/eVj2lJh

Yes I am aware.

What I am saying is you can't claim the O2 coverage is bad in the field because you tested EE and it was good. You need a bad O2 result and a good EE result before you can compare and conclude the O2 coverage at that location is poor.

AlecR · 09-02-2014, 17:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by Three

Yes I am aware.

What I am saying is you can't claim the O2 coverage is bad in the field because you tested EE and it was good. You need a bad O2 result and a good EE result before you can compare and conclude the O2 coverage at that location is poor.

I did a speed test in the same location last week and got 2Mb/s.

Three · 09-02-2014, 17:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlecR

I did a speed test in the same location last week and got 2Mb/s.

Great. Then you should have posted that with your other post because without it your claim is flawed.

jchamier · 09-02-2014, 17:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlecR

You are aware T-Mobile is EE yes?

On a 4G connection I get both T-Mobile and Orange IP addresses allocated. On a 3G connection I seem to always get T-Mobile IP addresses.

Quote:

As it happens I do have an O2 speed test, in the middle of a town:
http://imgur.com/eVj2lJh

That's similar to Vodafone performance. I originally thought it was sheer volume of users, I'm now wondering if its just lack of upgrades.

What's with Winchester having no 4G yet :-/

AlecR · 09-02-2014, 17:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by jchamier

What's with Winchester having no 4G yet :-/

I know right. EE seems to be really crap in Winchester for some reason; it's alright on the journey from Farnham to there, but once you get to Winchester itself, the signal is pretty dire. Why's that I wonder?

jchamier · 09-02-2014, 17:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlecR

I know right. EE seems to be really crap in Winchester for some reason; it's alright on the journey from Farnham to there, but once you get to Winchester itself, the signal is pretty dire. Why's that I wonder?

Winchester used to be okay for Orange 3G (but slow), so I'm guessing that perhaps EE have shut down too many ex-Orange masts. Maybe there will be a big MBNL upgrade this summer, as the M3 is okay for 3G signal but not brilliant, and all the motorway network need attention for 4G. (for all those coaches and passengers of course).

Everything Goes · 09-02-2014, 19:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by jabbamk1

This is O2's 3G coverage Vs EE's 3G coverage

http://i481.photobucket.com/albums/r...ps39482cef.jpg

Want to see something even more shocking.

This was O2's 3G 2100 coverage at the end of 2012.
http://i.imgur.com/ppurl.png

It took them 7 and a half years to get to that^

Think of all the money the saved by not investing in network infrastructure and of course the wonderful customer service scores they get. So when you can't get a 3G signal just think of Telefonica's debt mountain

dontpannic · 12-02-2014, 15:04

To be fair, since upgrading to a Galaxy S4 I've had no real problem with O2's 3G network. It seems a lot slower since LTE was launched but even so, still allows me to work with it.

enapace · 12-02-2014, 15:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by dontpannic

To be fair, since upgrading to a Galaxy S4 I've had no real problem with O2's 3G network. It seems a lot slower since LTE was launched but even so, still allows me to work with it.

I think the problem most find with it is the limited footprint it has not the speeds it delivers. I must admit I've been shocked in the areas it doesn't have 3G signal in.

happy-camper · 12-02-2014, 15:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlecR

Does anybody else think O2's network is just, AWFUL?

Here's a speed test, in the middle of a large town in the south of the UK, today, with full signal:

http://imgur.com/0gFzUP8

This is 'good' by O2's standards, as far as I know.

Why is O2's network so bad?!?

Is it just in the south east (where I live)?

U call that bad? You did see my thread a few weeks back http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showt...279&highlight= O2 at its finest.

AlecR · 12-02-2014, 18:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by happy-camper

U call that bad? You did see my thread a few weeks back http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showt...279&highlight= O2 at its finest.

I actually said that my speed test was good by O2's standards, showing just how slow/bad their network is.

That speed test: ouch. Time to change to EE or Three perhaps?

happy-camper · 12-02-2014, 18:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlecR

I actually said that my speed test was good by O2's standards, showing just how slow/bad their network is.

That speed test: ouch. Time to change to EE or Three perhaps?

Yep. I have my prepay Sims ordered to see how they perform around here

Alex Cator · 26-10-2015, 11:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlecR

I don't think I've ever seen Edge on O2. I see it a lot on my friend's Vodafone phone.

Aylsham in Norfolk is one of the few places I've been past that has O2 Edge but no 3G. I have seen Edge on O2, but very rarely and most places without O2 3G coverage only have GPRS.

Alex Cator · 26-10-2015, 11:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by moox

For a lot of people they can't even get a 3G signal out of O2, they get truly useless GPRS instead.

I live in East Harling in Norfolk (just a few miles north of the Suffolk border) and I am on O2. East Harling is not covered by O2's 3G service, nor their Edge service, therefore all I get is GPRS, but the GPRS here (although quite slow as GPRS always is) is usable for browsing the web if I have a fair amount of time and patience. The same with the O2 GPRS on the A11 in Suffolk which was also usable with a bit of time and patience.
On the other hand, in Holt and the rest of North Norfolk, the O2 GPRS is unusable as nothing loads up. When I was in Holt, I wanted to look something up on the net, and I was with my sister who is on Vodafone, so I tried the Vodafone GPRS on her phone and nothing loaded up too. (Both me and my sister have iPhones)

DevonBloke · 26-10-2015, 13:10

Nothing ever loads up on gprs unless you are prepared to just sit and wait.... and wait... and wait. Then depending on the direction of the wind either something happens or it'll timeout!
You did know this thread was very nearly 2 years old now?

Stereo Steve · 26-10-2015, 14:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by DevonBloke

Nothing ever loads up on gprs unless you are prepared to just sit and wait.... and wait... and wait. Then depending on the direction of the wind either something happens or it'll timeout!
You did know this thread was very nearly 2 years old now?

And still O2 3G is crap. The problem is that VO2 so totally failed to invest in 3G that there is nothing underpinning their 4G rollout. There are many places where EE or 3 have not got around to 4G but at least most have a usable 3G service. If you look at the South Hams, VO2 have nothing but 2G (which is good) or a little bit of 3G900 (which is a waste of time). Big holiday destination and no data. Their (at least VOD's) rollout plans for 4G seem to be to do places one at a time and do them properly this time with 3G and 4G but that leaves whole swathes of rural Britain with nothing but 2G and no current indication of when that might change. I think it's a mistake. Far better to do a 3/EE and blat it out there as fast as possible, then optimise it later. At least you get something.

jonmorris · 26-10-2015, 14:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by DevonBloke

Nothing ever loads up on gprs unless you are prepared to just sit and wait.... and wait... and wait. Then depending on the direction of the wind either something happens or it'll timeout!
You did know this thread was very nearly 2 years old now?

Maybe took that long for the post to be sent?

1manonthebog · 26-10-2015, 19:13

At home I get O2 4G and while its slower than EE it works fine. At work however I get O2 3G, I get 0.1-0.2 download speeds, At morning yes its slow but it works. At lunch time I go out to check emails etc the little thing just sits spinning and forget about trying to load facebook etc. Thats with full H+ signal, It does remind me of GPRS back in the day,

09-02-2014, 16:51	#76
jchamier Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2000 Location: This forum Posts: 3,389	Quote: Originally Posted by Three Vodafone are really poor in my area. Me and my teacher ran a speedtest on Thursday, his iPhone 4s. next to my iPhone 5s. He got 1.7Mbps down on Vodafone and I got 13Mbps on Three 4G. He was amazed at how fast 4G was. He was in total disbelief when I told him I can pick up speeds of up to 20Mbps on Three 3G and up to 60-70Mbps on Three 4G. I showed him my 67Mbps 4G result and it 3 attempts of explaining before he finally realised it wasn't fibre broadband. Don't forget 4S can't do DC-HSPA and Vodafone are limiting everyone not on a 4G contract to 10Mbps over 3G. My work phone is an iPhone 5 and I've seen 9.1Mbps, but generally I get 3Mbps even in good/full signal areas.

09-02-2014, 16:53	#77
jchamier Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2000 Location: This forum Posts: 3,389	Quote: Originally Posted by qasdfdsaq Must say, the speed test I ran last month really puts EE's 3G network to shame: http://qasdfdsaq.com/images/speedtes...0-23-54-41.png Middle of a field in Scotland on O2's 3G network. Yeah, that looks like T-mobile 3G speeds here in North East Hants. My work colleagues with O2 report max of 5Mbps. When O2 decide to roll 4G out here, things should improve, but given we are only 30miles from Heathrow, we might get O2 upgrades by end 2015

09-02-2014, 16:54	#78
jonmorris Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: a land filled with trolls Posts: 12,014	Quote: Originally Posted by qasdfdsaq Must say, the speed test I ran last month really puts EE's 3G network to shame: http://qasdfdsaq.com/images/speedtes...0-23-54-41.png Middle of a field in Scotland on O2's 3G network. What the hell are you doing in the middle of a field at almost midnight?!

09-02-2014, 16:56	#79
jabbamk1 Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: London, UK Posts: 8,759	Quote: Originally Posted by jonmorris What the hell are you doing in the middle of a field at almost midnight? My thoughts exactly haha

09-02-2014, 17:00	#80
qasdfdsaq Inactive Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 3,286	Quote: Originally Posted by jonmorris What the hell are you doing in the middle of a field at almost midnight?! I have said before I'm homeless... http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showp...postcount=1964

09-02-2014, 17:20	#81
AlecR Inactive Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Posts: 514	Quote: Originally Posted by Three You've posted a 'T-Mobile' speedtest claiming it puts O2's 3G network to shame with no explanation of how? Do you have an accompanying O2 speedtest? You are aware T-Mobile is EE yes? As it happens I do have an O2 speed test, in the middle of a town: http://imgur.com/eVj2lJh

09-02-2014, 17:21	#82
AlecR Inactive Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Posts: 514	Quote: Originally Posted by qasdfdsaq Must say, the speed test I ran last month really puts EE's 3G network to shame: http://qasdfdsaq.com/images/speedtes...0-23-54-41.png Middle of a field in Scotland on O2's 3G network. Can't say I've ever seen those speeds on O2 in the south. I saw 5 once but that's it.

09-02-2014, 17:22	#83
Three Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Manchester Posts: 1,114	Quote: Originally Posted by AlecR You are aware T-Mobile is EE yes? As it happens I do have an O2 speed test, in the middle of a town: http://imgur.com/eVj2lJh Yes I am aware. What I am saying is you can't claim the O2 coverage is bad in the field because you tested EE and it was good. You need a bad O2 result and a good EE result before you can compare and conclude the O2 coverage at that location is poor.

09-02-2014, 17:24	#84
AlecR Inactive Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Posts: 514	Quote: Originally Posted by Three Yes I am aware. What I am saying is you can't claim the O2 coverage is bad in the field because you tested EE and it was good. You need a bad O2 result and a good EE result before you can compare and conclude the O2 coverage at that location is poor. I did a speed test in the same location last week and got 2Mb/s.

09-02-2014, 17:26	#85
Three Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Manchester Posts: 1,114	Quote: Originally Posted by AlecR I did a speed test in the same location last week and got 2Mb/s. Great. Then you should have posted that with your other post because without it your claim is flawed.

09-02-2014, 17:48	#86
jchamier Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2000 Location: This forum Posts: 3,389	Quote: Originally Posted by AlecR You are aware T-Mobile is EE yes? On a 4G connection I get both T-Mobile and Orange IP addresses allocated. On a 3G connection I seem to always get T-Mobile IP addresses. Quote: As it happens I do have an O2 speed test, in the middle of a town: http://imgur.com/eVj2lJh That's similar to Vodafone performance. I originally thought it was sheer volume of users, I'm now wondering if its just lack of upgrades. What's with Winchester having no 4G yet :-/

09-02-2014, 17:50	#87
AlecR Inactive Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Posts: 514	Quote: Originally Posted by jchamier What's with Winchester having no 4G yet :-/ I know right. EE seems to be really crap in Winchester for some reason; it's alright on the journey from Farnham to there, but once you get to Winchester itself, the signal is pretty dire. Why's that I wonder?

09-02-2014, 17:54	#88
jchamier Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2000 Location: This forum Posts: 3,389	Quote: Originally Posted by AlecR I know right. EE seems to be really crap in Winchester for some reason; it's alright on the journey from Farnham to there, but once you get to Winchester itself, the signal is pretty dire. Why's that I wonder? Winchester used to be okay for Orange 3G (but slow), so I'm guessing that perhaps EE have shut down too many ex-Orange masts. Maybe there will be a big MBNL upgrade this summer, as the M3 is okay for 3G signal but not brilliant, and all the motorway network need attention for 4G. (for all those coaches and passengers of course).

09-02-2014, 19:27	#89
Everything Goes Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: In the future.... Posts: 11,257	Quote: Originally Posted by jabbamk1 This is O2's 3G coverage Vs EE's 3G coverage http://i481.photobucket.com/albums/r...ps39482cef.jpg Want to see something even more shocking. This was O2's 3G 2100 coverage at the end of 2012. http://i.imgur.com/ppurl.png It took them 7 and a half years to get to that^ Think of all the money the saved by not investing in network infrastructure and of course the wonderful customer service scores they get. So when you can't get a 3G signal just think of Telefonica's debt mountain

12-02-2014, 15:04	#90
dontpannic Forum Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Orpington, Kent Posts: 2,344	To be fair, since upgrading to a Galaxy S4 I've had no real problem with O2's 3G network. It seems a lot slower since LTE was launched but even so, still allows me to work with it.

12-02-2014, 15:19	#91
enapace Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Posts: 4,249	Quote: Originally Posted by dontpannic To be fair, since upgrading to a Galaxy S4 I've had no real problem with O2's 3G network. It seems a lot slower since LTE was launched but even so, still allows me to work with it. I think the problem most find with it is the limited footprint it has not the speeds it delivers. I must admit I've been shocked in the areas it doesn't have 3G signal in.

12-02-2014, 15:33	#92
happy-camper Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Posts: 963	Quote: Originally Posted by AlecR Does anybody else think O2's network is just, AWFUL? Here's a speed test, in the middle of a large town in the south of the UK, today, with full signal: http://imgur.com/0gFzUP8 This is 'good' by O2's standards, as far as I know. Why is O2's network so bad?!? Is it just in the south east (where I live)? U call that bad? You did see my thread a few weeks back http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showt...279&highlight= O2 at its finest.

12-02-2014, 18:20	#93
AlecR Inactive Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Posts: 514	Quote: Originally Posted by happy-camper U call that bad? You did see my thread a few weeks back http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showt...279&highlight= O2 at its finest. I actually said that my speed test was good by O2's standards, showing just how slow/bad their network is. That speed test: ouch. Time to change to EE or Three perhaps?

12-02-2014, 18:29	#94
happy-camper Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Posts: 963	Quote: Originally Posted by AlecR I actually said that my speed test was good by O2's standards, showing just how slow/bad their network is. That speed test: ouch. Time to change to EE or Three perhaps? Yep. I have my prepay Sims ordered to see how they perform around here

26-10-2015, 11:31	#95
Alex Cator Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: East Harling Norfolk Posts: 96	Quote: Originally Posted by AlecR I don't think I've ever seen Edge on O2. I see it a lot on my friend's Vodafone phone. Aylsham in Norfolk is one of the few places I've been past that has O2 Edge but no 3G. I have seen Edge on O2, but very rarely and most places without O2 3G coverage only have GPRS.

26-10-2015, 11:43	#96
Alex Cator Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: East Harling Norfolk Posts: 96	Quote: Originally Posted by moox For a lot of people they can't even get a 3G signal out of O2, they get truly useless GPRS instead. I live in East Harling in Norfolk (just a few miles north of the Suffolk border) and I am on O2. East Harling is not covered by O2's 3G service, nor their Edge service, therefore all I get is GPRS, but the GPRS here (although quite slow as GPRS always is) is usable for browsing the web if I have a fair amount of time and patience. The same with the O2 GPRS on the A11 in Suffolk which was also usable with a bit of time and patience. On the other hand, in Holt and the rest of North Norfolk, the O2 GPRS is unusable as nothing loads up. When I was in Holt, I wanted to look something up on the net, and I was with my sister who is on Vodafone, so I tried the Vodafone GPRS on her phone and nothing loaded up too. (Both me and my sister have iPhones)

DS Forums

O2's AWFUL 3G network

26-10-2015, 13:10	#97
DevonBloke Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Totnes, Devon Posts: 6,693	Nothing ever loads up on gprs unless you are prepared to just sit and wait.... and wait... and wait. Then depending on the direction of the wind either something happens or it'll timeout! You did know this thread was very nearly 2 years old now?

26-10-2015, 14:02	#98
Stereo Steve Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 1,377	Quote: Originally Posted by DevonBloke Nothing ever loads up on gprs unless you are prepared to just sit and wait.... and wait... and wait. Then depending on the direction of the wind either something happens or it'll timeout! You did know this thread was very nearly 2 years old now? And still O2 3G is crap. The problem is that VO2 so totally failed to invest in 3G that there is nothing underpinning their 4G rollout. There are many places where EE or 3 have not got around to 4G but at least most have a usable 3G service. If you look at the South Hams, VO2 have nothing but 2G (which is good) or a little bit of 3G900 (which is a waste of time). Big holiday destination and no data. Their (at least VOD's) rollout plans for 4G seem to be to do places one at a time and do them properly this time with 3G and 4G but that leaves whole swathes of rural Britain with nothing but 2G and no current indication of when that might change. I think it's a mistake. Far better to do a 3/EE and blat it out there as fast as possible, then optimise it later. At least you get something.

26-10-2015, 14:47	#99
jonmorris Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: a land filled with trolls Posts: 12,014	Quote: Originally Posted by DevonBloke Nothing ever loads up on gprs unless you are prepared to just sit and wait.... and wait... and wait. Then depending on the direction of the wind either something happens or it'll timeout! You did know this thread was very nearly 2 years old now? Maybe took that long for the post to be sent?

26-10-2015, 19:13	#100
1manonthebog Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Posts: 2,330	At home I get O2 4G and while its slower than EE it works fine. At work however I get O2 3G, I get 0.1-0.2 download speeds, At morning yes its slow but it works. At lunch time I go out to check emails etc the little thing just sits spinning and forget about trying to load facebook etc. Thats with full H+ signal, It does remind me of GPRS back in the day,