We can hope this is 2016, but we have no idea how many 4G handsets on EE have VoLTE capabilities. I suspect too many popular handsets including the Galaxy S4 android and the iPhone 5, 5c, 5s all going strong and working very well (3yrs old) but have no VoLTE support.

I can see 1800 staying where it is for longer, but EE doing the same as Three and gating access to 800 to those with VoLTE handsets (iPhone 6, Galaxy S5 and later).

Indeed you are correct!
We are probably looking at 2017 for 4G1800 CSFB -> 2G1800.
What will make it take longer anyway is the fact EE will be bringing another 10Mhz of 1800 over to 4G soon.
This will only leave 15Mhz for 2G and RAN Man pointed out that even now the 2G network is not "dimensioned" to handle too many calls.

One thing to remember is that as the 4G1800 network gets more and more dense and the amount of 3G only handsets reduces, the underlying 3G network will "relax" and widen it's coverage permanently and this will in itself reduce the load on that remaining 15Mhz of 2G.

Add to all this that EE don't don't really want too many people making calls over 2G (especially now 3G seems to have (recently) been upgraded and now does full WB-AMR to WiFi calling * ), it's going to be a while yet.

800 will be "turned up to 11" though and with 4000 odd sites active, 1800 at near full power and plenty more 2600 out there, well what a network that will be!

*Got my middle Daughter a second hand iPhone 5 for Christmas off Envirofone. She called me yesterday (I was on WiFi calling, she on 3G in Ivybridge indoors) and my God, the call was exactly the same awesome quality as a WC to WC call !

I think the idea is to get as much coverage as possible as quickly as possible and so not to let too many use it as it would get swamped.
What I can't see is how this is going to pan out in the long run. Not very well I wouldn't have thought.
Right now if you are in mobile you surely have to be planning for a massive massive data explosion right about......... NOW!
So you need very very fast connectivity to each site (that you can keep easily upgrading by paying your provider more but without having to do yet more digging) and a good fast reasonable capacity UK wide base 4G network.
Then you are set.
So far the only network to be doing this are EE with Vodafone a distant second. Oh dear!

In my opinion if Three don't stick 4G1800 on ALL masts then they might as well pack up and go home!

EE is already using 2G 1800Mhz CSFB, I've seen it happen in a number of locations.

But I still don't think it will be network wide for another year.

Might just be decided on a needs basis, though having said that I was surprised by some of the areas as they have very good 3G for miles, I thought I was seeing things the first time it did it , seeing edge on an EE phone isn't that common for me .

Evening all, long time no speak!

How's 4G doing for everyone on Three these days?

Good God man don't do that..... nearly had a heart attack!!!

Badly probably. It is here. My mast would be ideal to superpump but it's not.
By the way, do they literally go up to the mast and simulate shagging it like a dog on someone's leg when they superpump them??

EDIT: We've done that joke before I just realised. Apologies!

It's passed me by, 3G was updated though but no 4G. I blame Three.

Good to see you haven't changed one bit!

Hope everything is good with you buddy!

Yup, I have to say that Three's 4G promises haven't exactly paid off haha. Ah well, maybe in 5 years :P


Blame the merger


Oh btw, has this been posted yet? Three recently hit 5 million 4G subscribers and now have 60% of their users using 4G. Three in Touch penetration has hit 20% as well.

Was in a rural area today which has never been great for signal, all of the sites are 4G'd by EE around there but you'll still drop to EDGE quite often, Three has 3G down there but no EDGE to fallback to. So today I was surprised when my Three phone went from 1 dot of 3G to 3 dots of 4G and my EE phone lost 4G and went onto EDGE.

800MHz is fantastic in the areas where sites are activated. Unfortunately they are very few and far between and the coverage map is an absolute joke. I don't suppose Three will have the advantage in these areas for too long before EE comes along and publicly launches VoLTE & 800MHz. The only thing I'm concerned about seen as I've just taken out a contract with BT Mobile is if that's going to work with them - probably not. The only thing that gives me hope is the BT buyout of EE.

Anyway, Three could have a seriously strong network if they sort out 800MHz properly, as the coverage is *dramatically* better where sites are activated.

Didn't know that. That should give them prime position to be on the cutting edge surely considering o2 still have 50% of users. Should be fun merging the two networks with this.

And it's nice to see you again jabba, missed all the excellent posts with good information.

Welcome back jabbamk1

Hi Lightspeed,

Good to be back on and hope you're well?

Three now has more subscribers on 4G (percentage wise) compared to any other network and that is mainly thanks to their 'Free' 4G roll out for all subscribers. Of course in absolute terms the network actually has the lowest number of 4G subscribers out of the big 4, mainly due to the fact that all the other networks have more than double the number of subscribers compared to Three.

Regarding the O2 statistic. O2 have ~50% smartphone penetration, not 4G user penetration. Their 4G users account for around ~30% of the total subscriber base and this has mostly been driven by the free 4G upgrades that they have been offering subscribers who have a 4G ready handset.

The number of 4G subscribers in the UK should exceed 35 million by the end of this year according to figures I have access to. This will account for around 45% of all UK mobile phone subscriptions.


Thanks, Kal El.

Although I'm not sure If I'll be able to post as frequently as before. Mainly due to work commitments in the future. This is actually the first time I've had enough free time to come back on the forum since September of this year. Yes, It's been hectic!

Welcome back jabba

I believe that my area will receive 4G some time next year with all this infill work going on. The two existing masts currently have to cover a very large area and they would almost certainly get swamped if they both were enabled with 1800 and 800.

With two new masts going live to cover the area between the two existing masts, am i right to assume these new masts will probably be enabled for 1800 and 800? And that they'll probably enable 4G on the two existing towers to go live with the two new masts?

I might be dreaming but it seems logical. One of the new masts afaik is being done under MIP and the other is an old orange mast being MBNL'd.

Both speed and ping have definitely improved on the mast serving my house. Maybe the mast has had fibre installed?

Down: 17.66 Mbps
Up: 2.09 Mbps
Ping: 71

http://s15.postimg.org/r7i16ryd7/image.png

I got "reliable" 800 Mhz/VoLTE on three for the first time yesterday.

Same location I'd tried previously, same iOS (9.2.1) and carrier (23.1). It's a gym. for the last couple of weeks I could rarely get 4G 1800. Odd since that location used to be brilliant for 4G. Anyway it came back AND on going downstairs the phone went 4G 1800 -> 3G -> 4G 800/VoLTE, did the same multiple times as I moved around. Calls worked great and stuck on 800.

not perfect - still gaps, but smaller.

Easiest way on iPhone to check for VoLTE is to go to settings->About and click on "carrier". If it toggles to IMS status you're on VoLTE

out of personal interest, how do you know when your iphone is on 4G 1800 or 4G 800?? and how do you know when volte works? i received the sms and the carrier update but i went outside with top 4G signal, made a call but it fell back to 3G for the duration of the call..

on iPhone = Go to the dialer - *3001#12345#* call > Serving Cell Info

Freq Band 3 = 1800 20 = 800mhz

You can find out if you are on VoLTE by either looking to see if it stays on 4G when making a call or go to Settings > General > About and press on Carrier, it will change to IMS Status Voice & SMS if you are.

To add to that if you are outside with "top 4G" and not in some remote hole, that is very likely to be 1800 and therefore you will switch back to 3G for voice.

that's quite interesting. thanks a lot for that.
am I to assume that carrier will only change if you are on a volte area? i've tried right now and it doesn't change to anything.. so I'm not sure if i'm doing it wrong..

Nope you are right. But you could be in a VoLTE area, but VOLTE is only activated on the 800mhz on Three currently,, which has the lowest selection priority so will only get it when no other signal isa available.

Easiest way frankly (as has been said) is if you think you might be on 800 just dial a free number like customer services. If the call connects and you still have 4G in your status bar, that's VoLTE.
However as has also been said, it's quite difficult to get on 800 since if there is even a faint whiff of 3G your phone will select that instead.
So essentially you have to find somewhere there used to be "No Service" but where they are now doing 800.
This appears to work quite well in basements for obvious reasons. 3G hates subterranean but 800 copes quite well as long as the cell is quite close.

I keep being told it's lowest priority but my phone often switches to 800MHz 4G when it had 3G signal already.