I'm in Bangor at the moment and there is no 4G (1800) and of course even if there is 800 nobody will see it/can use it unless there's no other option and 3G over here is pretty good.

Because as time goes on they will be adding more and more VoLTE phones to it and they are afraid it will get swamped. They are enabling it where there's no 1800 AFAIK and to add to this the 800 isn't that dense so there would be too many handsets per cell.
4G800 has about the same capacity as 10Mhz 3G2100 (per cell) so you would need it on EVERY mast just to equal total 3G network capacity.
I also suspect that they aren't bothering with SRVCC as it's too hard and they wanted to beat EE in getting it out.
If they had bothered with SRVCC then active calls and idle re-selection would drift smoothly between 3G2100 and 4G800. It doesn't.

EE are taking ages and are clearly not bothered by Three ballsing it up. I presume this is because SRVCC (4G to 3G active hand over) is very hard to get right and reverse SRVCC even harder (3G to 4G).
EE also have the advantage that every mast enabled for 800 will almost certainly have 1800 underneath and they are in a position to turn up the 1800 power to 2G levels to take the strain off 800.

Three's own coverage map suggests that their 1800 coverage at present only includes much of the centre and southern parts of the town. Seems to be from a base station in the vicinity of Bangor Grammar School.

"Network improvements" as well in Bangor on the 6th January. Been here 2 weeks and wish 4G had been here earlier as the in laws wifi is shocking (Talk Talk dial up)! So 2 days after I leave they may get 4G.

Generally I find that most of the real upgrades/changes are no announced, so unfortunately, I would suggest not getting your hopes up.

My local transmitter had many days of 'Network non Improvements' and even though I am less than 1/2 mile from my nearest transmitter, I still get many periods with no signal.

I do have to question what they are really doing when they say "network improvements", i queried it on twitter and it's just "routine maintenance" apparently. Nothing is wrong with the mast and the speeds from it rarely ever go below 10Mbps, it stays at around 15Mbps most of the time!

Considering there are two new masts nearby going live very soon i have a feeling it has something to do with that. A new, larger microwave dish has appeared on a pole in the exchange grounds facing the opposite direction to the current three microwave dishes. It is facing in the direction where one of the new masts is going to be.

Would the existing site need to be configured with new neighboring cell IDs?

See you're forgetting everything I said.
Remember what network Improvements means?
You are currently in the excited phase.
It's lucky you are leaving otherwise you'd suffer the crushing disappointment!

Well I have to say I've just been pleasantly surprised. While at work on a night shift I noticed I was now getting full bars of 4G where I wasn't before. I decided to use the Speedtest app to see what sort of service I was getting and the results were:

Download: 69.63Mbps
Upload: 32.19Mbps
Ping: 34ms

The building I work is quite an old structure with thick walls and when using any rooms towards the middle of the building there was always no service whatsoever - I now get 2 usable bars of 4G. Very impressed. They may not be making progress everywhere (and let's remember the 'Super-pumped' list of towns and cities was rather limited to begin with), but where they are it makes a big impact.

I bought a cheap 1Gb pre-paid Three MBB sim to see if my router or mifi could access the 4G800 that Three claim to provide in my area. Both devices support the band.

Guess what?

Nowt.

With speeds like that, it's not super voice, it's just their regular 1800mhz 4g. Sounds like a mast near you has been brought into MBNL.

800 is only on selected devices though isn't it? S5 S6 iPhone etc

Voice services definitely, but there's some debate as to whether the 800 band is available to mobile broadband SIMS, hence me trying. I don't know the definitive answer as it's just as possible that the map is wrong in this area as it is that the SIM can't access the band.

Hi

I've just been off the fone with Three Network Support. I've been having issues on my iPhone 6S on both 3G/4G Network. I have Carrier Version 23.1 and iOS 9.2. Network Support r trying to tell me that my Carrier Version should be 23.3. My fiancée and her son also on the Three Network both have Carrier Version 23.3 and iOS 9.2.

Anyone with an iPhone that has Carrier Version 23.3 or is this more Three BS?

Thanks

Baz

I certainly can't access 800 with a broadband SIM and a device 3 claims is compatible with the 800 network

I'm on 23.1 running iOS 9.2.1 beta

I don't think anyone can. On EE, however, you can.

Hi

Actually in running iOS 9.2.1 Beta. Out of interest, do different fone Brands run on a different Network Carrier?

Thanks

Baz

iPhones change the carrier profile when you change the SIM, if unlocked, without a reboot. The carrier profile can be updated by the network, but they're pushed out by Apple. They also update with every iOS release.

Just updated to beta 2 and still 23.1

Still on 23.1 here - on 9.2.1 beta.

VoLTE is working for me in at least one location. To check if active go to settings->General->About and click on "carrier". It should switch to "IMS Status" if VoLTE is active

Max throughput on 800Mhz at 5Mhz bandwidth is 37 meg. Strapped to the mast with everyone else's phone confiscated and perfect un-contended backhaul.
General speeds going to be about 10-15 meg with the wind in the right direction.
It was 1800 for sure you were on there.

Lots more sites around me are now offering 30-60Mbps. Even nearly 70 at times.

I do wonder if they're filling in gaps too, as I've even found myself going indoors and keeping 4G. This suggests they might now have more sites in a town upgraded, so there's more blanket coverage.

I know it won't be using 800 in these locations as I don't have a compatible phone.

That is a pretty good sign it's not 800, yes. haha
Sounds promising though. Still on low power so masts must be quite close.
1800 on low power is pants inside unless you are using a router which I found can get EE low power 1800 in my kitchen (8 meg down, 1 meg up, -124dBm (usually 32/6).
Bare in mind EE 2G (even now with the better antenna and an iPhone 6 on full power) is only fleeting occasionally and certainly not usable in my kitchen. VO2 will ring if left on the kitchen table but you have to run outside to answer (on 2G900).
The router gets a usable fast-ish 4G1800 signal!!!! How is that possible!!
Much bigger antenna in the router is only explanation.
When they crank the power up, look out!
I just wish Three could crank their power up, but they can't (no 2G).
Hey Ho, roll on 1400 only available to VoLTE phones. Then they'll be getting somewhere!

Three seems to have upgraded the sites covering central Blackpool and Cleveleys (a few miles to the north). There is a gap in the middle and no sign of higer speeds in surrounding areas.