Only EE will give you significant 4G coverage as of today. The others have bits and bobs. 3 and EE are both good for 3G pretty much anywhere, the other 2 only in the cities.

I'd agree with this, though it is worth pointing out that Vodafone has more 900MHz 3G now. It is totally useless as it seems to be using a 56k modem as the backhaul, but it is there. These are probably the sites VF rushed up to stop Ofcom punishing them for not meeting coverage obligations. As long as it's putting out a signal it'll do

I don't think V-O2 4G are even in the likes of Plymouth yet.

They are making rapid improvements and its getting out there. I think in the VF/O2 upgraded areas 3/EE have a real battle on their hands. It's getting better.

No 4G from Voda/O2 in Plymouth. There is some in Tavistock and Kingsbridge though (and a pocket of 4G in Redruth, Cornwall). No plans for it until the new year either.

All the planning permissions were granted for Plymouth in April but absolutely zero movement from Cornerstone. Looking like at least the New Year before anything happens....

EE really do have it sewn up in the South West. The 4G coverage down here is very impressive.

Got 4g on south Birningham for the time in Hollywood area. They obviously turned a mast on this morning.

Well I has some suspicions when trying out my Vodafone sim at work in Telford on Stafford park, it's served by the massive tall mast which is visible over most of the town, speed test showed a ping in the low 20s and 24mbps download which for Vodafone is massive. Must have some good backhaul. Noticed lots of small microwave dishes are now on the mast, checked the local planning and out of roughly 10 masts only 3 seem to have there own backhaul thee rest are linked via 300mm microwave dishes back to this big mast,
Can anyone with some technical knowledge tell me what effect this will on speeds and capacity with so many 4G masts links to one single source?
Can be good for long term speeds.
Is this normal to have so many masts supported by a single back haul?

Microwave Backhaul can fairly reasonably be about 1gbps each way nowadays: https://www.ceragon.com/products-cer...fibeair-ip-20c so can therefore be used where a 1gbps fibre would be adequate, even with further increases in utilisation. I have got 80mbps download speeds off a Vodafone 4G mast with highly suspected Microwave backhaul here.

What about all those people on motorways that aren't driving?!

Don't worry about your motorway safety, as Iggy Pop once said 'I am the passenger'


So linking 6 or 7 4g masts via microwave to one main mast for backhaul can still give good reliable speeds then?

If they are using good microwave links and a fast fibre backhaul at the main site, most definitely.

I wonder if this is why some sites have room for extra cabinets to be added? Are these going to become the main hubs for some of the smaller more rural masts?

When I tweeted 3 to say my 3G 2100MHz was bad and when will the 4G 800Mhz come in to improve it, they said "Hi there, we're planning on rolling out more of our 800MHz frequency later this year, so you should see an improvement...once we've done so. >LR"

Furthermore, on a couple of 3 masts, I have noticed equipment that could support 800MHz:
First: https://www.flickr.com/photos/461414...7649715490043/ 3 feeds, so 3 frequencies: 2100, 1800 and 800 must be. Also, this mast could cover a colossal area with 800MHz 4G.
Second: O2 and 3 site, 4G from both: https://www.flickr.com/photos/46141405@N07/20610976176 Have seen 3 do L1800 and U2100 on the small panel antennas and The ones on left are clearly O2, so what's the long new looking panel for...

First one looks like a Huawei antenna which has four 1800-2600 inputs and two 800 inputs so it is possible it is broadcasting Port 1 EE 2G/4G 1800/MBNL 3G, Port 2 Three 4G 800MHz Port 3 Three 4G 1800MHz or EE 4G 2600MHz

The second one I have so far only seen those old Kathrein? antennas do EE2G/4G and MBNL 3G. I guess because the sites already had one pair of 1800/2100 combiners for 2G T-Mobile and subsequently 4G EE, but when Three want to add 4G 1800 it is cheaper/easier to run new feeders from separate cabinets rather than combining it all. The new antenna could be for Three 1800MHz or 800MHz?

Exactly. I was coming back from Scotland on Saturday and I had my two Daughters streaming Apple Music on their iPhones over 3G/4G and my Son had my iPad tethered to my iPhone 6 watching Minecraft videos (as you do : )

For the First mast, EE have (some of) their antennas lower down, see here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/46141405@N07/20638250955/ Pretty certain there's no EE 2600MHz here too

Second: The top antennas here do EE & 3 L1800 and U2100 and EE G1800 https://www.flickr.com/photos/46141405@N07/19369304511 so we'll have to see

It is hard to tell but I think they may be old T-Mobile 2G antennas. If no EE 2600MHz then it is probably EE 1800/MBNL 2100, Three 1800, Three 800 then.

I have suddenly locked on to 4G in Botley, Hampshire. Not seen that before.

Now this application has got me seriously confused.
http://planningdocs.trafford.gov.uk/...pplication/pdf
It shows a alifabs phase four streetworks pole being replaced by a Jupiter phase five streetworks pole and the existing Three Pogona cabinets swapped for a Komodo cabinet. Is this because Three have decided to add 800MHz to an existing 1800MHz site?

Things are being to look increasingly disorganised between Three and EE with some sites being visited up to three times to install separate antennas and equipment for 800/1800/2600.

Edit: Checked other councils and it seems quite a few streetworks are being modified as I thought.
http://docs.planning.cornwall.gov.uk...9696&DB=8&DT=4
With all networks now using the same street works masts things are going to get confusing.

In my area a 3 mast is being improved with the agent listed as Becon Com's on behalf of 3. All it will enable is a new mast to have 4g from 3 installed.

What is happening with this EE share as this mast appears to be a 3 only mast and clearly staying that way. It's all very strange.

You're confused?

alifabs phase four streetworks pole?
Jupiter phase five streetworks pole?
Pogona cabinets?
Komodo cabinet?

There must be a wiki page for all this jargon.

Sorry you sort of get used to it once you have read a few planning applications
I'll try put up some photos later in the week with brief descriptions.

The streetworks pole is like a lampost style mast.
The cabinets are what contain the basestation equipment such as the rf units, baseband, power supply, signal combiners etc.

Jupiter ones are those fat based ones that tend to be used be o2/VF mainly in the past. Looks like they are all using the same these days.

I'm quite pleased to be honest, I always found the phase four masts with a wraparound combinor to be extremely ugly.
It might get a little hard to quickly distinguish whose is whose though as if it is a NSN site all the networks use similar alifabs cabinets too.

You kinda would'a thought that Vod would have some 4G in Plymouth by now wouldn't you. What are they doing exactly?

EE still haven't done that mast in the Eden Project have they.
Not going there now till they do.
THAT, is how sad I am.........
LOL

EDIT: When they do, I swear I'll go on the death slide over the complex.... no really, I will!!!