DS Forums

 
 

Three 4G Discussion Thread (Part 2)


Reply
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old 08-09-2015, 17:24
Yogimax
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Belfast
Posts: 139
Just glanced at my phone in North Belfast and was amazed to see a 4G symbol!

Inital speed test was 11.6 Mb down and 7.7 Mb up (ping 50ms) - happy camper at last!
And it has disappeared again - however it might actually be switched on properly in the near future!

Edit: 2 minutes later 4G was back in North Belfast!
Yogimax is offline   Reply With Quote
Please sign in or register to remove this advertisement.
Old 08-09-2015, 17:39
iTech
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 261
And it has disappeared again - however it might actually be switched on properly in the near future!

Edit: 2 minutes later 4G was back in North Belfast!
Interesting. Mind me asking which phone? I think Belfast is down for the 800 route (hence my question).
iTech is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-09-2015, 17:42
Denco1
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 983
And it has disappeared again - however it might actually be switched on properly in the near future!

Edit: 2 minutes later 4G was back in North Belfast!
Interesting. Mind me asking which phone? I think Belfast is down for the 800 route (hence my question).
In addition have you tried looking at gnettrack to see if you are receiving a 800MHz Cell ID or a 1800MHz Cell ID?
Denco1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-09-2015, 17:48
Yogimax
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Belfast
Posts: 139
Interesting. Mind me asking which phone? I think Belfast is down for the 800 route (hence my question).
HTC One M8
Yogimax is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-09-2015, 17:51
Yogimax
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Belfast
Posts: 139
In addition have you tried looking at gnettrack to see if you are receiving a 800MHz Cell ID or a 1800MHz Cell ID?
LTE Network Type Num 13
Cell Id: 1
Yogimax is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-09-2015, 18:13
Denco1
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 983
LTE Network Type Num 13
Cell Id: 1
Thanks, should mean 1800MHz is finally getting rolled out in NI then, unless they have changed the way Cell IDs are allocated in NI because 1800MHz won't exist, which is hopefully unlikely.
Denco1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-09-2015, 19:16
Yogimax
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Belfast
Posts: 139
Just glanced at my phone in North Belfast and was amazed to see a 4G symbol!

Initial speed test was 11.6 Mb down and 7.7 Mb up (ping 50ms) - happy camper at last!
I retained 1 bar 4G on the way home from Belfast (only dropping temporarily to full strength 3G in the Broadway underpass) and kept with 4G until Dunmurry where I went back to 3G.
Yogimax is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-09-2015, 21:32
iTech
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 261
So what are we expecting in 36 or so hours? Firstly I'm expecting some kind of announcement shortly after the new iPhone announcement (tomorrow night). Something like "get the new iPhone on the most reliable network, that's about to get a lot better" ....cue announcements about VOLTE, 4G expansion etc.

On the actual day (Thursday) do those without LGG4s, S5s etc expect anything if you live in one of the areas that should get the 800 benefit? I've got my fingers crossed. I have a 24 month Three contract Sim in an unlocked Vodafone Ultra Smart 6 (until the new iPhone a week on Friday) and live in one of those areas, so I guess I'm being optimistic.

Overall though I'm hopeful (I know they haven't been hugely popular in recent months) that Thursday will be a big step forward for Three (will these words haunt me)!
iTech is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-09-2015, 22:17
aioderek
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 80
So what are we expecting in 36 or so hours? Firstly I'm expecting some kind of announcement shortly after the new iPhone announcement (tomorrow night). Something like "get the new iPhone on the most reliable network, that's about to get a lot better" ....cue announcements about VOLTE, 4G expansion etc.

On the actual day (Thursday) do those without LGG4s, S5s etc expect anything if you live in one of the areas that should get the 800 benefit? I've got my fingers crossed. I have a 24 month Three contract Sim in an unlocked Vodafone Ultra Smart 6 (until the new iPhone a week on Friday) and live in one of those areas, so I guess I'm being optimistic.

Overall though I'm hopeful (I know they haven't been hugely popular in recent months) that Thursday will be a big step forward for Three (will these words haunt me)!
I hope you're right! I'm not in an 800 area unfortunately but I do hang out for some sort of signal improvement. If not on the 10th then in the months to follow. I really want to see Three do well and I hope this 800 lives up to the hype! Looking forward to the 10th just to see what happens...
aioderek is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-09-2015, 22:24
jaffboy151
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Woore, Cheshire/Shropshire
Posts: 1,672
Well I have a simfree note 4 & access to an unlocked S5 to use, according to the maps I had access to a few days ago thanks to a helpful fellow forum member ive good 800mhz coverage at work in Telford but little to no coverage here at home on North Shropshire, though I suspect I will have some as I'm really high up which has helped in the past.
So I'm hoping for good things but it's three so I expect bad things or more likely nothing at all to happen with no access to 800mhz 4g as my phones are not from three or branded three so won't get some crucial update....
But hey fingers crossed!
jaffboy151 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-09-2015, 23:51
InfamousTeal
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Northern Ireland
Posts: 303
I retained 1 bar 4G on the way home from Belfast (only dropping temporarily to full strength 3G in the Broadway underpass) and kept with 4G until Dunmurry where I went back to 3G.
HOORAY! Truly a glorious day, 4G from 3 in Northern Ireland, at last
InfamousTeal is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-09-2015, 00:41
Zee_Bukhari
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 1,319
Lets see what the 10th brings. Will be a big disappointment for all of nothing happens.
Zee_Bukhari is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-09-2015, 02:04
DevonBloke
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Totnes, Devon
Posts: 6,683
For emergency use, what is the chance that you've got an 800MHz signal but no other signal from O2 or Vodafone (on 900MHz 2G)?
This is a good point. I think the main reason is too many users would have a signal but no voice and unlike you, they simply wouldn't know why and would swamp CS with calls.
EE's Tom Bennett (in the recent posts about EE's 800) pretty much says that voice is still an essential service and it must work. If you have a signal (regardless of type), you should be able to make a call.
It's not going to happen. Just like is going to happen at EE, only phones capable of both 800 and VoLTE will be allowed.
They don't yet have WiFi calling nor do they have very good 1800 coverage. if everyone could use 800 it would be swamped.
I also think this is why they are going to do a staged rollout of handsets. They know they have limited spectrum so this allows them to both test it gradually and get more 1800 out in the meantime.
DevonBloke is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-09-2015, 07:39
GavinAshford
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 229
I've done a bit more scraping of Three's site but this time with the map coverage layer's (again found by lightspeed)
I've created the following image showing the 800 layer (red) overlaid with the current LTE coverage (blue).

N.B. this is a big image - 23MB - so probably not mobile friendly!
http://gdurl.com/k7hV
GavinAshford is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-09-2015, 09:16
iTech
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 261
I've done a bit more scraping of Three's site but this time with the map coverage layer's (again found by lightspeed)
I've created the following image showing the 800 layer (red) overlaid with the current LTE coverage (blue).

N.B. this is a big image - 23MB - so probably not mobile friendly!
http://gdurl.com/k7hV
Wow! Good work. Is red new coverage then? If so looks like some good changes are not too far off.
iTech is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-09-2015, 09:24
Mark in Essex
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 3,644
I've done a bit more scraping of Three's site but this time with the map coverage layer's (again found by lightspeed)
I've created the following image showing the 800 layer (red) overlaid with the current LTE coverage (blue).

N.B. this is a big image - 23MB - so probably not mobile friendly!
http://gdurl.com/k7hV
Cheers for that.

Should be very impressive if it becomes true.
Mark in Essex is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-09-2015, 09:29
GavinAshford
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 229
Yeah, red is what the 800mhz is bringing to the 4G party.
Obviously its subject to change but that's what 3's current image's are showing as their (predicted?) coverage.

Also, I'm already seeing usable/connectable 800mhz (band 20) on my Nexus 6 here when I force 4G only. My postcode is in the 'outdoor' shade so the signal level is low.
http://gdurl.com/RIjr
GavinAshford is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-09-2015, 09:34
Gigabit
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 2,875
Yeah, red is what the 800mhz is bringing to the 4G party.
Obviously its subject to change but that's what 3's current image's are showing as their (predicted?) coverage.

Also, I'm already seeing usable/connectable 800mhz (band 20) on my Nexus 6 here when I force 4G only. My postcode is in the 'outdoor' shade so the signal level is low.
http://gdurl.com/RIjr
How do you get into the engineering mode?
Gigabit is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-09-2015, 09:35
GavinAshford
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 229
Speed tested at 6.6down / 0.3up (up really struggled and looked like it'd almost fail)
http://gdurl.com/QM80

Edit: (wishfully) tried to make a call over the 4G 800, wouldn't work and I just got the failed call tone.
GavinAshford is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-09-2015, 09:38
GavinAshford
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 229
How do you get into the engineering mode?
*#*#33284#*#*
sub menu: LTE Engineering

to force LTE only:
*#*#4636#*#*
then "set preferred network type" dropdown

Edit: these need to be typed into the dialler application, if you didn't know/guess
GavinAshford is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-09-2015, 09:41
Jasper92
Forum Member
 
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 1,209
When I bought my new LG G4 at a 3 Mobile store back in June, the store assistant there said that 4G coverage in West Sussex had only reached as far as Portslade (basically a suburb to the east of Brighton). Now, a couple of months later, I'm delighted to report that the signal has reached further along the coast to Shoreham.

Just thought I'd post an update for anyone who cares.
Jasper92 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-09-2015, 09:49
Zebb
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 652
*#*#33284#*#*
sub menu: LTE Engineering

to force LTE only:
*#*#4636#*#*
then "set preferred network type" dropdown

Edit: these need to be typed into the dialler application, if you didn't know/guess
Interesting, also works on a Moto G 4G.

I'm not going to do it, but what does "Turn off VOLTE provisioned flag" do? &
"Turn on LTE RAM dump"?
Zebb is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-09-2015, 10:01
Gigabit
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 2,875
*#*#33284#*#*
sub menu: LTE Engineering

to force LTE only:
*#*#4636#*#*
then "set preferred network type" dropdown

Edit: these need to be typed into the dialler application, if you didn't know/guess
Thank you.

Is it possible to force a specific LTE band?
Gigabit is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-09-2015, 10:06
GavinAshford
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 229
Thank you.

Is it possible to force a specific LTE band?
No, unfortunately.

Where I am I did use to be able to get a very distant 1800mhz 4G signal (-122dB ish) with hardly any throughput, I guess I'm 'lucky' to be in a current 3G area and I can only get 800mhz 4G when forced as it has a stronger (-118dB) signal than the 1800mhz one was.
GavinAshford is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-09-2015, 10:52
Denco1
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 983
Hmm I wonder if 800MHz access has opened early what with GavinAshford being able to connect.
I'll force my LG G4 to it later, maybe the OTA will be out allowing for VoLTE as well.
Denco1 is offline   Reply With Quote
 
Reply




 
Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 19:38.