Giffgaff Worse Than Ever For Data Speeds...

Freeview_Viewer · 19-09-2015, 08:54

So I decided to try giffgaff again as reception in Three in my area is not great. Well how disappointed was I when I did a speed test on 3G and 4G...

3G = 0.20MB
4G = 1.1MB

Both on full signal

That's so poor I messaged an agent for a full refund..

On Three I can get 20MB on 1 bar of 4G signal and 5MB on 1 bar of 3G signal.

How can giffgaff be so bad with data speeds, that are ridiculous!

Gigabit · 19-09-2015, 09:51

Well couple the fact that in most areas O2 can barely manage 1Mb if you're lucky on 3G, with Giffgaff being the lowest priority on O2 masts, with lots of customers using that mast at once, that seems like a logical speed.

packages · 19-09-2015, 10:07

I get that average 3g speed from EE mast closest to my house so you're not missing out. With full signal too (-77db)

Thine Wonk · 19-09-2015, 10:27

I did some speedtests well over a year ago now on giffgiff.

4G
http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=ftkbjp&s=8

3G
http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=2rpthg4&s=8

2G
http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=i3yxcl&s=8

Maybe it's time to see how much they have improved in my area.

AxeVictim · 19-09-2015, 12:30

Wonder if things will improve when the Three takeover is complete.

Gigabit · 19-09-2015, 12:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by AxeVictim

Wonder if things will improve when the Three takeover is complete.

If the takeover happens.

Gigabit · 19-09-2015, 12:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thine Wonk

I did some speedtests well over a year ago now on giffgiff.

4G
http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=ftkbjp&s=8

3G
http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=2rpthg4&s=8

2G
http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=i3yxcl&s=8

Maybe it's time to see how much they have improved in my area.

It's bizarre how high the upload is on 4G in comparison to the download.

Chris1973 · 19-09-2015, 12:37

Quote:

So I decided to try giffgaff again as reception in Three in my area is not great. Well how disappointed was I when I did a speed test on 3G and 4G...

3G = 0.20MB
4G = 1.1MB

I get 0.5 in Congleton from '3' on 3G with a full signal, and there isn't even any 4G from three to test, so its not like the other networks are perfect either.

Suffice to say that O2 have at least brought 4G into this area!

moox · 19-09-2015, 12:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris1973

I get 0.5 in Congleton from '3' on 3G with a full signal, and there isn't even any 4G from three to test, so its not like the other networks are perfect either.

Suffice to say that O2 have at least brought 4G into this area!

The difference is that GG and O2 are generally nationally poor, whereas 3 are generally much better - experiences like yours are the exception rather than the rule

Thine Wonk · 19-09-2015, 12:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gigabit

It's bizarre how high the upload is on 4G in comparison to the download.

It's their O2 link saturation I think, from what I understand they have a certain link speed from the RAN back to GG and out or a certain allocation of capacity on the O2 network. Of course many are downloading and not many are uploading much data, most consumer ISPs are 90/10 ratio really. You don't upload much when you're making requests for web pages or video content, streams etc.

jchamier · 19-09-2015, 13:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thine Wonk

It's their O2 link saturation I think, from what I understand they have a certain link speed from the RAN back to GG and out or a certain allocation of capacity on the O2 network. Of course many are downloading and not many are uploading much data, most consumer ISPs are 90/10 ratio really. You don't upload much when you're making requests for web pages or video content, streams etc.

Given GG is just an MVNO on the O2 network, fully owned by the O2's owners, it surprises me to read that they have a separate link to their own data network than just use the O2 existing paths. MVNO's normally buy wholesale capacity and handle billing, except Virgin Mobile who operate much more of the core stack. (maybe due to customer numbers).

moox · 19-09-2015, 13:51

Given the ownership I'm surprised it isn't literally just O2 but with different prices, no need to even be a formal MVNO

What impresses me is that I think they pay Fujitsu to do it all for them. Does O2 not have the expertise to run a second mobile network?

jchamier · 19-09-2015, 13:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by moox

Given the ownership I'm surprised it isn't literally just O2 but with different prices, no need to even be a formal MVNO

I wonder what the IP address ownership shows via tracemyip.org when on a GG connection.

Quote:

What impresses me is that I think they pay Fujitsu to do it all for them. Does O2 not have the expertise to run a second mobile network?

I wonder if that's some clever corporate outsourcing, so Telefonica don't have to handle variable cost. Making it much easier to sell later?

d123 · 19-09-2015, 14:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by jchamier

I wonder what the IP address ownership shows via tracemyip.org when on a GG connection.

Telefonica o2 UK

jchamier · 19-09-2015, 14:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by d123

Telefonica o2 UK

thanks

swb1964 · 19-09-2015, 15:16

A steady 1 megabit would do me, even half a megabit would be usable. The problem is it's so patchy,so on-off. Fails all the the time without reason.

If Tesco ever follow Sainsburys and Asda in introducing £10 bundles, I'll be off like a shot

omnidirectional · 19-09-2015, 15:20

Presuming the O2/Three deal is approved, http://48months.ie/ could be a taste of what's to come on GiffGaff. 48Months is O2 Ireland's cheap MVNO aimed at students, now part of Three.

jkwelly · 19-09-2015, 15:36

Never really been interested in data speeds as i never use them but just did a test,

I just use Giffgaff as pay £10 every three months for calls, gave the data a go using a Samsung s3 mini got d/l 1.18Mbps up/l 1.47Mbps,

Not that it means much to me.

Thine Wonk · 19-09-2015, 15:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by moox

Given the ownership I'm surprised it isn't literally just O2 but with different prices, no need to even be a formal MVNO

What impresses me is that I think they pay Fujitsu to do it all for them. Does O2 not have the expertise to run a second mobile network?

They simply didn't want the GG users usage to affect the premium network I thought, if you look at the slides it shows you the GG network, slide 5 refers to a giffgaff outage with the core data network.

http://www.slideshare.net/baker011/g...s-presentation

To what extent each bit is managed and whether gg traffic goes out of a different link remains unclear, it could just be O2 network deprioritization of gg users. However I think the IPs you get natted out of are gg? and they have had data outages which didn't affect O2.

japaul · 19-09-2015, 16:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by jchamier

MVNO's normally buy wholesale capacity and handle billing, except Virgin Mobile who operate much more of the core stack. (maybe due to customer numbers).

Lyca is a very thick MVNO. They use their own sim cards (with their own number ranges) and HLRs. In many ways it's almost as if they are just roaming on the host network. In fact, I think if they wanted to move to a new host network, subscribers could retain their existing sims.

Abomination · 19-09-2015, 17:02

...and these slow speeds on GG despite the fact they overhauled their whole network last week with new price schemes that were meant to deter heavy users. They've forced the majority of people onto 4G rather than 3G at the expense of data allowance. I myself had "unlimited" 3G for £15 a month along with texts and so many minutes of calls. Now I get a capped 4G connection and a huge bump in minutes that I'm never going to use.

The point of GG seems to have evaded them. It was an option that avoided getting a contract and you could get a bundle that best suited your needs - be it data, texting or calling preferences. Now it's basically a case of 'more of everything the more you pay', which is basically what any contract is going to offer you and with much less hinderance.

I'm jumping ship, myself. Thinking of joining 3 as they offer an unlimited data contract for just £17 which is only a little more expensive than what I was paying, and it comes with numerous perks such as usage in other countries and better speeds as well.

binary · 19-09-2015, 17:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by japaul

Lyca is a very thick MVNO. They use their own sim cards (with their own number ranges) and HLRs. In many ways it's almost as if they are just roaming on the host network. In fact, I think if they wanted to move to a new host network, subscribers could retain their existing sims.

Interesting... contrast that possibility with the pig's ear that ASDA Mobile made of moving to another underlying network.

jchamier · 19-09-2015, 17:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by japaul

Lyca is a very thick MVNO. They use their own sim cards (with their own number ranges) and HLRs. In many ways it's almost as if they are just roaming on the host network. In fact, I think if they wanted to move to a new host network, subscribers could retain their existing sims.

That's how I thought Virgin Mobile was implemented as well, which is why they don't / cant' get any of the new features on the underlying EE network (including 4G) without significant investment. Their income stream isn't designed for significant investment!

Gigabit · 19-09-2015, 17:53

How come Virgin SIMs work with EE femtos then.

Thine Wonk · 19-09-2015, 18:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gigabit

How come Virgin SIMs work with EE femtos then.

Virgin Media do all the billing and everything + customer care so it's "thick" in that sense. To sell 4G they would have to reach a new agreement, MVNOs don't usually get the ability to re-sell newer things unless they are contracted to do so and the networks like exclusivity with new things for a while.

19-09-2015, 08:54	#1
Freeview_Viewer Forum Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 1,163	Giffgaff Worse Than Ever For Data Speeds... So I decided to try giffgaff again as reception in Three in my area is not great. Well how disappointed was I when I did a speed test on 3G and 4G... 3G = 0.20MB 4G = 1.1MB Both on full signal That's so poor I messaged an agent for a full refund.. On Three I can get 20MB on 1 bar of 4G signal and 5MB on 1 bar of 3G signal. How can giffgaff be so bad with data speeds, that are ridiculous!

19-09-2015, 09:51	#2
Gigabit Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 2,887	Well couple the fact that in most areas O2 can barely manage 1Mb if you're lucky on 3G, with Giffgaff being the lowest priority on O2 masts, with lots of customers using that mast at once, that seems like a logical speed.

19-09-2015, 10:07	#3
packages Forum Member Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 879	I get that average 3g speed from EE mast closest to my house so you're not missing out. With full signal too (-77db)

19-09-2015, 10:27	#4
Thine Wonk Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 14,577	I did some speedtests well over a year ago now on giffgiff. 4G http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=ftkbjp&s=8 3G http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=2rpthg4&s=8 2G http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=i3yxcl&s=8 Maybe it's time to see how much they have improved in my area.

19-09-2015, 12:30	#5
AxeVictim Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Posts: 2,644	Wonder if things will improve when the Three takeover is complete.

19-09-2015, 12:34	#6
Gigabit Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 2,887	Quote: Originally Posted by AxeVictim Wonder if things will improve when the Three takeover is complete. If the takeover happens.

19-09-2015, 12:35	#7
Gigabit Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 2,887	Quote: Originally Posted by Thine Wonk I did some speedtests well over a year ago now on giffgiff. 4G http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=ftkbjp&s=8 3G http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=2rpthg4&s=8 2G http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=i3yxcl&s=8 Maybe it's time to see how much they have improved in my area. It's bizarre how high the upload is on 4G in comparison to the download.

19-09-2015, 12:37	#8
Chris1973 Forum Member Join Date: May 2013 Posts: 667	Quote: So I decided to try giffgaff again as reception in Three in my area is not great. Well how disappointed was I when I did a speed test on 3G and 4G... 3G = 0.20MB 4G = 1.1MB I get 0.5 in Congleton from '3' on 3G with a full signal, and there isn't even any 4G from three to test, so its not like the other networks are perfect either. Suffice to say that O2 have at least brought 4G into this area!

19-09-2015, 12:44	#9
moox Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 14,645	Quote: Originally Posted by Chris1973 I get 0.5 in Congleton from '3' on 3G with a full signal, and there isn't even any 4G from three to test, so its not like the other networks are perfect either. Suffice to say that O2 have at least brought 4G into this area! The difference is that GG and O2 are generally nationally poor, whereas 3 are generally much better - experiences like yours are the exception rather than the rule

19-09-2015, 12:56	#10
Thine Wonk Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 14,577	Quote: Originally Posted by Gigabit It's bizarre how high the upload is on 4G in comparison to the download. It's their O2 link saturation I think, from what I understand they have a certain link speed from the RAN back to GG and out or a certain allocation of capacity on the O2 network. Of course many are downloading and not many are uploading much data, most consumer ISPs are 90/10 ratio really. You don't upload much when you're making requests for web pages or video content, streams etc.

19-09-2015, 13:50	#11
jchamier Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2000 Location: This forum Posts: 3,392	Quote: Originally Posted by Thine Wonk It's their O2 link saturation I think, from what I understand they have a certain link speed from the RAN back to GG and out or a certain allocation of capacity on the O2 network. Of course many are downloading and not many are uploading much data, most consumer ISPs are 90/10 ratio really. You don't upload much when you're making requests for web pages or video content, streams etc. Given GG is just an MVNO on the O2 network, fully owned by the O2's owners, it surprises me to read that they have a separate link to their own data network than just use the O2 existing paths. MVNO's normally buy wholesale capacity and handle billing, except Virgin Mobile who operate much more of the core stack. (maybe due to customer numbers).

19-09-2015, 13:51	#12
moox Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 14,645	Given the ownership I'm surprised it isn't literally just O2 but with different prices, no need to even be a formal MVNO What impresses me is that I think they pay Fujitsu to do it all for them. Does O2 not have the expertise to run a second mobile network?

19-09-2015, 13:56	#13
jchamier Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2000 Location: This forum Posts: 3,392	Quote: Originally Posted by moox Given the ownership I'm surprised it isn't literally just O2 but with different prices, no need to even be a formal MVNO I wonder what the IP address ownership shows via tracemyip.org when on a GG connection. Quote: What impresses me is that I think they pay Fujitsu to do it all for them. Does O2 not have the expertise to run a second mobile network? I wonder if that's some clever corporate outsourcing, so Telefonica don't have to handle variable cost. Making it much easier to sell later?

19-09-2015, 14:26	#14
d123 Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 3,993	Quote: Originally Posted by jchamier I wonder what the IP address ownership shows via tracemyip.org when on a GG connection. Telefonica o2 UK

19-09-2015, 14:57	#15
jchamier Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2000 Location: This forum Posts: 3,392	Quote: Originally Posted by d123 Telefonica o2 UK thanks

19-09-2015, 15:16	#16
swb1964 Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Posts: 2,455	A steady 1 megabit would do me, even half a megabit would be usable. The problem is it's so patchy,so on-off. Fails all the the time without reason. If Tesco ever follow Sainsburys and Asda in introducing £10 bundles, I'll be off like a shot

19-09-2015, 15:20	#17
omnidirectional Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 10,879	Presuming the O2/Three deal is approved, http://48months.ie/ could be a taste of what's to come on GiffGaff. 48Months is O2 Ireland's cheap MVNO aimed at students, now part of Three.

19-09-2015, 15:36	#18
jkwelly Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 473	Never really been interested in data speeds as i never use them but just did a test, I just use Giffgaff as pay £10 every three months for calls, gave the data a go using a Samsung s3 mini got d/l 1.18Mbps up/l 1.47Mbps, Not that it means much to me.

19-09-2015, 15:54	#19
Thine Wonk Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 14,577	Quote: Originally Posted by moox Given the ownership I'm surprised it isn't literally just O2 but with different prices, no need to even be a formal MVNO What impresses me is that I think they pay Fujitsu to do it all for them. Does O2 not have the expertise to run a second mobile network? They simply didn't want the GG users usage to affect the premium network I thought, if you look at the slides it shows you the GG network, slide 5 refers to a giffgaff outage with the core data network. http://www.slideshare.net/baker011/g...s-presentation To what extent each bit is managed and whether gg traffic goes out of a different link remains unclear, it could just be O2 network deprioritization of gg users. However I think the IPs you get natted out of are gg? and they have had data outages which didn't affect O2.

19-09-2015, 16:41	#20
japaul Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Posts: 1,662	Quote: Originally Posted by jchamier MVNO's normally buy wholesale capacity and handle billing, except Virgin Mobile who operate much more of the core stack. (maybe due to customer numbers). Lyca is a very thick MVNO. They use their own sim cards (with their own number ranges) and HLRs. In many ways it's almost as if they are just roaming on the host network. In fact, I think if they wanted to move to a new host network, subscribers could retain their existing sims.

19-09-2015, 17:02	#21
Abomination Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: London or Valencia Posts: 5,735	...and these slow speeds on GG despite the fact they overhauled their whole network last week with new price schemes that were meant to deter heavy users. They've forced the majority of people onto 4G rather than 3G at the expense of data allowance. I myself had "unlimited" 3G for £15 a month along with texts and so many minutes of calls. Now I get a capped 4G connection and a huge bump in minutes that I'm never going to use. The point of GG seems to have evaded them. It was an option that avoided getting a contract and you could get a bundle that best suited your needs - be it data, texting or calling preferences. Now it's basically a case of 'more of everything the more you pay', which is basically what any contract is going to offer you and with much less hinderance. I'm jumping ship, myself. Thinking of joining 3 as they offer an unlimited data contract for just £17 which is only a little more expensive than what I was paying, and it comes with numerous perks such as usage in other countries and better speeds as well.

DS Forums

Giffgaff Worse Than Ever For Data Speeds...

19-09-2015, 17:05	#22
binary Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 636	Quote: Originally Posted by japaul Lyca is a very thick MVNO. They use their own sim cards (with their own number ranges) and HLRs. In many ways it's almost as if they are just roaming on the host network. In fact, I think if they wanted to move to a new host network, subscribers could retain their existing sims. Interesting... contrast that possibility with the pig's ear that ASDA Mobile made of moving to another underlying network.

19-09-2015, 17:48	#23
jchamier Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2000 Location: This forum Posts: 3,392	Quote: Originally Posted by japaul Lyca is a very thick MVNO. They use their own sim cards (with their own number ranges) and HLRs. In many ways it's almost as if they are just roaming on the host network. In fact, I think if they wanted to move to a new host network, subscribers could retain their existing sims. That's how I thought Virgin Mobile was implemented as well, which is why they don't / cant' get any of the new features on the underlying EE network (including 4G) without significant investment. Their income stream isn't designed for significant investment!

19-09-2015, 17:53	#24
Gigabit Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 2,887	How come Virgin SIMs work with EE femtos then.

19-09-2015, 18:37	#25
Thine Wonk Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 14,577	Quote: Originally Posted by Gigabit How come Virgin SIMs work with EE femtos then. Virgin Media do all the billing and everything + customer care so it's "thick" in that sense. To sell 4G they would have to reach a new agreement, MVNOs don't usually get the ability to re-sell newer things unless they are contracted to do so and the networks like exclusivity with new things for a while.