EE 2G/3G/4G Discussion Thread (Part 2)

Is that 95% commitment for 2G, 3G or 4G, or the lot?

Would be awesome if 3G and 4G got 95% geo

This would mean though, that weakspots (which I have already mentioned before) will need to be infilled with new masts!

It's for 4G geography. No mention of 3G or 2G, but why bother? 4G will be the standard in 2020. It will be the basic service you will expect.

de525ma · 29-04-2016, 08:17

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Is that 95% commitment for 2G, 3G or 4G, or the lot?

Would be awesome if 3G and 4G got 95% geo

This would mean though, that weakspots (which I have already mentioned before) will need to be infilled with new masts!

http://media1.giphy.com/media/6OWIl75ibpuFO/giphy.gif

CheshireBumpkin · 29-04-2016, 11:17

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http://media1.giphy.com/media/6OWIl75ibpuFO/giphy.gif

DevonBloke · 29-04-2016, 11:21

By 2020 I would have expected a chunk of 2100 to be brought over to 4G.. probably...
Virtually no one will be using it by then as the majority of handsets, even cheap basic ones will do VoLTE and coverage will be so dense that 3G will vanish.
2G will vanish too for most but it will stick around for a while for M2M and legacy handsets.

de525ma · 29-04-2016, 11:24

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Originally Posted by DevonBloke

By 2020 I would have expected a chunk of 2100 to be brought over to 4G.. probably...
Virtually no one will be using it by then as the majority of handsets, even cheap basic ones will do VoLTE and coverage will be so dense that 3G will vanish.
2G will vanish too for most but it will stick around for a while for M2M and legacy handsets.

I really would stop trying to explain this point. It isn't ever going to sink in

WelshBluebird · 29-04-2016, 12:09

My EE Galaxy S7 Edge got the April Security update last night that the unlocked version got just a couple of weeks ago. I wonder if EE are starting to get better with updates?

Stereo Steve · 29-04-2016, 12:24

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Originally Posted by WelshBluebird

I really would stop trying to explain this point. It isn't ever going to sink in

I still like the idea of having portable 3G cells mounted on ex GPO LDV200 vans. As I suggested before, you could drive towards the customer as the cell breathed in, thereby negating all of 3G's problems. Sometimes you might have to choose between customers but you would simply have a Tesla style dash display made from an old speak and spell toy which would tell you which one was paying the most. Backhaul might also be an issue but you could have backhaul recharge points in filling stations where you could charge it back up in some kind of impossible way. There could even be a 'fibre' or 'copper' recharge option. Fibre taking longer of course.

I have forwarded detailed plans to all of the UK networks but none seem interested at the moment. Not worried though, they'll soon be grovelling at my door. I hope it's soon as the MOT on my van is up in June.

Synthetic42 · 29-04-2016, 12:28

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My EE Galaxy S7 Edge got the April Security update last night that the unlocked version got just a couple of weeks ago. I wonder if EE are starting to get better with updates?

Any VoLTE?

kev · 29-04-2016, 12:30

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Originally Posted by WelshBluebird

My EE Galaxy S7 Edge got the April Security update last night that the unlocked version got just a couple of weeks ago. I wonder if EE are starting to get better with updates?

For the Xperia range (Z1C and Z5C anyway) EE are absolutely useless at getting the first major step (e.g. first Marshmellow release) out first, but seem to be quick with the minor updates (often they are one of the first networks to have a minor point release but never had the original main one)

de525ma · 29-04-2016, 12:41

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Any VoLTE?

No sign of it in call settings, I also received the update this morning.

bookey_uk · 29-04-2016, 13:03

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Originally Posted by bookey_uk

Is that 95% commitment for 2G, 3G or 4G, or the lot?

Would be awesome if 3G and 4G got 95% geo

This would mean though, that weakspots (which I have already mentioned before) will need to be infilled with new masts!

Would you deploy legacy technology in a higher spectrum band that will provide less coverage?....

beans0ntoast · 29-04-2016, 13:24

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Would you deploy legacy technology in a higher spectrum band that will provide less coverage?....

Haha Bookey, I get the point! That means it'll be 4G, due to the cell breathing and other issues with 3G.

I suppose that 3G is just a step-gap technology until all devices are doing VoLTE - then it'll be 4G as standard, meaning that both 2G and 3G get the axe (with the exception of possibly 5MHz 2G for M2M?).

de525ma · 29-04-2016, 13:24

[deleted - already covered]

de525ma · 29-04-2016, 13:26

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Originally Posted by packages

Haha Bookey, I get the point! That means it'll be 4G, due to the cell breathing and other issues with 3G.

I suppose that 3G is just a step-gap technology until all devices are doing VoLTE - then it'll be 4G as standard, meaning that both 2G and 3G get the axe (with the exception of possibly 5MHz 2G for M2M?).

You don't even need VoLTE if you have 2G running underneath! Any 4G device will do.

beans0ntoast · 29-04-2016, 13:28

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It's for 4G geography. No mention of 3G or 2G, but why bother? 4G will be the standard in 2020. It will be the basic service you will expect.

I suppose that 3G and 2G may well get rolled out in masts at present, but I have to agree with you for the long term plan. When VoLTE is sorted out on all devices, 3G becomes pointless (due to cell breathing, and data speeds are higher on 4G than 3G) and 2G becomes pointless (due to the same coverage, but much better voice and data quality on 4G). Result: Long term you get an excellent 4G network, with possibly 5MHz of 2G for any M2M devices that are still 2G. Anyone that's not got VoLTE will need a new device.

Yep, that'll mean my S4 will be obsolete, but technology in 2020 will probably be much better than what it was in 2013 (the release year of the S4).

Synthetic42 · 29-04-2016, 13:39

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No sign of it in call settings, I also received the update this morning.

I think it might just work, no toggle or anything

Broken Hope · 29-04-2016, 13:42

I wonder when VoLTE is fully rolled out if that setting will disappear on iOS and the only 4G option will be a simple on and off.

There's no benefit to being able to disable VoLTE right?

de525ma · 29-04-2016, 13:42

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Originally Posted by Broken Hope

I think it might just work, no toggle or anything

Not according to another thread, the unbranded version got a setting added to enable VoLTE (OP was on 3) from the same (or similar) update.

packages · 29-04-2016, 13:43

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I wonder when VoLTE is fully rolled out if that setting will disappear on iOS and the only 4G option will be a simple on and off.

There's no benefit to being able to disable VoLTE right?

It's like this in the US where VoLTE has been active for a while so not anytime soon.

Synthetic42 · 29-04-2016, 13:57

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Not according to another thread, the unbranded version got a setting added to enable VoLTE (OP was on 3) from the same (or similar) update.

Seems to be different on EE, I'm on the BTU firmware and there's no VoLTE settings with an EE sim in

joemcd · 29-04-2016, 14:00

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Seems to be different on EE, I'm on the BTU firmware and there's no VoLTE settings with an EE sim in

On the BTU firmware the setting shows when you put in your 3 SIM and then disappears of you put in an EE SIM. I had a play around with the IMS settings but the VoLTE setting wouldn't stick. I wonder will the new EE firmware have it ? If so I'll temporarily go back to it.

d123 · 29-04-2016, 14:11

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