Popped into the large Tesco Extra superstore in New Malden yesterday, girlfriend on EE wants to make a call. No Service. EE checker reports perfect indoor and outdoor coverage for the supermarket across 4G/3G/2G. EE really do need to get 800Mhz rolled out everywhere ASAP. Does anyone know the status of this in the central London/Greater London areas? I've been off the forums for a few months but I was under the impression it was supposed to have happened by now or are we still awaiting a big switch on?

Just for comparison's sake I had 2 bars of 4G on Vodafone and Net Perform showed 33Mbps down, 7Mbps up.

Remind me, what is the technical reason that 4G coverage can't be just under the 2G coverage footprint rather than the 3G coverage footprint? Thanks.

Other networks do it. I'm in Germany at the moment with Telekom doing CSFB to 2G. HD Voice, calls setup is more reliable and shorter when dropping down to 3G and 2g capacity (now and in 10 years time) are key factors

Finally the Eden project mast seems to have been 4Geeeeeeeeeeeeed !
That took a while....

Because the call quality of 2G is substantially worse than the call quality for 3G, unless they decide to switch on HD Voice for 2G?

The main reason would likely be that there isn't enough 2G capacity to take the vast majority of calls - hence 3G and 2G will both be required for voice calls.
In the future there will be a point whereby most calls are done over VoLTE - which would take enough pressure off 2G/3G so that 2G on its own can handle the non-VoLTE calls.
Then you'll see a power increase for 4G, so that 2G and 4G powers are equal.
Then it'll be the end for 3G, with L21 being used... before finally switching off 2G in about 10 years time when super cheap VoLTE phones are about, and 4G/5G is the norm.

The problem now is that, apart from carrier branded devices and iPhones, there is very little support for VoLTE...

Well, I think I'm right with that...

Not this.


This.

Cheers for that, interesting. What power level in terms of C/N is 4G running below 3G/2G? I notice the 4G is "weaker" when measured on the phone's signal display but thought that was also down to the fact EE's L1800 bearers are 20MHz wide so power distributed over a 20 MHz bearer rather than a 5MHz bearer as in UMTS.

Pretty sure that doesn't matter. I think EE also has 20mhz of G1800 and that has the largest footprint so L1800 can have the same.

4G is being run at whatever power level is required (and it varies from one site to the next) to keep it within that site's minimum 3G coverage footprint. 3G can reign it's coverage in so they have to set 4G's fixed coverage to be less than 3G's minimum making it really quite weak compared to what it could be.
As has been said though, it will eventually be cranked up and when it is 4G1800 will actually go slightly further than 2G from the same site due to the fact 4G is just more robust.
That, even without 800, will be pretty amazing frankly.
800 will just make you go

I wonder how soon this power increase will be happening, is it Likely this year or are we looking into the medium to long term future? EE has alot of 4g around me but that doesn't stop you drifting back to orange 2g fairly often, even if for just a few seconds/minutes wouldn't take much of a power increase to do away with many of them, even if the sites are yet to be upgraded. if EE's 800mhz is at anything like the same power of three's 800 4g then that really will be some massive coverage, at the moment around here three cover the equivalent land mass of a large County with just 3 masts on 800mhz, also even when deep in the 120's dB 4g still doesn't give up..

Depends on 2G voice capacity. On 4G masts, this should have been upgraded, however, the old Orange masts will have old 2G running on them which has not been touched for years.

Seriously doubt we will see an increase in 1800 power for at least a year yet. Barely any phones support VoLTE, and EE don't even support it on PAYG at all yet.

As far as the 800 switch on goes - we will have to wait and see how they implement it. The most practical option is to limit access to it to VoLTE and data devices only. Or they may wish to wait until more phones support 4G voice.

The hazards of launching a network without voice...

It already has for me on 3. 4G800 means I can actually have a phone call in my house without having to go upstairs (or use my home signal box)

Thanks for the comments

I've noticed that you'll have 4G for longer if the phone is locked in 4G only mode. My Sony phone will bump you back to 3G at around -120dB but in 4G only mode it will cling on to the signal down to ~ -132dB. In this really poor signal range it will still pull down ~10Mbps. The EE 4G coverage maps appear quite accurate in 4G only mode.

Also of course EEs 800 will be running at a higher power than Three. So if Three's is that good, EE's is going to be slightly insane... : )

Devon is the 800MHz King. I'll be happy if it's as good as he says

Of course the limit will be the fact its only 5mhz so it won't be a speedy connection. I think its safe to assume EE will expect this for indoor coverage for voice calls (VoLTE) where there is WiFi for internet.

Only about 12or 15, 0r 18 months or so behind target too which is good for EE. Turn it on EE. Stop FKing about. Turn on 800.

I should add the LDV is in for MOT next week and if the track rods are as bad as I think they are, the whole South West faces a mobile blackout.

And don't forget too that on a VoLTE call when going indoors and in range of decent Wireless coverage your phone will then hand in to Wi-Fi calling anyway.

I'm currently over in the US and for some bizarre reason my HTC One M9 appears to have had some software update (not for VoLTE, yet) but whenever I'm in the Hotel Wireless hotspot it's telling me I'm on Wi-Fi calling when clearly I'm not. This only occured a week ago and for the first week didn't pop up at all. Disabling Wi-Fi calling and reenabling doesn't clear it.

Where I am it's the coverage we want. Anything over 2 meg will be fine (for the odd occasion you happen to find yourself on 800).
That won't be too often once 1800 is cranked up.

Genius takes time.
Detected 800 in Dartmouth tonight for the first time.
It won't be turned up (it is already on) until it's working as expected.
EE aren't Three you know!

I do wonder when this is all going to happen, plus we may knock three but they have way more approved VoLTE devices then EE, I really want to take out the 16gb sim only contract with EE but I don't want to end up 6-8 months down the line still with little VoLTE for Android devices and as a result no access to the 800mhz network, as at present that means little indoor coverage..

have you guys seen the possible new EE deals coming up next week?
Not sure what to think but I'm mostly convinced to ditch Vodafone and get EE.

https://jmcomms.com/2016/08/10/revea...sign-up-quick/

I Don't think much to them myself, don't like the idea if speed limits, too. Controversial, plus no interest in bt sport, having Spotify premium is a much better deal in my view

Also known as Voda mode down there?