Those lower tariffs (with less data) seem extremely expensive compared to even now - and the lower plans now seem quite expensive for what they are.

For example, £18.49 per month for 500MB data, 500 minutes and unlimited texts? With such a small amount of data, the 20Mbps speed cap doesn't matter, because any faster and you'll burn through your allowance in no time at all, but even so, that is incredibly expensive. You can get 1GB data (albeit 3G, however, with a cap of 20Mbps, there's really no difference between 3G and 4G on most masts), 1000 minutes and unlimited texts for a mere £8 per month on Virgin Mobile (an MVNO on the EE network). Even Giffgaff goodybags (which runs on O2, but I'm including for comparison sake) are better value, with 500MB 4G, 250 minutes and u/l texts for £7.50 per month on a rolling 1 month term.

So if those prices (on the JM Comms website) are going to be the final prices, then EE are going to price themselves out and people are going to switch to Three (if they need MBNL's 3G coverage) or even a CTIL based network.
Because, in all honesty, if someone tried selling me a SIM Only deal for £18.50 per month, I'd want a lot more than 500MB of 4G data capped at 3G speeds.

No, that's much worse. You need your own tin can for that and not one of these new fangled aluminium ones form the 80's either. A proper one with bits of 70s beans left in it.

Anyway. EE's new SIM only deals look like a rip off which is nice. O2/3 might have been a network which could have competed but now are still 2 crap networks. Vodafone as usual can't be arsed. Victory for the consumer.

I'll get my coat.

Had my fastest ever speed on EE tonight near Coventry by a TGI. Restaurant I actually ran 3 different type of tests as so high it was 195-197 download speed and 47 upload. This was on an IPhone 6S I presume it was using carrier aggregation on 1800 and 2600mhz

I am currently on 3, my contract is about to finish, so using advice from this forum i am testing other networks on PAYG and or pay monthly sim (in EE's case).

From my experience only, i must say i'm not overwhelmed by EE at this time. With 3 i have no signal deep in my flat and also in my rural storage. It has been the same with EE, sadly. I was kind of hoping 800Mhz would be on, but if it is, my phone isn't picking it up

O2 on the other hand has surprised me, considering how far behind they let their network run. I must admit, i didn't hold much hope for O2, but have been pleasantly surprised so far. I have either 3G or 4G in the depths of my flat and at my storage for work, both at very usable speeds for browsing. I drive around a lot for work and seem to have signal almost everywhere (Shamley Green excepted).

Again, just my experience...

I will be trying 3 on a Z5 Compact (with 3 firmware) in the next few days, so hope to see what difference their 800Mhz makes in my part of the world.

EE's 800mhz is still testing and not on full power yet. It's probably still not even enabled in a lot of places. o2 and VF will always get better indoor penetration of their 800mhz compared to EE's 1800mhz 4G. EE have to wait until they turn up both their 800mhz and 1800mhz to compete with indoor coverage.

The new EE pricing doesn't seem that cheap! I don't want BT Football, so it's a shame that you have to pay for it if you want roam like home.

Does the new EE pricing mean they are also axing EE Complete (was it 50GB/month plus 12 months' early upgrade)?

I've read this a few times on this forum. You will be using 2G for calls anyway if you are outside of the 3G footprint (without a 4G signal), so why can't the 4G power be raised to be the same as 2G? It wouldn't provide any extra call load on 2G than there is now.

Because currently the default is for CSFB to 3G not 2G.

You make a good point. It's not as simple as setting it for 2g or 3g though. As I said above there are other factors. Fall back to 3G is more reliable and takes less time for the call setup. Call quality is generally better on 3G as well.

There is also another issue, until fairly recently CSFB was set for either 2G or 3G, you went to one or the other you couldn't go to the best and if that wasn't there go to the other. Now that's possible it's just not very reliable or quick. So it would have placed load on the 2G because all calls would have been going to the 2G if they'd rolled it out that way ignoring the capacity of the 3G layer.

Also to CSFB to 2G for calls, the 2G needs to be new enough hardware. This is being refreshed around the country but there is a lot of older formerly Orange and formerly T-Mobile 2G hardware that is in full working condition. Once replaced this will give EE more flexibility. (all versions of 3G support CSFB from 4G).

Pedro_C (or anyone else)

How many frequencies are going to be transmitted from this site?

http://planningdocs.gloucester.gov.u...006A614516.pdf

The antennas support all bands (800, 1900, 2100, 2600) but that doesn't mean they will all be connected to base station equipment. But considering it's right next to a stadium then I hope they do!

Well I have broadband back.... For how long who knows. EE still running OK here, if congested. 6-10Meg. Working over the hill at the neighbour's place it runs at over 60Meg. Not jealous....

Just noticed today that two new panels per sector are being installed on the main Wellingborough mast near the Embankment... despite the fact that EE and 3 (via MBNL) are both broadcasting from the site and both had reasonably modern panels previously?

Previously used to be EE/3 3G from a pair of MBNL single input panels (per sector). Then EE launched their 4G from that site, and the older, single input panels remained on the mast. Then 3 UK launched 4G too and one of the panels (on each sector) was replaced with a new, longer multi-band panel, for (I presume) 1800MHz and 2100MHz. Though possibly also having the option for 800MHz 4G, since that site covers quite a large area.

Now we have two multi input panels per sector being installed just below the existing EE/3 setup. Wonder what's going on? Is it so that the coverage is made more uniform on each sector, is it new frequencies, or is it CTIL putting their equipment on that mast?

Hmmm, that's an interesting one.
It has 6 panels. 3 quad band and 3 dual band.
PDFs here...

Quad band - http://www.huawei.com/ucmf/groups/pu.../hw_316953.pdf

Dual band - http://www.huawei.com/ucmf/groups/cx...451604-pdf.pdf

So quad has a low pair of inputs for 800, 1 set for 1800 - 2600, one set for 1800 - 2100 and a set for 2600 only.

The dual is 800 and 1800 - 2600

Basically it could do all EE carriers including 2 x 1800 carriers and 2 x 2600 carriers.
Mind you that can also be done with combiners and fewer panels..

I'll ask Pedro.

: )

Sorry, didn't see your post before I posted. Yeah looks like it's gonna be fully loaded.
Need major capacity there so one carrier per input perhaps.
Quad could do 800/1800/2100/2600 and the dual could do a second 1800 carrier (one day soon) and the other 2600 carrier.

Schematic of what they could do with all those ports

They're only stating two feeders per antenna per sector (four per sector) for which the dual band Huawei could take alone for EE 800/1800/2100. So why the quad band? Unless it's two feeders per antenna+ a load on RRU, in which case they could the schematic I've listed above but replace some more of the feeders with RRU. No RRUs listed on planning.
So maybe they've put an application for the most obtrusive setup they can forsee ever being deployed but will actually fit much less, like just the Huawei Dual band.

Those new packages seem a bit crap, if they're the final specs and prices.

I can renew my 12 month sim only deal in October, with my contract finishing in January. I'm not sure whether to grab the 25GB for £25 now. I doubt I'd even get that with retentions, they could only offer me 10GB for £22 last time!

Appears to be CTIL:

http://pawebsrv.wellingborough.gov.u...=O57W6DRB0D900

Removing two dual band panels and replacing with six tri bands (i.e. two per sector). As usual from CTIL there is limited information.

Slightly strange that they say they are removing existing antennas, but also say "the operators do not have existing base stations at this property".

Just been on livechat with EE to see if i could change my plan early to the £25 for 25GB.

Got told they can change my plan to £18 for 16GB for the remainder of my contract, which expires on the 7th December.

Worth a go if anyone else is thinking of the doing same....

With the new plans kicking in next week, it might be worth making a decision soon on whether to change to a current one before the 16/17th or go for one of the newer ones.

There's more data on the new ones, but also speed restrictions on the two lower tiers, for example.

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

Hmm.... That's quite surprising....

I did note that there were two panels on one corner of the mast that were different to the other ones, so maybe they were the existing 3G CTIL panels?

edit: According to sitefinder there was Vodafone GSM, Orange 2G/3G (which has since been integrated to MBNL), and MBNL 2G/3G. So it seems as though the Vodafone GSM is being upgraded to full CTIL 2G/3G/4G. Hope they do it properly and have L18 as well as L08....

Enough of CTIL. I was hoping it would actually have been MBNL panels (as replacements of the old ones), for a more even coverage around the mast... but it should be ok anyway. That mast has provide anything up to 80Mbps before, depending on which sector you are on. And it gives quite a bit of coverage, even at the low power L18 levels.

I really hope EE don't do the same with handset tariffs...

Or even better see how much of a bad move everyone is seeing these new SIMO plans and scrap / tweak them

Out of bundle charges are going up too.

But as we move towards inclusive European roaming, every network is going to try and find ways to up revenue in other areas.

Now clearly a 60Mbps cap isn't exactly slow, but it does mean speed is once more going to be a way to extract more revenue from users that don't want to be throttled (even if they are at 200Mbps). And BT Sport is effectively forced upon some users as a result of wanting the inclusive data roaming and full speed.

It's clear that this is the BT side influencing things.