[preecey]

I came across this new O2 ad this morning and couldn't help but laugh at the statement made at the end.

https://youtu.be/mVkQxA9CjMQ

I found it to be very controversial to say the least.

Everyone knows MBNL (EE and Three) has the biggest 3G network in the UK, and that EE has the biggest 4G network by far. So I'm a little perplexed as to how uSwitch came to such a decision? Did they base this on their 2G network?

It is common knowledge that O2 has the worst 3G network here in the UK and even though they are improving their 4G network slowly (thanks to Cornerstone), their 3G/4G networks simply don't even come close to the extensive 3G/4G coverage that EE currently offers.

Sorry about the rant, but misleading ads like this really infuriate me.

Taking a quick look at the uSwitch awards website would also reveal some questionable winners in other categories. Best Network for Data - GiffGaff? Hahaha! Best Value Pay Monthly - Tesco Mobile? Oh, please.

[Thine Wonk]

"voted" - I guess that's why, these things are always a brand popularity contest, because people just don't know what the other networks are like. If they are on O2 they've probably never tried other networks.

People were happy on EE 3 years ago, since then EE has rolled out much more 4G but people weren't complaining 3 years ago.... it's all relative really.

Sometimes I think people on this forum get a bit too picky about coverage and speeds. When I think about the times I don't have a good signal it's rare, and it's really not difficult to walk 30 feet where you usually get a better signal. There's also nothing I can't do with a 4Mb/s speed, so as long as I get that I'm happy.

I guess people are saying O2 does what they want it to do, and because it's voted it's based on perception rather than measurement and comparison.

[Mystic Eddy]

I think it's a case of uSwitch mobile awards - sponsored by O2

[Gigabit]

It is the best on 2G. Still lots of places indoors with nothing but O2/VF. Hopefully with 800MHz from EE that'll be changing soon.

[CheshireBumpkin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thine Wonk

Sometimes I think people on this forum get a bit too picky about coverage and speeds.

I think you probably have a point when it comes to speeds, but not coverage. Coverage (on all networks) is flaky in certain areas, yet is the fundamental requirement of any mobile network. Your view is simply coloured by where you live, and who has the best coverage in your area. However, if you really mean technology (3G, 4G etc..) then I'd probably also agree - a good 3G connection is generally quite sufficient for most 'handset-type' activities. Unless of course you live where I do, and it's sh*t.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mystic Eddy

I think it's a case of uSwitch mobile awards - sponsored by O2

Also likely - let's not forget how uswitch and other comparison sites are funded. He who pays the highest commission percentage etc...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gigabit

It is the best on 2G. Still lots of places indoors with nothing but O2/VF. Hopefully with 800MHz from EE that'll be changing soon.

Not sure about the official percentages, but I'm inclined to agree. In my experience of travelling the country, no-one beats O2/VF for solid voice coverage.

[Thine Wonk]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CheshireBumpkin

Not sure about the official percentages, but I'm inclined to agree. In my experience of travelling the country, no-one beats O2/VF for solid voice coverage.

I travel a lot, In the last 3 days I have stayed in 3 different counties for either work of friends or visiting family, that's the whole point of a mobile phone. I also use it much more for data than I do as an actual phone. I should imagine most people do with a smartphone?

[1manonthebog]

I would agree for 2G coverage O2 is everywhere, even in the remotest location you usually get at least 1 bar coverage on O2, sadly for me and I'm sure many others we rarely use the phone for calls these days, its all about data and well O2 is just dire in that department, I left last year due to getting less than 1mb download speed, even on 4g it never got above 5-8mb

[Thine Wonk]

Just looking through my phone and thinking about my daily usage, here's the things I use it for:

Mobile banking
Controlling the boiler in the winter
The ring doorbell
Google maps for navigation
Dji go
Reading my email
Messaging people
Facebook

Etc

The ratio of usage of apps, browsing and data to phone calls is about 95 / 5. O2 may be good if you life in an extreme rural area, but aside from that I need good working data, nothing I use needs 60Mb/s though, just 1 or 2.

[Rossby41]

Oddly enough where I live O2 do have the best coverage (4G included). I can easly get 4G at home, and around most of my town. The speeds can be quite decent aswell. I can't even get EE 4G where I live.
But if I go into one of the bigger neighbouring towns that has 4G with O2, it can grind really slowly. I do wish O2 had another 4G band to help with this.

[moox]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thine Wonk

J
The ratio of usage of apps, browsing and data to phone calls is about 95 / 5. O2 may be good if you life in an extreme rural area, but aside from that I need good working data, nothing I use needs 60Mb/s though, just 1 or 2.

And as is pointed out every time you bang on about how people don't need fast speeds, the point is that 60Mbps is a sign of a healthy, well maintained and upgraded network that can handle the load.

Meanwhile if I'm only getting 2Mbps I might think that the network has not been maintained in that area - and if demand increases that'll drop even more

[packages]

Quote:

Originally Posted by moox

And as is pointed out every time you bang on about how people don't need fast speeds, the point is that 60Mbps is a sign of a healthy, well maintained and upgraded network that can handle the load.

Meanwhile if I'm only getting 2Mbps I might think that the network has not been maintained in that area - and if demand increases that'll drop even more

Yep, the only reason why I like seeing massive speeds near me and where I go is so I know when more and more people are using 4G, the average speed may be lower, but will still be fast and very usable.

[daveyfs]

Quote:

Originally Posted by moox

And as is pointed out every time you bang on about how people don't need fast speeds, the point is that 60Mbps is a sign of a healthy, well maintained and upgraded network that can handle the load.

Meanwhile if I'm only getting 2Mbps I might think that the network has not been maintained in that area - and if demand increases that'll drop even more

This. It's why I'm one of the main reasons why I'm on EE as I know they have ample capacity to provide for the inevitable future growth in demand for mobile data without that causing a drop in service quality.

[Thine Wonk]

Quote:

Originally Posted by moox

And as is pointed out every time you bang on about how people don't need fast speeds, the point is that 60Mbps is a sign of a healthy, well maintained and upgraded network that can handle the load.

Meanwhile if I'm only getting 2Mbps I might think that the network has not been maintained in that area - and if demand increases that'll drop even more

My average Three speeds are about 8Mb/s, they do upgrade, you can pay a piece of mind premium if you want, but little is likely to change in a contract duration. Seems illogical to me to need a 30 times overhead just in case.

On a train at the moment on the way to Derby and this looks perfectly usable to me http://www.speedtest.net/my-result/a/2131798558

[rasseru16]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rossby41

Oddly enough where I live O2 do have the best coverage (4G included). I can easly get 4G at home, and around most of my town. The speeds can be quite decent aswell. I can't even get EE 4G where I live.
But if I go into one of the bigger neighbouring towns that has 4G with O2, it can grind really slowly. I do wish O2 had another 4G band to help with this.

Hmm I think Vodafone here seem to have 2G almost everywhere especially around the Thetford forest areas here.

[Stereo Steve]

I suspect it's the same in most non town / city locations. 3 and EE give you decent calls most of the time and decent data almost all the time. VO2 will ring just about anywhere but data is hugely variable. It's getting better of course but still nowhere near. Then again, if you are on EE or 3, your phone might not ring where a VO2 phone will. That will and is changing with those 2 using 800 but again, it's not there yet.

Picture will be different in 12 months and I doubt O2 will be the best at anything.

[jonmorris]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mystic Eddy

I think it's a case of uSwitch mobile awards - sponsored by O2

I should point out that I've been a judge for uSwitch. The year I was a judge, Three came away very happy.

But I know many of the judges from one year to the next and know that a few of them were O2 users (iPhone users too).

As said above, many people will vote based on their own network and not know about what they're missing.

I did (and still do) have the ability to compare all networks. Obviously not extensively throughout the UK, but more than most.

[jonmorris]

Quote:

Originally Posted by daveyfs

This. It's why I'm one of the main reasons why I'm on EE as I know they have ample capacity to provide for the inevitable future growth in demand for mobile data without that causing a drop in service quality.

Speed isn't that important for nearly all streaming needs, and even less for web browsing (then it's all about latency) but when you want to upload a 30 second HD video clip to Facebook, YouTube or Twitter, then raw speed matters a lot.

Mobile broadband also benefits greatly from speed too. Or downloading a video clip to watch when offline, although in many cases apps don't allow it - and you have to use Wi-Fi. I've many times enabled tethering on another phone to enable this, which is quite funny in how silly that is.

[Skylover4life]

In my area EE is very poor, even for just 3G (and 2G goes up and down) so I pretty much reply on Wi-Fi calling. O2 and Vodafone believe it or not has brilliant service here, even 4G.

[Redcoat]

It's in threads like these I wish wavejockglw was still around.

[Gigabit]

How is Glasgow these days?

[Grayburn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rossby41

Oddly enough where I live O2 do have the best coverage (4G included). I can easly get 4G at home, and around most of my town. The speeds can be quite decent aswell. I can't even get EE 4G where I live.
But if I go into one of the bigger neighbouring towns that has 4G with O2, it can grind really slowly. I do wish O2 had another 4G band to help with this.

In the same situation where I live but I can get EE but it's pretty poor. Three isn't too bad and I never tried Voda but O2 is where it's at for me.

[packages]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grayburn

In the same situation where I live but I can get EE but it's pretty poor. Three isn't too bad and I never tried Voda but O2 is where it's at for me.

For any type of coverage, o2 or Vodafone will probably always be better generally until EE get 800mhz on their 4000 masts that they have stated. Even then we still don't know if that will be enough (I don't think it will be but we'll see)

[Stereo Steve]

Quote:

Originally Posted by packages

For any type of coverage, o2 or Vodafone will probably always be better generally until EE get 800mhz on their 4000 masts that they have stated. Even then we still don't know if that will be enough (I don't think it will be but we'll see)

For 2G yes but there are many places where Vodafone especially don't even have 3G. Like huge areas of the UK. But yes, for 2G they are unbeatable which is why I use a dual sim phone at the moment as I need it to ring.

[Mark in Essex]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stereo Steve

For 2G yes but there are many places where Vodafone especially don't even have 3G. Like huge areas of the UK. But yes, for 2G they are unbeatable which is why I use a dual sim phone at the moment as I need it to ring.

I know.

Vodafone for data is a joke outside built up areas.

I have Vodafone for my works phone and also my wife has Vodafone (mainly because she spends most of the time in built up areas).

When we were away in Cornwall for the last couple of weeks I lost count of the times my wife had to tether to my Three phone.

[daclick]

I live in a town where I'd expect to now get o2/voda 4G however I don't. Yet a poopy little village about 10miles away from me gets 5bars 4G it seems so illogical