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Goodbye Ofcom Sitefinder


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Old 05-10-2016, 18:14
David_bl1
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The Ofcom sitefinder is no longer available, although the dataset can be downloaded.

Apparently the last update was made in May 2012 and some of the source information was from much earlier. These were the last updates by operator:

O2 - May 2012
Network Rail - April 2012
Hutchison - February 2012
Vodafone - October 2011
Airwave - February 2010
Orange - February 2010
T-Mobile - August 2005

This is a real shame, because although the information was so outdated it was still a useful reference.

So long Sitefinder!
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Old 05-10-2016, 18:34
M1kos
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Why take it down it should have been updated hopeless Ofcock
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Old 05-10-2016, 18:43
Ed3925
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How about mastdata as an alternative website?
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Old 05-10-2016, 18:48
binary
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Why take it down it should have been updated hopeless Ofcock
How witty.

OfCom had no legal powers to force operators to supply information.

Besides, Sitefinder was never intended to be about providing consumers with information in order to research a network's coverage. It was a reaction to a reasonably widespread public concern about the potential health implications of mobile base stations, a concern which has since dissipated.
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Old 05-10-2016, 18:58
M1kos
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Mastdata is quite good lots of info
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Old 05-10-2016, 20:00
d123
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Why take it down it should have been updated hopeless Ofcock
Care to explain how you wee expecting them to update it with no new data?

Did you want them to just throw darts at a map and then roll a dice to decide the new sites?
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Old 06-10-2016, 16:23
Orbitalzone
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Care to explain how you wee expecting them to update it with no new data?

Did you want them to just throw darts at a map and then roll a dice to decide the new sites?
With professional radio licence applications when you apply for a licence they need to know where the antenna is to do their intermod checks to make sure the transmissions won't clash with other nearby freqs in use, I can't see why Ofcom wouldn't have this information, the absolutely must have this info. Although the way Ofcom seem to work these days it's entirely possible they now do throw darts at a map
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Old 06-10-2016, 16:45
Thine Wonk
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With professional radio licence applications when you apply for a licence they need to know where the antenna is to do their intermod checks to make sure the transmissions won't clash with other nearby freqs in use, I can't see why Ofcom wouldn't have this information, the absolutely must have this info. Although the way Ofcom seem to work these days it's entirely possible they now do throw darts at a map
As far as I knew the networks buy their blocks and the use them how they like. If anything local authority planning has more to do with locations. Ofcom don't care about the specifics as the spectrum is used over and over by the networks however they like.
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Old 06-10-2016, 17:11
d123
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As far as I knew the networks buy their blocks and the use them how they like. If anything local authority planning has more to do with locations. Ofcom don't care about the specifics as the spectrum is used over and over by the networks however they like.
I'm pretty sure you are right...
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Old 07-10-2016, 08:39
mobilecentre
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Mastdata is quite good lots of info
Never seen that site before and just looked in my area and found masts that were proposed, some with planning that were never built and some that were refused but they show on the map anyway.
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Old 07-10-2016, 22:42
Chris1973
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If you really want to know mast locations for a given County / area, then the local Council will often oblige and generally their Data is a lot more current than Sitefinder was.

I made such a request under the Freedom of Information act last year, and although it fell outside of the scope of the FOI act, they still provided the requested information, at least for the mobile phone networks.

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/reque...mast_locations
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Old 08-10-2016, 10:54
jchamier
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My council publishes this on their website, its a small council area:
http://www.rushmoor.gov.uk/telecommunications
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Old 10-10-2016, 16:25
beans0ntoast
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Just noticed no more sitefinder, what a shame as although the data isn't that accurate now, it is/was still a good starting point to find out where the masts could be.

Usually, start by looking on sitefinder, then see if there's any local masts. Then go to the operators' coverage checker to see if the mast is still active. Then you'll know where the nearest masts are (of course this does not include 4G only masts, or masts that have recently been built).

Anyone know of any other useful websites to find the masts location?
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Old 10-10-2016, 19:10
rasseru16
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Just noticed no more sitefinder, what a shame as although the data isn't that accurate now, it is/was still a good starting point to find out where the masts could be.

Usually, start by looking on sitefinder, then see if there's any local masts. Then go to the operators' coverage checker to see if the mast is still active. Then you'll know where the nearest masts are (of course this does not include 4G only masts, or masts that have recently been built).

Anyone know of any other useful websites to find the masts location?
http://www.mastdata.com/
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Old 11-10-2016, 21:47
lightspeed2398
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If anyone wants a copy of the dataset which works in a mapping program of your choice (or even Google Earth) PM me.

Or wait a few days for something nice
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Old 11-10-2016, 22:14
jonmorris
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Is anyone using the Ofcom coverage checker that shows all networks for voice (2g), 3G and 4G, indoor and outdoor, as well as home broadband speeds?

Seems quite good - and shows some differences over what the networks show on their own sites.

http://maps.ofcom.org.uk/check-coverage

And also is anyone providing data to Ofcom using their new app? Unlike speed checkers, it monitors your phone usage and measures speed as you use apps - so doesn't consume any more data than you're already using.

I assume at some point, the results of crowd sourced data here will feed in to produce something akin to what RootMetrics does, but supposedly trying to be more independent and credible as a result.
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Old 12-10-2016, 08:12
planetf1
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Not convinced by that mastdata site, I think there's many masts which don't even exzist that are showing up......
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Old 12-10-2016, 08:17
M1kos
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mastdata has errors it thinks o2 is on my local mast when it is most definitely not!
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Old 12-10-2016, 10:48
Ed3925
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mastdata has errors it thinks o2 is on my local mast when it is most definitely not!
Mastdata seems best for locating Three sites. O2 sites do seem to show up as being everywhere when they are not. Fortunately, O2 have a mast location checker on their website.
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Old 12-10-2016, 21:55
Ed3925
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Not convinced by that mastdata site, I think there's many masts which don't even exzist that are showing up......
Mastdata now appear to have greyed out a lot of O2 sites which were never built.
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