Aaron when you get a brand new sim from giffgaff do you need to top up to get 4G signal first or just put the sim and get the 4G. As O2 and Voda PAYG sims you need to top up first to be able to get 4G signal

I'm not surprised that the panels are pointing toards Eye, because EE don't have a mast there and are having to rely on other, much more distant masts. That mast does give the A47 some decent coverage, until a few hundred meters before the Eye/Eye Green roundabout. If there's an application for new panels then the site will get 3G/4G (I hope - EE wouldn't leave a site like that on just 2G).

One of the main masts in Wellingborough (Northamptonshire) was EE/3 only, but O2/Vodafone recently installed their panels on the same mast, so it's more than possible, if the planning goes ahead and isn't rejected.

My giffgaff activation was quite a while back so I can't honestly remember - though I know I topped up the SIM with a £10 O2 voucher and I was then able to access the internet, on whatever technology was available (which I believe was 4G as I activated the SIM in Leicester to do some O2 network testing).

Using GiffGaff to test O2 isn't remotely the same, as I've seen a giffgaff user have 2G when an O2 user right next to them had 4G - and both using iPhone 6s handsets. giffgaff is cheaper for a reason. Probably worth using an O2 PAYG SIM to test O2.

The thing is with O2/VODA you need to top up first to get 4G signal with EE/Three you just pop the sim into the phone and get 4G signal

I can't see any reason why the ee planning permission for the site would be declined as replacing existing panels. I hope for my gf who is on Tesco the site gets upgraded especially with 800 as she will get brilliant signal, just have to wait and see and the council have responded with something like the don't make the decision anymore and redirected them to another authority for permission. It annoys me tho that all the money I pay for my contract with ee and small amount she pays with Tesco and she gets fare better and more useful signal than me from a single mast. When ee have three mast around the village and fail to provide decent 4g/3G coverage. Moan over I suppose I will notice any difference In 2017 .

Most phones should have the option to force 3G or 4G so that the problem you mentioned can be overcome. As that would more than likely be O2 trying to prioritise its customers above that of Giffgaff, though forcing a certain connection should still result in a signal if it is being transmitted.

iPhones don't often have the option depending on the network request to Apple. Some Androids are also hiding options unless you go into engineering menu.

But the network is in charge. You can fix 4G and if they don't want you on it you can show no service on phone. It's discount price for a reason.

So EE massively fuked up the 800 thing. What a massive surprise. Roll on December 2017 by which time it may be working (a bit).

You've said this before. Can you provide evidence that they've messed up?

Sure, you can accuse me of bias or that I'm just repeating what EE's head of network communications has told me, and that he's perhaps lied through his teeth to me, but I was told all 700 sites are live and at full power*.

People are finding 800 now, so I see no reason to believe they f'd up. Sure, there was a delay, but unless someone can find evidence that not all of the sites really are live, I'd have to believe EE over someone here saying otherwise .

* Full power meaning as intended, not necessarily literally the maximum power available to use.

very weak 4g in most of Stamford on EE, was wondering if any imminent improvements are planned...

It will simply be that EE don't want to use the resources on deploying a legacy technology in areas where they don't see it being worth it. Even without EE 3G on the mast, Three are free to go ahead and add their own equipment and not having EE 3G may even benefit Three because it may allow Three to have both 3G and 4G on single band panels while EE have 2G and 4G.

CH: http://gdurl.com/4jqx
LL: http://gdurl.com/IqhfD
CH + LL: http://gdurl.com/VFoc

I think they had plenty of time to test and prepare for 4G800 so after 2 years they should have started with 3000 sites but not with 700 as EE have a lot more than 700 sites equipped with 4G800. I think there is something that stops them to start with more than the 700 sites, something they are afraid of that might go wrong. I was very happy last week as few masts went live 4G800 but this week everything has stopped. No one single bar of 4G800. If they keep switching on and off that 700 sites yes EE have messed up again

I think the point wasn't the initially limited coverage; it was that calls over VoLTE were dropping or not being connected properly (robot voice, or one party not being able to hear the other), which has all happened since this launch.

This is probably precisely the reason they started with 700 sites rather than going big; far easier to start and then ramp up the deployment if there are no signs of any problems.

Think this is a key point which some people are missing. When they've talked about full power they don't mean it's using up half the National Grid on one mast to get it going 300km. The coverage footprint of each mast will still be carefully planned and chosen and then the power will be set.

It will go significantly further than L1800 from the same mast. The indoor penetration will also be much further. But it is not going to revolutionise the network. Also having seen which 700 sites are live some people need to chill a bit and be patient. I would also say to some people that Vodafone and o2 and even Three with their 800 may actually offer the better solution to EE, 800 for EE isn't targeted the way that people in here want it.

Hope everyone had a great christmas!

Does anyone have any info on the above at all?

Between Stamford and Grantham nothing on L800 just now, just regular L1800.

The mast at South Witham is sporting shiny new panels but not active yet for any 4G. In addition to the panels facing north and south on the A1 there looks to be additional panels added facing east and west too. This should boost rural coverage here which historically has been poor.

The mast at Quarry Wood Little Casterton has a far out reaching L800 on the north east sector towards Ryhall , easily picked that up but nothing on the other sectors.

Gavin, I suspect you're wishing you'd never been as accommodating with this! If you can face it, could you run SY postcodes for me please? Totally understand if you've had enough...

No idea. I'm just saying angry and misguided things (trolling) because all the other 3 networks are putting 800 on my mast but apparently not EE who know better and I'm hacked off that I signed a 24 month contract a few months back only to learn that VO2 are doing the mast in Jan and 3 are probably already on it. Brilliant. I think I'll actually sign up with VOD and use the EE Sim for home broadband until it expires as we are sub 2meg here and I got 25GB at quite a good price so I'll stick the sim in a router and should pick up 1800 with an external thingy.

G postcodes too please.....pretty please?

I'm at the outlaws until Friday, won't be able to generate any more until after then.

I hope you've all had a great Christmas.

I've read back through the last couple of pages and seeing some negative vibes re 800. Do some here think or have indeed seen 800 go live but switched off again? Do we think there are still VoLTE issues that are causing some deployment rollback?

Yes happened to me. Last week 4G800 but this week no sign of it. Very odd. 4G800 was on and was making calls and using data on it for a whole week but since Monday nothing in every area I was last week with 4G800. Mast around RG47TR RG95LP and RG80UD and RG80PY have stopped broadcasting 4G800 What is happening with al that stuff going on. I just do not get it

What you saw could have been testing etc when the mast is first lit for 4G800, still needs to be tested to ensure it meets KPIs and then fully integrated into the networks with handover parameters and fully optimised. Sounds as though you saw it in the first stage and now it is hidden for integration and will eventually be fully launched...