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Rate the 4 main GSM UK Networks


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Old 21-09-2003, 21:03
lee18xx
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How would you rate the 4 main GSM Uk Mobile Networks? (1st being the best, 4th the worst)

Taking into account value for money, customer service, phone range, coverage, services available etc. I would put them at:

1. Vodafone - Reliable, good coverage, good GPRS
2. T-Mobile - Getting cheaper
3. o2 - Undecided. Cheap but poor customer service
4. Orange - Poor customer service

Feel free to add Virgin in if you want, I didn't as I've never used it.
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Old 21-09-2003, 21:12
moomini
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I've had experience with Vodafone Singlepoint, O2 and Orange but I would have to say Orange is the best.

Orange have been polite, and I've had minimal problems with them. Singlepoint don't know when to stop billing you when you've cancelled your contract, and O2 has been fine, not bad customer services and options.

Orange always feels like a more 'personal' network to me, unlike Vodafone where you feel like you're treated like one of the crowd.

Well, those are my opinions!

moomini
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Old 21-09-2003, 21:12
Widdy
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Virgin have good rate calls, no line rental even on pay-monthly and text messages from 3p each!
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Old 21-09-2003, 22:03
ogryn
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I have had Virgin, and although cheap, the coverage where I am is terrible (so the same to T-M then)

I am looking at O2, as it has better coverage in my area, and it's online plans seem very good value.

Vodaphone and Orange seem too expensive for me although coverage is OK in my area.

Never had to phone a CS, so I wouldn't know.
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Old 21-09-2003, 22:32
tjclague
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i think that virgin would be easily the best if every1 was on it and they had better converage . but i no that wecan all agree that 3 is the worst hehe. but i like orange at the moment...
tjc
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Old 21-09-2003, 22:46
sb123
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Remember that Virgin and T-Mobile are the same physical network. Just Virgin do their own customer services and provide their own phones. Virgin is what is known as a Virtual Service Provider.

Personally I would rate them as follows:

1= Vodafone
2= Orange
3. 02
4. T-Mobile/Virgin.

The best combination is Virgin's tariff on Orange.
If Orange got the new phones a bit quicker, didn't have their SIM locking policies and branding and sorted out customer services, they would be no 1.

From a coverage point of view, ratings:
1. Orange - have one and never let me down.
2. Vodafone
3. O2
4. T-Mobile.
If you are in London, then T-Mobile becomes no 2.

Simon.
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Old 22-09-2003, 00:19
Nikhil
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Vodafone and O2 provide brilliant services but their prices are a bit too high and uncompetitive (apart from online O2 but their customer service is lame) Network coverage and the like are very good but they don't really care when it comes to matching prices of other networks.

I'm on orange now, they appear very competitive and friendly. The freephone customer services is good too, and the queues aren't too bad at all even if i do speak to a numskull

T-mobile tariffs seem VERY good, but network coverage still needs improvement

1st = orange
2nd = Vodafone and O2
3rd= T-mobile
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Old 22-09-2003, 12:12
badbob
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1 Orange
2 Vodafone
3 mmO2
4 T-Mobile International

The reason behind my logic is thus.... I have never had coverage problems with Orange on my Pay Monthly package, and I have lived in Wishaw, Inverness and Bristol. Customer Service aint great, but I dont usually have the need to contact them.

Vodafone, of which I am a former customer, have good pricing policies and good international roaming deals, but coverage was never great.

mmO2 have poor coverage, but are reliable enough to justify me owning a Pay & Go mobile for emergencies.

T-Mobile have poor customer service, poor call quality, a poor image and poor pricing plans. I have never used the network myself but my experiences of it, working in the industry and having friends on the network have led me to believe the above.

Everyone has their own perceptions of a network based on experiences.
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Old 22-09-2003, 15:00
hedgehogharvey
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I have been on all the networks except orange, and T-Mobile have been the best, but the coverage is the worst, but I always had a signal, but it was week.

{richard}
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Old 22-09-2003, 16:22
deano01
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Since I first got a mobile four years ago I've been on TOrange, Vodafone, T-mobile and now Virgin. Someone in my family was on 02 and I wasn't that impressed at the time because a couple of years ago they seemed quite expensive and their coverage round my area is appauling. So here goes:
Vodafone. A bit too expensive for what I use it for but very good coverage.
Virgin. Comes second because of the slight lack of coverage but they are very cheap with Virgin to landline calls and txts to other Virgin mobiles.
Orange. Sometimes coverage isn't too good but the prices aren't too bad.
02. Coverage is quite bad round here, near Leeds I live but the prices have improved.
T-mobile. Coverage needs soem work but the prices have gone through the roof and they don't seem to care about their customers too much, backed up by when they moved me onto the payg everyone plan saying it would be cheaper when I use about £6 a month!
Although I prefer Virgin, I put Vodafone top because of the coverage and reasonable prices, depending on who you phone and so on.
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Old 22-09-2003, 18:14
RSK
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My list would be:

4... O2, with their appalling customer service charges, and lack of helpfulness....! Seem to treat every customer as a statistic and not a person!

3... Vodafone - Just nothing special about 'em!

2... Orange - Not bad, just the voicemail charges are annoying. Textsaver is pretty good though, and the reserve calls!

1... Virgin - 3p texts to other Virgin users... free voicemail retrieval, friendly staff, cool brand image.... in fact there's not a lot wrong with Virgin, except trying to transfer number FROM Virgin!!! Ahh... they don't offer GPRS or MMS either....! Best phones though!

BTW I am currently with Orange PAYG... transferred recently from Virgin because of the MMS / GPRS thing!
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Old 22-09-2003, 19:00
Thanhuk
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1. Orange
2. o2
3. Vodafone
4. T-moblie

Ornage have 8-10 reciption, and has quite good call charges despite txts costing 12p!. But it6s good, cause im usually on tris[ to remote parts of the UK, ie: - Cumbria, school trip[es, so it is quite handy!
Thanh
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