Rate My Network: O2 UK

[Ben]

Rating your network on Talk3G helps other members make decisions about their choice of provider. It also helps Talk3G reach conclusions about how the different networks are faring in the UK.

Please be honest when casting your votes. Simply pick each of the statements that you believe is true for your network... but try not to select them all.

This poll is for O2 UK only.

[Hands0n]

I only joined O2 because of the iPhone, my previous experience (3G) with my wife's contract which we ditched at the earliest opportunity. The only reason I went O2 is because I could not believe that Apple would accept their phone on a useless network.

M O2 2G experience has been reasonably good, and so I have voted accordingly. I'm holding out hope for O2's 3G network for when the iPhone 3G comes out on 11 July 08. If their 3G is bad then I'll go back to my iPhone 2G on the O2 network, unlock the iPhone 3G and slap my Vodafone SIM into it :)

Two iPhones? How posey is that :D

[gorilla]

Any word on how their 3g network is rolling out? No matter how you "dress up" 2g, edge, free wifi etc, the O2 network is my biggest concern with the iphone.

[Hands0n]

Who knows? I have my fears and suspicions. But reports have been about saying that O2 have been investing in their 3G network. I suppose it could work in their favour, the other networks have trailblazed, pioneered, and done the hard stuff. Now O2 can come along and buy into the latest tech, latest firmware etc .. In a few more days we will begin to know for sure :D

[@NickyColman]

I must admit guys, i always have, and most probably will always love O2!

From day 1 when GPRS and an alarm clock were the killer features, O2 have always had 100% signal and reliability! At the moment i get 85% HSDPA and when i cant get that, i can always depend on full 100% 3G.

I never have a dropped call, bad quality, or low signal. The only time i get the dreaded "emergency calls only" is when im at work. (I work in that big tin can where they lost the data discs that you may have seen on the news.)

I honestly believe the previous signal problems some have mentioned are purely regional! Up here in Tyne & Wear, O2 and Three are the best networks for me, signal wise. Its a shame O2's previous network behavior has somewhat scarred people returning to the network.

Hopefully time coupled with iPhone 3G will prove a good match!

Surprisingly, its Orange who fare the worst for me in my region.

[Ben]

I've voted that my network hardly ever drops calls, for O2. I didn't feel any of the other options were really appropriate for them.

Never having dropped a call is good. I'm also finding the call quality to be perfectly fine.

I wanted to vote for the latest and greatest new things option, given that they have the iPhone 3G, but it just didn't feel right. O2 is hardly what I'd refer to as a 'modern network'.

[gorilla]

I've found O2's reach to be quite poor. They don't seem to have invested much in their network over here, which is a shame given that most of the people I know are on O2. (Then its three and then voda if you're interested.)
If O2 don't roll out a proper network in the next 12 months there is no chance I'll be staying with them come iphone 3 or android 1 or whatever!

[miffed]

Just to try and add some positive balance here , has anyone had much experience of o2's Customer Service recently

I have found them to be pretty damned good - Always polite , helpful - and (which I find really novel from a Network ) ... If they tell you they will ring you back , they ACTUALLY DO !!

TBH I hold them as equal to - if not better than T-mobiles excellent CS.

[Ben]

They weren't doing too badly for me either, until I asked for a VAT invoice and they said yeah, sure, then posted me a print out of my online account clearly showing "THIS IS NOT A VAT INVOICE" on the bottom :)

[blush]

I was with T-Mobile till now although on 02 (Cellnet then) about five years ago but left cos of the high price tariffs. Now 02 simplicity £20 a month 600 mins 1000 texts unlimited web bolt on is great value so switched back. I have missed the great coverage, T-Mobile was rather lacking in certain places.

The HSDPA 3.5G flies along for web browsing etc, very impressed.

[Hands0n]

The HSDPA 3.5G flies along for web browsing etc, very impressed.

You are not using an iPhone then :p ;)



I'll get me coat

[Ben]

lol Hands0n - am glad somebody is getting decent 3G/HSDPA, blush!

Since I posted, I've had some dropped calls and cruddy call quality on O2 despite having two bars of signal. Meh.

[blush]

You want to move over to Ashford then Ben! Actually the 3.5G was good in Hastings too yesterday. I'm using a Nokia E51.

[miffed]

I am noticing 3G popping up all over the place now.
in Canterbury (PC world ) yesterday I noticed a full 5 bar signal , looks like o2 really are trying !

[a_ukboy]

I didn't vote on this because although i live in London i cannot leave my iphone on 3g, if i do i get bad call quality, dropped calls and connection errors all the time..
Very poor 3g network!

[Hands0n]

Thats it - I'm off - got my O2 PAC like I said that I would if nothing improved by the end of my contract with them. Nothing did, and so it is time to say goodbye to them.

I'll not shed a tear, it has not been an entire pleasant network experience. The iPhone has been virtually castrated and needs a good network to function on.

[Ben]

Suppose I should add my departing summary, too: Pitiful 3G coverage, very poor data performance, variable 2G coverage, long call connection times, dropping off of the network (https://talk3g.co.uk/showthread.php?t=7110), dropped calls.

Their website was fine, when it was working, the iPhone app was a nice touch, and they responded to emails relatively quickly (though always uselessly).

[PhilipChan]

I pretty much just moved to O2 from Vodafone due to its offers not as attractive as O2.
Something which I find quite weird or stupid towards O2 is that when you change your network or something to Text and Web and then topup £10, you basically get the Text and Web for free and keeping your £10, which I suppose can be used for calls or online games payment method.
But tbh, shouldn't they really take the £10 off? But anyways it still a cool idea :D!

[Hands0n]

O2 have never been bad at marketing. I personally dislike their actual 3G network because it generally does not exist where I live, work and play!

The logic behind their PAYG that you've seen is that the £10 can indeed be used for calls, giving you free Text (300 per top up) and Web (subject to excessive use policy). But these last two stop after a month and so you have to top up again. However, if you are not a big user of calls, or don't use up your £10 in calls, then you'll steadily build up a credit that you are not going to use. Or you've have to have a big splurge callfest with your friends and family to use it up.


Free allowance is based on the amount that you top-up in the previous month.
This suggests to me that the first £10 does not give you the "Free" allowance ... so you've a month to run

With O2 .... just be careful!

[solo12002]

well
I have a HTC desire unbranded and unlocked in Three £16 plus £5 internet. Three gives me best coverage in northern Ireland plus I get calls in the south of Irelad for 10p and free for incomming. C/S is crap and I have to accept that having left three. What forced me back was all of the family are on it and Ill get 300 3 to 3 calls plus cheaper roaming in the south.

As for o2, I had a PAYG sim toping it up £10 a month, seen a good offer from o2 weree I got a 12 month sim only deal on blackberry, 300 mins unlimited wifi and internet and as I had a Blackberry Bold 9700 in the house I could not just get used to I thought I give it a go.

O2 made a balls of sending out my sim, 10 days after order no sim, i raised an issue with them and ended up geting three within 4 days, to be fair to o2 complaints manager I got £30 credit to my account. The sad thing is once again the whole of the o2 network was down yesterday in Northern Ireland, at one point in fact all of yesterday I could not access o2 Active nor their own web site on the net.

I rally dont know what has gone so wrong with o2, at one stage they had the bset 2g network with the best CS, now I get emails with broken english advsing me my phone has been posted , when it was a SIM only deal and their network cant even stay up for a month let alone a week without crashing. Really disapointed