[Ben]

Anyone who knows Canterbury will know that there's a large student population, and 'freshers week' always places a strain on the city.

This year the most obvious impact of this appears to be on Vodafone!

Since the start of the week I've regularly been 'booted off' Vodafone's data network entirely in and around central Canterbury (High Street but also as far as Broad Oak). No dot, no E, no 3G - no data services whatsoever. The most infuriating thing is that it takes going to airplane mode and back to try and get back on again.

Is this the most blatant example yet of mobile networks over capacity? Vodafone's 3G coverage around Canterbury is comically poor anyway, with EDGE being the predominant data service, which, I believe, is going to offer less capacity to begin with and so an influx of hundreds of smartphone users would quickly overwhelm the creaking provisions.

Others I know on Vodafone have been experiencing the same thing. Data has always been poor in the city since not long after Vodafone got the iPhone, and I've told Vodafone on Twitter and on their forum to no avail.

[DaveC]

Vodafone's quick solution would be to refarm some of their 900 spectrum. O2 have done that in Liverpool (where their is a massive student population) That, with BT Openzone freely available in parts of the city, seems to work well. (O2 users have access to Openzone, Cloud and O2 Wifi)

[Wilt]

My first reaction is that it's just a coincidence...if it was the students returning then this would happen every year, and would last for most of the year.

Also, Vodafone isn't a very 'student friendly' operator...I've not done any sort of scientific test but in Hull most of the other students I know are on Orange, T-Mobile or O2.

[Ben]

Wilt; it does get worse every year, and also lasts most of the year - this year the student intake at the Unis is bigger than ever due to the impending fee changes, and it's REALLY noticeable in the city centre.

[Wilt]

Oh dear, it's a shame when companies allow services to deteriorate like that when it's not as if the increase in demand is unexpected.

[gorilla]

f****** student tax dodgers!!!

Well, you could always try a better network ;-)

[Ben]

If only Three had a femtocell :(

Vodafone have told me they've but one full 3G mast serving central Canterbury. The other, at CBW, is 2G only! Shocking lack of density for a city centre.

[Wilt]

f****** student tax dodgers!!!
Yes because that's the only reason people go to university and is completely relevant to this discussion. :rolleyes:

[gorilla]

As a former student myself it was a tongue in cheek comment.

[Wilt]

Fair enough ;)

[Ben]

I'm so tired of this poor coverage in Canterbury. Sigh. Time to have a good look at the other networks' entirely inaccurate coverage maps I suppose.

[blush]

Well you can rule out O2 Ben, it's still terrible with very little 3G other than near Wincheap. What a joke the grandfather networks of the UK are.