O2 2G and 3G crappy signals - what are they playing at?

[Hands0n]

This may well be specific to North Kent, so I'd be interested in any comments, facts, observations.....

We have one O2 handset in the family, its network performance is dire! 2G is okay, so-so in places, but as for 3G forget it! There is simply no viable signal in the area at all - anywhere. One has to stand by a window to get a trace of 3G but once back inside the house it dies and drops back to 2G. A complete waste of time. Their Customer Services, called on an 0870 number, are a close second to 3 for their ability to comprehend the issue and offer/suggest a remedy (not that there really is one while staying with O2).

So tonight with a bit of spare time, and a small amount of frustration at this ongoing situation I took a look around the OFCOM Sitefinder web pages http://www.sitefinder.radio.gov.uk/ . The results were staggering - O2 has one single 2G transmitter in any recognisable place around here, covering many hundreds of homes and businesses (this is a densely populated area). I have not been able to locate the 3G transmitter in the area. It may well be unreported to Sitefinder - and their information can be up to three months out of date. But I've done this before - way back at the beginning of the year when we first recognised the lack of O2 3G here.

O2's coverage map is wildly optimistic, suggesting a dense dark blue cloud of 3G in the area. They might want to wander by and try to locate a usable signal, they'd fail.

It is not only this specific home location - the entire area is bereft of a strong and sustainable 3G signal. By comparison 3, Vodafone, T-Mobile and [hell even] Orange have a deep, dark, rich and most certainly sustainable 3G (and 2G) signal in the entire town and surrounding countryside!

We've emailed their CS as a last resort before jumping ship in the New Year when the contract comes up for renewal.

Weird or what? O2 had better get their finger out.

NB: SIM has been tried in a variety of handsets, the fault remains constant indicating network rather than specific handset issues.

[miffed]

Don't take what that sitefinder site says as gospel - I have found it to be quite innaccurate

Can't remember all the details - but I have a cluster of masts right outside my house - the map showed these masts to be scattered over a square mile instead of grouped together , the giveaway is the height - as they are all on top of a 14 floor block of flats - yet the site has them scattered around town all listed at the similar heights
Just to be certain , I actually drove around to a couple of the sites to make sure I wasn't mistaken , and sure enough there were no masts present at all
Another interesting thing - is that of the two it DOES list as being on the roof of the flats - one is listed at 34 metres - and the other is 47m !

All a bit inconsistant to say the least !

[gorilla]

Well I'm disappointed by O2. I joined them after leaving 3, and have been surprised by how much I miss 3. Yes, you're not dreaming, but O2 are a shocker for 3g. Now, I must stress, I knew this was probably the case, and I just told myself, I wouldn't miss the 3 portal, but I was wrong. I do get a 3g signal and inclusive video calls, but either I don't know anyone else with a 3g phone, or they don't live in a 3g area. boo hoo.
As for O2's reception, well I've experienced more dropped calls with them in the short time I've been with them than in the entire 12 months I spent with 3. More often than not, I now get the 'network busy' message, and I find it hard to pick up a signal at the back of my house. What saves O2 for me is my N80, which is unlocked, has wifi etc. I'll certainly be looking out for a new 'operator' come May time.

And another thing, I'm not billed for data use even though I use it. So I'm now scared I'm going to get a big bill one of these days when that finally catches up with me as I'm certain it will.

[solo12002]

Sorry but I agree. O2 3G coverage is CRAP, In Northern Ireland were I live we have allmost none at all that and then add it to the data charges 02 charge, and its no longer a network of choice for me.

Its time 02 got their finger out, they might be good for 2.5 but we have moved on.

[E616Vboy123]

I have no experience of their 3g coverage, but their 2g one is much to be desired. At my gran's house alot of the time the signal is patchy: One minute the signal is full, the next it is zero, yet the o2 coverage map reckons i should be able to get an excellent signal.

[3g-g]

I'm quite surprised actually, I've only ever know O2 to be quite solid. I've not had much experience of their 3G network, however I know it's not particularly expansive. I've heard a few stories of network wobbles lately, along with Vodafone and Orange, my sister regularly has network busy messages on her 2G O2 handset. Perhaps the network availability and quality was a deciding factor in them losing the 3 roaming contract? O2 are definitely a a big corporate supplier and I'm amazed that there can be any room for poor coverage / quality down in the south east!

[Hands0n]

For sure, they never used to be like this. Their 2G network coverage was rock solid, they were very dependable. Not any more, it seems. We'll be an O2-less household come renewal in January.

[gorilla]

Just wondering if HandsOn is going to carry through and cancel any O2 subscriptions he has? I'm currently reduced to standing beside the window to get any signal at home, and if it wasn't for the wi-fi capabilities of the N80 I wouldn't really know what it's browser was like!

[Hands0n]

Yup, we are all primed and ready to jettison O2 come 21st January 2007 AD. The Mrs is oblivious to the issues, but really the quality of the 3G signal is nonexistent so all of those "charged as voice minutes Videocalling" are 100% useless to us, inaccessible. Any other 3G "benefits" are beyond our reach also on O2 so what is the point of staying with them on such a contract. 2G is little better in some cases, poor quality, variable availability like never before. They are not interested, lacklustre responses from their CS prompt a move away from O2. They had their chance.

O2, in my opinion and experience, have lost the plot.

[solo12002]

Handson.

I agree with your views. in Northern Ireland their is little if any 3G coverage from O2, this is shocking giving the fact they were one of the first networks up and running within the UK.

Take these facts add them to their charges for data and Im not shocked that you are leaving them. On new years eve at 11.50 I tried to send text messages from O2, Virgin, Three and T-Mobile and found that I could not send any messages or make any calls on the o2 network at all, just like the day of the london bombing.

It is time that one of the largest networks in the UK moved with the times and rolled out 3G coverage as well as have some data type plan for 3G use, its shocking the three and T-Mobile are leading the way while other networks are miles if not years behide.

[gorilla]

Glad to hear it. All too often we in the UK do not walk away and remain loyal to companies with poor service. Unless something significant happens to O2 over the next 6 months, I too will be walking away.

[Hands0n]

One has to chuckle quietly to oneself

It seems an obvious enough ploy: all O2 customers were sent an SMS message suggesting they might want to avoid the congestion which normally clogs up the mobile networks come midnight:

02: Happy New Year!
So we're a bit early, but why not join us?
Send your New Year texts early and beat the midnight rush

...which would have been more effective if the message itself hadn’t been caught up in that same congestion; in some cases not arriving until mid-day on the 1st January.

Far be it for us to buck a trend: so Happy New Year for the remaining 362 days of 2007.


Article Source: The Register

[Ben]

Lmao, good job Vodafone didn't bother, their 2G was pretty trollied. 3G worked, though.

[Hands0n]

Well here's a turnup for the books!

We did indeed junk O2 in favour of Vodafone for the Mrs who is now sporting a nice tidy little Nokia 7390 and is very happy with it too.

O2 made little effort to resist our request for a PAC once we explained to them our tale of woe and total lack of 3G. We explained how we had been miserably let down by the lack of interest at the hands of their CS when trying to establish why the wife's SE K600i would not lock on to 3G. Also that the info that it was the handset was false as the same fault would occur with the O2 SIM in another 3G handset.

So, tonight, just before I box the SE K600i and add it to my "museum" I thought that I'd try it out with another SIM. Often O2 handsets are not locked. I have a couple of active SIMs from the likes of Vodafone, so why not give it a go.

I can indeed confirm that the K600i is unlocked and quite happily accepted the Vodafone PAYT SIM. I am also delighted to observe that not only has the handset successfully attached to the Vodfone network, but that it has also done so with a solid five bars of 3G This, remember, is the handset that in 12 months could only hold an O2 3G signal if pressed up against the nearest window that faces the O2 3G mast that is just under 200 metres away from the house! Dare move inside the house away from the window and the 3G is lost in favour of a rather mediocre 2G signal from O2.

There was bu99er-all wrong with the SE K600i and it was, as I have maintained all along, the rather crappy O2 network. Would anyone have imagined that the premier cellular network telephone provider in the UK would have sunk to such a low! Not I

[gorilla]

O2 handsets are more often than not "sim free" but customised to feature their own screensavers etc.

I still have problems with O2, in terms of coverage see my earlier posts, but in terms of value for money I'm being mugged every month. My 3 bills were never more than £35 now I'm lucky if my bills are less than £40. I wonder if O2 will value me as a "loyal" customer and offer a good deal to me, just like "3" did last week when "they" phoned me. What's with the "" marks? Well I think it was a call centre touting buisness and O2 would need to offer a) a house b) a wife (scratch that, a mistress!) c) a data plan d) a decent handset e) free line rental and then I would think carefully about it.