Mobile phone / 3G coverage

[stickleback]

Hi. I wondered which provider people on this forum are most pleased with re coverage? I recently took my boat from Gayton to Stratford on Avon and the coverage was pretty grim most of the time (great in Bancroft Basin!) I am currently with 3 and my contract ends in a month, so it is time to start considering whether to transfer to another - I'm tempted to go to Orange.

 

When I used to be with O2 I found the coverage excellent over the bits of the system I travelled, but it doesn't look as though O2 is going to be rolling out 4G as soon as some of the others - namely Orange, T Mobile and possibly 3.

 

Any recommendations based on personal experience would be very helpful and much appreciated.

 

Thanks, Andrew

[Naughty Cal]

I am with 3 and Liam is with Tesco Mobile. Between us there have only been a couple of occasions when we couldn't get 3G coverage.

[alan_fincher]

We have used "3" on a PAYG basis for a number of years, and been fairly happy with the coverage.

 

However, although I have changed nothing in our set up, this year (particularly) it seems to have got a whole heap less reliable, and we now find we are regularly losing connection on stretches of canal I'd not have considered a problem in the past. (Recent example: much of the Northern Oxford - and on multiple occasions too).

 

Without going into the "why" my impression is that "3" has got considerably worse, and I'm becoming interested in looking for alternatives.

[john6767]

I use 3 and the coverage I have found is very good. However, as has been discussed on here recently , the reliably does seem to be dropping. Despite having a good signal, you do not always get a good internet connection any more. I put it down to network capacity issues, but I could be wrong.

[Lesd]

One thing I have noticed is how much difference a specific handset type can make. Heidi has a Nokia on 3 I have an HTC on 3 and my phone often has no signal when hers has a bar or two. Its not just that particular phone either because I had to replace it after it took a bath recently and the replacement is the same. Has anyone else noticed this ? This is when inside the boat BTW, I can normally get some kind of signal outside.

Les

[alan_fincher]

I find the "3" connection now regularly hangs, and often eventually initiates a reconnect, in many areas, even though the connection software is showing a good quality signal throughout.

 

I'm not technical enought on mobile internet to explain why this might be, but problems seem common now in areas where it previously worked reliably most of the time. Annoying!

[John V]

I use 3 and the coverage I have found is very good. However, as has been discussed on here recently , the reliably does seem to be dropping. Despite having a good signal, you do not always get a good internet connection any more. I put it down to network capacity issues, but I could be wrong.

 

I think you might have hit the nail on the head (network capacity). I'm with O2 and at my home mooring have found exactly the same

Edited September 26, 2012 by John V

[sueb]

I love Orange. Apart from a disastrous 18 months with Vodafone I have been with Orange for years and won't change. We travel the system and it is very rare to have problems

[carlt]

I love Orange. Apart from a disastrous 18 months with Vodafone I have been with Orange for years and won't change. We travel the system and it is very rare to have problems

The only problem with Orange is that it seems so slow, compared to other networks on the same phone with equal signal strengths.

 

I have used orange payg in areas where I haven't had a signal with the other networks but I have never seen orange work at anywhere near the speeds of, for example, O2 or 3.

[Morat]

Another vote for Orange here, especially since they merged with T-Mobile. Their towers have a shorter range, but the flipside is that they will tend to have less users per tower. My next move will be to Everything Everywhere when the 4G coverage ramps up a bit more.

[Bobbybass]

I have had a 3 MiFi dongle for a year and find it excellent.

I have travelled up to Langollen and then down to Windsor...and have had only one occasion when it didn't connect (in a deep cut) It has always stayed connected as well ?

HOWEVER...that has a 3 £15/5 gig contract SIM in it.

 

I also have a second dongle with a mobile phone 3 sim. This is for a visitor who likes their own computer/dongle (for reasons of their own)

This does not do the same as my MiFi. It hangs and disconnects.

I asked a 3 representative about this and he told me (rightly or wrongly) that 3 have changed the system...so that only people with bona fide internet SIMS will stay connected. He said that mobile phone SIMS should only be used for mobile phone...with occasional internet...and that 3 have changed the system...to analyse usage and regularly disconnect non-dedicated SIMS..ie SIMS really intended for mobile phone/mixed use.

Edited September 26, 2012 by Bobbybass

[Leo No2]

Another vote for Orange here, especially since they merged with T-Mobile. Their towers have a shorter range, but the flipside is that they will tend to have less users per tower. My next move will be to Everything Everywhere when the 4G coverage ramps up a bit more.

 

I don't think you'll need to move to Everything Everywhere as that's the new branding for T-Mobile and Orange together.

 

My set up is a T-Mobile (soon to be EE) pointer device coupled to an external aerial (TS9 connection - spent hours trying to find out what it was). This gives me WiFi throughout the boat (60') for up to 5 devices. The aerial uses the ground plane of the roof to enhance the signal and I've never not got a 3G (soon to be 4G) signal anywhere including places which seem very isolated such as the Oxford summit. The latest T-Mobile pointers are 4G enabled. I am very happy with the setup I have.

[Morat]

I'm not sure it will be that simple

http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/what-does-ee-arrival-mean-for-orange-and-t-mobile-customers-1096246

 

but it's early days yet.

[Leo No2]

I'm not sure it will be that simple

http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/what-does-ee-arrival-mean-for-orange-and-t-mobile-customers-1096246

 

but it's early days yet.

That doesn't match up with their E-Mail to me but then you wouldn't expect it I don't suppose. The independent sites usually give you a better all round appreciation of the offering. I don't suppose they 'don't tell the truth' but they come very close to it.

[Kwacker]

Another vote for T-Mobile / Orange (EE).

Over the last 2 years, connectivity & internet access has never been a problem, and customer service has been excellent.

Previous experience of O2 (good coverage but poor customer service) and Vodafone ( Grrrr ... don't get me started !!!)

[Roger Gunkel]

I'm near Littleport in the Fens and having moved to a new residential mooring have tried a number of options. Vodaphone was incredibly slow so I cancelled the contract, I have an O2 contract which is also painfully slow for internet although the phone signal is fine. I settled for a new contract with 3 for my main internet use and that has been totally reliable in the 3 weeks we have had it with very fast connection speeds, ranging from 2-7mbs.

 

The new phone may be allowing faster speeds and is a Samsung Galaxy Ace with WiFi hotspot function. While I am typing this, my wife is 30ft away at the end of the boat browsing on her laptop via the Samsung WiFi

 

Roger

[Philippe]

The new phone may be allowing faster speeds and is a Samsung Galaxy Ace with WiFi hotspot function. While I am typing this, my wife is 30ft away at the end of the boat browsing on her laptop via the Samsung WiFi

 

Roger

 

So you're not having any issues with the deal explicitly not allowing tethering with the WiFi hotspot feature on the phone?

 

Update:

 

OK, got confused on providers and just noticed that O2 do allow tethering and guide you through how to do it on their website. I thought that none of the providers allowed this anymore. Must investigate further.

Edited September 26, 2012 by Philippe

[carlt]

OK, got confused on providers and just noticed that O2 do allow tethering and guide you through how to do it on their website. I thought that none of the providers allowed this anymore. Must investigate further.

My OH's "One Plan" contract, on 3, allows tethering as does my O2 contract.

Edited September 26, 2012 by carlt

[Philippe]

My OH's "One Plan" contract, on 3, allows tethering as does my O2 contract.

 

I thought that someone on another post had said that 3 had changed their contract to remove tethering, but on searching it seems that was only for a SIM only contract.

 

What's the performance like using the phone as a wi-fi hotspot? How much data do you typically use a month?

[sueb]

So you're not having any issues with the deal explicitly not allowing tethering with the WiFi hotspot feature on the phone?

 

Update:

 

OK, got confused on providers and just noticed that O2 do allow tethering and guide you through how to do it on their website. I thought that none of the providers allowed this anymore. Must investigate further.

Orange allow tethering even when they said they didn't. Orange tech dept always sorted any problems that I had and I have only ever used my phone connected to my laptop for internet. Maybe someone will explain why I should have a dongle, but to me it means something else to carry around and another sim card needed.

[nb Innisfree]

As far as I can gather 3 only allow unlimited 'all you can eat' data on a phone sim, data only sims are only to be used in a modem, they have a limit but have the advantage of taking priority over phone sims, that's why they can offer unlimited data, they can throttle it back to give priority to data only sims which are paid for by amount of usage. Similar applies to all networks i.e. no unlimited data on data only sims, after all no network is going to dole out unlimited data usage ad hoc without some conditions.

 

Since 3 network have always been exclusively 3g (hence the name) they rented 2g backup from other networks to give workable phone coverage but abandoned Orange 2g backup a couple of years ago when Orange took over T Mobile falling back instead on their improved 3g coverage, so I would guess that's why 3's phone coverage has deteriorated.

 

Stand to be corrected though.

[carlt]

From 3's website:

 

Tethering on your phone.

Tethering is when you connect your phone to other devices to use it as a modem so they can access the internet.

 

If you're on The One Plan you can use the internet when you're out and about with other devices including laptops, tablets and games consoles, just by connecting them through Wi-Fi or USB to your phone. You can tether on all our One Plan tariffs including our one month rolling SIM plan.

 

If you’re on one of our Pay Monthly plans, including the Essential Internet and Ultimate Internet Plans and want to tether, you’ll need to buy an Add-on. You’ll then get a tethering allowance. You can only use this allowance in the UK.

 

I thought that someone on another post had said that 3 had changed their contract to remove tethering, but on searching it seems that was only for a SIM only contract.

 

What's the performance like using the phone as a wi-fi hotspot? How much data do you typically use a month?

 

The performance is excellent, good enough for streaming videos.

 

I don't really use much except when on holiday because I don't liveaboard so I can't give a momnthly figure. The 2000 minutes a month was more important to me and, at £18 a month the unlimited data was a bonus.

Edited September 26, 2012 by carlt

[Roger Gunkel]

Just to clear up a couple of things, I have an O2 contract on an LGP920 smartphone. My data package allows tethering, and the phone can be set up as a wifi hotspot. However, the internet signal and speed are very poor in my area although the phone signal is good. O2 also have limited monthly data allowances, I believe 2gb is the max they offer.

 

As I work from the boat and need a good internet connection, neither the O2 speed or data allowance are enough for my needs. As my previous private broadband supplier allowed unlimited data and a reasonably fast connection, I needed to replace that after our move. Because I previously had unlimited data, I have no idea of my monthly useage, but I regularly upload and dowload pictures and files that can be fairly large. I also maintain a couple of websites, so didn't want to risk a fixed data limit. 3 offer the One Plan, which is their only 'All you can eat' plan with tethering. The package included a Samsung Galaxy Ace phone, which is wifi hotspot enabled and includes 2000 minutes 5000 texts . The wifi hotspot facility enables the phone to be used as a router, and I have my ipad, 2 laptops and my wife's netbook all able to wirelessly connect, all at the same time if neccessary.

The phone can also be used for texting and calls while being accessed by the other devices, so no need to come off line if the phone rings.

 

I can get the wifi signal from the phone anywhere on the boat, which is a 57ft x 10ft widebeam. The phone is kept on a car windscreen cradle on one of the boat windows. Finally, the phone contract costs me £26 per month.

 

Roger

[stickleback]

Thanks for all the replies! I want to use the phone for tethering to my laptop /iPad. I thought of going over to Orange because of their network coverage and the fact that they will be rolling out 4G soon, but was informed quite positively that tethering was not allowed, only as an add on at a cost that made it substantially more than 3. So I have stayed with 3 who apparently will be offering 4G next year at some point and allow unlimited internet usage and tethering.

 

Love the idea of a car windscreen cradle attached to a window! I shall copy that one....

 

Anyway, thanks for all of the comments - extremely helpful.

[Philippe]

Thanks Roger - that makes it very clear and does look to me to be the best route for my needs as well.