O2/Tesco Mobile coverage

[AliG]

My phone contract is up for renewal and I can get a better deal with Tesco/O2, but I have no idea what the coverage will be like, they say 80% for 3G. We CC for 7/8 months of the year and my current phone is with 3 and John's on Vodaphone, but along with others I don't think 3's coverage is as good as it used to be. Just wondered if anyone has Tesco/O2 experience who cruise around the network and how they find it.

 

Thanks

 

Ali

[Ange]

My phone contract is up for renewal and I can get a better deal with Tesco/O2, but I have no idea what the coverage will be like, they say 80% for 3G. We CC for 7/8 months of the year and my current phone is with 3 and John's on Vodaphone, but along with others I don't think 3's coverage is as good as it used to be. Just wondered if anyone has Tesco/O2 experience who cruise around the network and how they find it.

 

Thanks

 

Ali

Our main phone/internet is with 3, but Dave has a PAYG phone with Tesco, which we mainly use when we can't get a 3 signal. It's always had a good signal when we've needed it so I'd say it has better coverage than 3.

 

We cc by the way, so our experience covers a broad area.

 

HTH

[Taslim]

My phone "went on holday" so I got a £15 Tesco jobbie with free sim card to keep in touch. The coverage provided by Pestco/O2 puts my normal provider to shame.

[KJT]

Our contract phone is with Vodafone which we have found quite 'patchy' in coverage. We use '3' for Internet which has always given excellent coverage, but we do have a 3G external aerial atop a 2 metre mast for that. We use a PAYG O2 sim when Vodafone coverage isn't good. In my experience O2 coverage seems much better on the 'cut'.

 

We cc April to October.

 

Ken

[Guest]

My phone contract is up for renewal and I can get a better deal with Tesco/O2, but I have no idea what the coverage will be like, they say 80% for 3G. We CC for 7/8 months of the year and my current phone is with 3 and John's on Vodaphone, but along with others I don't think 3's coverage is as good as it used to be. Just wondered if anyone has Tesco/O2 experience who cruise around the network and how they find it.

 

Thanks

 

Ali

 

I used Giff Gaff for a while which which like Tesco mobile also piggy backs on the back of O2. TBH I didn't find the coverage that good in parts of the Midlands and North and I gave up on them because of this - but this was a couple of years ago and it sounds from the posts above that things may have improved (??? more masts maybe).

 

The truth is that none of them provide truly universal coverage so I too am tempted to go to one of the supermarket's networks too at the end of my current phone contract on the grounds of cost alone.

 

ASDA are shortly going to be using the EE network and Sainsbury's do mobiles too now on the back of the Vodafone network.

 

BTW you don't need 3G coverage to make a phone call or text, (except on 3 which only uses 3G as a min.) the 80% figure is only really relevant to internet usage on your phone or dongle, you will probably find the 2G coverage is much greater and you will still be able to make a call.

Edited October 31, 2013 by The Dog House

[StarUKKiwi]

I have o2 and a 3 MiFi unit and find that is enough - O2 can be patchy at the top of The Peak Forest Canal but otherwise good

[geoffwales]

I have tesco contract, coverage for me in north west is a lot better than vodafone, however i have heard that orange and t mobile have or are joining forces, so if your network isnt covered by one then it piggy backs on other

 

http://www.t-mobile.co.uk/share/?WT.mc_id=ON_QM_A_Q

[Phil Ambrose]

I have o2 and a 3 MiFi unit and find that is enough - O2 can be patchy at the top of The Peak Forest Canal but otherwise good

Me too, same same.

 

Phil

[Catrin]

I have O2 - Alan has vodafone. My coverage is almost always better than his.

[Taslim]

I have O2 - Alan has vodafone. My coverage is almost always better than his.

Exactly so here.

 

Out and about the cheapo PAG O2 piggyback is invariably better than the "real" phone on Vodaphone.

[Dottyshirl]

You get triple credit with Tesco PAYG !

[Naughty Cal]

I have a 3 phone and Liam is on Tesco mobile. Between us we always have coverage. I wouldnt say one is better than the other though for coverage.

[AliG]

Thanks everyone!