Hi all, I'm asking this question as I'm fed-up with loosing / missing calls when I'm working ( driving around the country)

I'm with O2, I have been with O2 for over 12 years, it was the best network when I first signed up...... but I now have my reservations.....

Since O2 how been updating their network to 4G, the network service on the move has dropped to a level close to that of Tmobile last century To say that I'm getting a little sick of loosing phone calls is an understatement and I'm now thinking about jumping ship.

I have had several occasions where I can get a 4G internet connection, but have not been able to make or receive a voice call To say that this generates a lot of is the understatement of the week

So what network do you use, and how good is for mobile voice calls..... I'm not interested in surfing the net.... I'm bloody driving

The annoying thing when you try to do a search for the best networks is they are only concerned about how well they connect to bookface..... I'm not a spotty teen, I have a life and I also know how to form words in to sentences and use them to communicate with real people And call me old-fashioned, I brought a mobile phone to make phone calls on the move..... If I'd want a mobile computer or office I'd have brought one instead  Yesterday I couldn't spell Engineer... Today I are one!
Inventor of the 'Guide-o-Matic automatic wheel alignment tool'
Former long term L322 owner, Up/Down graded to a Classic Tractor!

Have you tried forcing your phone to use the 3G network even when 4G is available?
When out and about 3G is still the best network I find for voice coverage. Sometimes my phone can get 4G but not enough to do anything with then it falls back to 3G and as a voice phone everything is ok
I still miss the days of the proper Nokia kits that would amplify the phone signal so it was better in the car than outside.

switch 3g off and use the reliable 2g network..i'm on vodafone and have no problems here in the uk or abroad.. ... - .- -.




Y. O. L. O.
.

I have tried switching off 4G and in some places it works really well, and then I move and it will only get 4G, but I've turned it off D'OH!

The phone is supposed to select automatically best joke in years

From the way that O2 signals go, it wouldn't surprise me to find that they are replacing the 2/3G signal with 4G rather than adding it  Yesterday I couldn't spell Engineer... Today I are one!
Inventor of the 'Guide-o-Matic automatic wheel alignment tool'
Former long term L322 owner, Up/Down graded to a Classic Tractor!

Hey Miggit, I feel the same pain as you only I'm on Vodafone. But, from all the complaining I've done to Skodafone there are a few bits which came out.

First, they are now mast sharing with O-poo, in theory to get better coverage for both networks. In reality what seems to be happening is they are moving towards a shared infrastructure, neither seems to be committing to new masts, just sharing with the other where one already exists.

Next, I tried forcing it to 3G only. This is kind of OK but Voda don't have as much 3G as they would have you believe. So I tried 2G only. Better, but a long way from perfect. There are now huge holes in the service where there didn't used to be, probably 3 or 4G upgraded masts.

Sadly the phone I have doesn't have 4G only as an option, it requires auto-select which it sort of does. The problem seems to be when handing off from a 4G cell to a 2G cell, it drops the call most of the time.

As for the fix, your guess is as good as mine. I suspect it will be moving to either EE or Three which are both built on 3 or 4G only, no 2G left now.

One other thing is the frequency bands they all use. Vodafone seem to have bagged the 845 MHz range which is likely to be better than the higher set around 2.1 GHz. Lower frequencies travel longer distances and through solid objects better as well.

I have some experience of different networks. I find that what is best depends to a large extent on where you are. Sounds obvious, right, but it's true. A network can be really strong in one area and awful in another. Coverage predictions appear, more or less, a work of fiction!

I have access to phones on Vodafone (work phone), EE (my own phone) and Giffgaff (02) wife's phone.

In my experience, the Vodafone service is woeful. Data appears slow and, even in city centres where you'd expect good coverage, making a phone call or checking your email can be a real chore. I can't find anything good to say about the service. It's not even cheap.

The Giffgaff service is cheap. Really cheap. And it shows. I don't know to what extent that mirrors the O2 service as whole, but it does run on that network. Data appears slow and unreliable. Call dropouts are frequent. Did I say it's cheap?

EE is the best of those that I use. Coverage seems consistently strong. Data services in innner city areas are remarkable. I rarely if ever get a dropped call. I will be reticent to move from this network at the end of my contract, even if there are cheaper options (don't tell them that, though )

I don't have experience of the Three network. They appear to be the cheapest of the mainstream networks and market their service on the basis of strong data capability. I don't know that this means a poorer voice experience, but surely something has to give, right?

Like you, I was once an O2 customer for many years. At the time of my iPhone 3, the service was pretty good, but my expectations now are much higher and my sense is that they just haven't kept up with the best. I haven't given them a tryout, though, for years.

I'd be inclined to request free or cheap PAYG sims from each of the networks and try them out to see what works best for you in the places you frequent. Quite a pain to do, but probably worth it.

Steve Current: 2010 Range Rover L322
Vogue SE, TDV8 3.6, Bournville
-----------------------------------
Now gone: 2002 Range Rover L322
Vogue, TD6, Giverney Green

In contrast to the above post I hate EE in my area.

Don't get me wrong it is brilliant in the towns and cities and I was getting over 100mbps on 4g, but everywhere i seem to have a site the coverage is woeful!!!

but that is probably down to the fact that the small villages aren't their target market. Fortunately we normally have scaffold or a roof to stand on and then everything improves no end. There is nothing that can't be fixed with a hammer😜😜
FFRR 4.4 SDV8 Autobiography Santorini Black.
KIA E-Niro 4+
2010 LR D4 Commercial 2.7 TDV6

IMHO i think EE is the best network to be on. Remember they have been bought out by BT, so are also able to use their landline network, which is what all the other landline and mobile providers rent from BT. I have never experienced no network coverage, and they were the first to do 4G. I have no complaints whatsoever. I used to live in Newbury, the HQ for Vodafone, and the signal was non existent at best. Works fantastically in the car too !! No complaints.  Tony
You're always in the ........it's just the depth that varies
2014 L494 5.0 S/C AB Silver
2014 L494 3.0 HSE in Chilli
2014 SL63 AMG White


Gone:
2011 5.0 L322 White (Stolen)
07 4.2 SC in silver.
06 4.2 SC in black RSE
RRS 4.2 SC in Black RSE
52 4.4 Vogue in silver
04 Mercedes CLK 320 Conv
03 4.0 V8 ES Disco in Silver
00 TD5 90 County
98 4.6 HSE in Epsom x3
97 3.9ES Disco
93 L 4.2 LSE in black
too many classics to mention !

When we were on holiday in the UK (London to Cornwall to Solihull) exactly 2 years ago, the mobile service was absolutely abysmal with 3. We should have kept our Australian SIMs fitted and roamed.

Some years ago I was at Cook (population 4) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cook,_South_Australia in the middle of the Nullarbor Plain, many hundreds of km from the highway and any town and had mobile service with our major carrier, Telstra. My wife with Vodafone had nothing.

stan wrote:

switch 3g off and use the reliable 2g network..i'm on vodafone and have no problems here in the uk or abroad..

Well I'm with O2 and the only real problems i get are when it has to choose between free o2 cloud wifi and 4g thn i just turn the wifi off but driving around i usually have my phone satin the cup holder and it get good reception however if it's in my pocket it struggles L322 2008 vogue
R53 Cooper S Works tuned beyond the works SOLD
R33 Nissan Skyline in rebuild 400bhp atw

I have a dual sim phone (2 sims active at same time in the same phone)just saves me having two phones in my pocket
O2 sim (work number) is is set up to divert to ee when unavailable ,this happens more often than not .the O2 signal is rubbish,I work around brum so you should think it should be quite good
Voicemails come through days afterwards on o2

Would recomend ee everytime

I must admit that I was leaning towards EE before I asked the question..... and I don't think that I've changed my mind, However it is interesting to learn that BT have just purchased EE, cos BT are pushing their Mobile service rather heavily at the moment...... Got to wonder if the service is the same? and is there a cost benefit? Yesterday I couldn't spell Engineer... Today I are one!
Inventor of the 'Guide-o-Matic automatic wheel alignment tool'
Former long term L322 owner, Up/Down graded to a Classic Tractor!

I can say that the service IS the same as I also have 2 BT mobiles as well. They will use the same networks and BT's WiFi. It's like Skoda and VW Same car different badge.  Tony
You're always in the ........it's just the depth that varies
2014 L494 5.0 S/C AB Silver
2014 L494 3.0 HSE in Chilli
2014 SL63 AMG White


Gone:
2011 5.0 L322 White (Stolen)
07 4.2 SC in silver.
06 4.2 SC in black RSE
RRS 4.2 SC in Black RSE
52 4.4 Vogue in silver
04 Mercedes CLK 320 Conv
03 4.0 V8 ES Disco in Silver
00 TD5 90 County
98 4.6 HSE in Epsom x3
97 3.9ES Disco
93 L 4.2 LSE in black
too many classics to mention !

Are but the Skoda is better built with less faults, and costs less too So who's the Skoda of the phone world  Yesterday I couldn't spell Engineer... Today I are one!
Inventor of the 'Guide-o-Matic automatic wheel alignment tool'
Former long term L322 owner, Up/Down graded to a Classic Tractor!

I'm on vodafone and have been for about 5 years. Currently working in Holland, great service on 4G.

Drove to Northern Norway, great 4G service all the way even on the Artic Highway.

Drove to Italy, great 4G service all the way.

Drive home to Lymington.............as soon as I step foot in the 3rd world UK the service is . Lucky to get service and even more lucky to get 4g outside a large city. If I do get a service it comes and goes when driving along the M3 and M27.