Mobile Networks Reception coverage??

Becks2

Hi all,

Need advice on 3mobile and O2's coverage of UK, i live in a village called longstanton outside cambridge and don't get very good signal on my current 02 contract, however i am now at the end of the contract and am looking at 3mobile who have a deal for £25 pm (unlimited free internet, texts and 200mins calls) with free LG renoir phone,

However a couple of people have said that 3mobile's reception is also rubbish,
their online map says my area would be fine but it also says my friend's adress is fine, when they have said they got rubbish signal on 3 in that area.

Now i dont know whether to believe 3's map and try them or just stay on 02 who are also rubbish in my area, both are offering very good deals for me. (and i havnt seen anything suitable on other networks) But i dont want to sign up to 18months and then not be able to use the internet on my phone!

Any advice would be brilliant!
Thanks

ScottishChick

You could always purchase the new phone over the internet or over the phone and then you would be able to return the handset under the distance selling regulations if you are not completely happy and cancel the contract.

espresso

There is an Orange mast in Hampton Road Longstanton.

ssgtsnelly

Hi Becky.

If you were to take a contract out with 3 and the coverage wasnt adequate then it would mean it wasnt fit for purpose which is a consumer right so they should disconnect it for you.

No network is perfect, I used to be on 3 and ive been places that they gave me 3.5G signal yet only one other network can manage 2g sigal (O2) and that was in Hertfordshire.

Your best bet if you currently have an unlocked 3G handset is just get one of the 3 PAYG sim cards for 2 quid and check the signal out before signing the contract.

espresso

Doesn't 3 mobile fall back onto the Orange network in areas of bad signal coverage (used to fall back onto O2). The best way to check coverage is to actually try various free PAYG SIMS.

gk172

I had a 3 contract, it offered me 500 mins unlimited text and 2000 3 to 3 mins for £25 a month which sounds good but using them was another story:mad: although for every failed call i got charged one min :mad: The first 3 months all was good and reception was fine but it went downhill rapidly and thats with 3 maps show excellent covarage.

ssgtsnelly

Coverage issues AFTER taking the contract may be arising due to the fact that 3 were decommissioning masts due to the network merger with T-Mobile, didnt make sense for both to have masts in the same place. As said before no network is perfect and alot of the time I feel 3 are judged unfairly based on things that happen to all the networks from time to time but are blamed on Indian call centres, cheap tariffs and the like. 3 do seem to have a few issues with customer services, but any company that is still in infancy (6 years or so) is bound to have some to iron out. At least they are still around and are shown to put thier money where thier mouths are, and id say that a fair few of the services that we are able to enjoy today are thanks to 3 introducing a 3G network, everyone said it was pointless but you try and do even the basics on a none 3G handset now its near impossible. Not perfect yes but worth a bit of credit just as the others are for all of thier merits.

despair

Their coverage is worse than useless and they want £15 to unlock the phone

greyster

dont rely on word of mouth when it comes to network x having better reception. It is simply a postcode lottery.

Find your house on this site and then go with the network with the closest masts to where you work, play and live. I have a preferred network that I get my friends on but in one case my godmother lived in a perfect spot for another network, so I referred her to o2. Well actually, I referred her to Tesco Mobile (powered by o2).

https://www.sitefinder.ofcom.org.uk

Becks2

thanks everyone, very helpful advice, i ordered a 3 Sim on the internet for 58p
to try out the signal. Figured that trying it out is most accurate way to find out for my area. Great help! xx