Advise on bad O2 signal

Gordon_Hose

Buzby wrote: »

Agreed. Every 'real' network is a whole new ball game. As for having full signal strength and calls go to Voicemail - there's no mystery.

BTS (cell sites) and their dependent links, can only handle a finite number of calls. Once this is reached, there's no space for more. When this happens calls go to voicemail, and has no relevance to whether you are in full coverage, but if you aren't then it goes to voicemail anyway!

Yup! It's why you can't call your relatives on New Years Eve, and your texts take hours to reach their destination.

liam8282

Guys_Dad wrote: »

Coverage checker is only good for eliminating networks for bad coverage. It can't prove good coverage in a particular spot. A bit like only true test for magnetism is repulsion.

As the OP and their neighbour both have poor signal with O2, it would suggest that they live in a poor signal area for O2.

The coverage checker could possibly help the OP to confirm this.

There are many reasons that the OP could be having problems, I was just trying to offer a bit of help with one of the possible reasons.

Gordon_Hose

The coverage checker isn't always accurate though.

liam8282

Gordon_Hose wrote: »

Nonsense. All depends which operators have base stations in your local area.

What is nonsense about what I said?

"Presumably if you have bad signal with O2, you will no doubt have bad signal with any other mobile phone company. They are all quite similar to be fair. Although I do know from experience that in some areas you can only get signal with one certain provider, and not the others."

Most mobile phone operators have nationwide coverage, it will only be certain "blackspot" areas, as mentioned by others that will really struggle to get any signal.

You could live less than say 2 miles from the nearest base station, but still get no signal, especially if you live in a valley or there are major obstructions.

As I said I know from experience, I have family that live less than 2 miles from all major mobile company transmitters, but as they live in a village that is in a valley they get hardly any signal, except for Vodafone.

Gordon_Hose

Not all operators have coverage in every area. So you could get full signal with Vodafone and nothing with Orange, for example. So every operator isn't "quite similar to be fair"...

liam8282

Gordon_Hose wrote: »

The coverage checker isn't always accurate though.

Which is why I said, it might not just be coverage, it may the design of the house the OP lives, where they live etc.

There are too many reasons to list, but the coverage checker would just be a handy starting point.

If it came back saying poor coverage, they would have their answer straight away.

For example, the village I was talking about is Thorner, if you search for that it says you would only expect good signal outdoors. 3 out of 5 bars, for calls & texts, 0 out of 5 for mobile internet.

But as I said, the vodafone coverage checker says 4 out of 5 calls, 2 out of 5 mobile internet, so much better signal.

I know the coverage checker is not 100% accurate, but just maybe helpful to the OP, if they haven't used it yet.

liam8282

Gordon_Hose wrote: »

Not all operators have coverage in every area. So you could get full signal with Vodafone and nothing with Orange, for example. So every operator isn't "quite similar to be fair"...

If they are in a bad signal area, they are in a bad signal area, it won't make a difference who the operator is.

Signals just don't get to some areas, is what I was trying to point out.

Also, if there is a mast local to the person, it will no doubt be used by more than one network, so if you can't get a signal from one operator, it is more than likely you won't get it from most of the others too.

Gordon_Hose

You're missing the point.

Vodafone, T-Mobile and O2 might be the only operators from your nearest base station. So if you're on Orange, you've lucked out. Hence why all operators are different. You can not state that you'll get a similar signal across all operators, it's just not true.

liam8282

Gordon_Hose wrote: »

You're missing the point.

Vodafone, T-Mobile and O2 might be the only operators from your nearest base station. So if you're on Orange, you've lucked out. Hence why all operators are different. You can not state that you'll get a similar signal across all operators, it's just not true.

I am not missing the point at all, you are just not understanding what I am trying to say.

You do get similar signal across all operators purely because they use the same masts, I agree some are better than others, but only because they might have masts in more suitable locations for you useage.

What I am saying is if you live in a bad area, such as at the bottom of valley, you will struggle to get a signal from most if not all operators.

The OP said they live in a 3G blackspot, they did not say this was network specific. So presumably they live in an area which will struggle to get any signal, this will have no bearing of where the nearest transmitter is or what networks operate from it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_phone_signal

Gordon_Hose

They don't all use the same masts though.