Data Performance Concerns

[Anonymous]

I've been an O2 customer since 2001 and throughout that time have always been 100% happy - until now.  I get the feeling they have over subscribed and the network simply cannot cope.  I realise I'm generalising, but anecdotal online comments suggests there are issues.  Here are a few words about what I'm experiencing. 

I have an iPhone 5S.  When I'm at home (off wifi) I've NO complaints.  Everything works as it should on a strong 3G service.  Because of this I'm fairly confident the issues I'm experiencing for many months now are not anything handset or sim related. 

I spend a good deal of my time in York.  O2 have already admitted the demand here is beyond capacity and actions are in place (since January).  Last week I was in Sheffield and I found exactly the same issues.  Similar with various and multiple train journeys this year, and two specific locations (one city, and one semi-rural where the coverage checker says strong 3G is available, and I know full well there is no 3G either inside or outside and never has been). 

The main ways these network issues manifest for me are;

- slow to non existent internet

- slow loading twitter feeds (and don't even hold you breath for images in the feed) 

- iMessages failing to send and eventually re-routed via SMS

- random iMessages disappearing and turning up days if not weeks later (admittedly this could be Apple)

- occasional call drops (though I don't make many calls so the problem could be worse than I think) 

I do use TuGo to get around some of these issues, particularly to override iMessages and get simple SMS sent.  

There was a time when the O2 network was second to none, but these recent issues have really got me thinking about switching.  I often compare my phone and my business phone (different network) during my travels and the number of times mine is stuck on GPRS when the other one has a pretty decent 3G signal is almost comical.

Views?

[Anonymous]

Hi

Yes a few people have said speeds are slow to non existent ,which can be put down to mast congestion.

Self help http://community.o2.co.uk/t5/Pay-Monthly-and-Pay-Go/Self-help-guide-Is-the-network-down-for-me-or-ev...

Sometimes switching to 2G in your phones settings can help but obviously slows down speeds from 3G.

Checking masts status can shed more light http://status.o2.co.uk/ and downloading the MYNETWORK App to report the masts to O2.

Network future hopefully will improve things http://www.o2.co.uk/connectivity/network-coverage/the-next-big-thing

Frustrating times for some I submit. 😞

If you do contemplate switching then do obtain other Network Payg sims to test them where you live, commute and work.

If your phone is locked to O2 then unlock it free via this form https://www.o2.co.uk/apps/help/help?qid=1&q1=2&route=unlocking&case=Handset%20Unlocking%... in order to do the testing.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the reply and various resources.  Unfortunately it doesn't really change the fact that O2 seem to fallen behind the curve, not just in terms of managing mast congestion but also in the availability even of 3G (never mind 4G).  

For all of the service provider rhetoric in the last ten years, it seems incredible to me that there's still so much work to do.  Using facts such as spending £1.5M a day on the network is all fine, but the service reality doesn't match the marketing.  If BT oversubscribed their exchanges to the point you couldn't make a call there'd be hell to pay.  

Interestingly I noticed a tweet earlier from someone in Manchester saying pretty much what I have said in this thread this morning.  

Hope you're listening O2.  You need to sort it. 

[MI5]

I agree, the data side of the service is failing nearly everywhere I go unless I am in a 4G area.

[jonsie]

I have found the same when I'm out and about. Congestion seems to be the byword for customer service nowadays. Seems in this country we are still using 20th century technologyand the 98% coverage by 2017 seems a long way off for O2 customers struggling with signal now and locked into long contracts.

[Anonymous]

This also explain's why Giff Gaff data is so poor / non exsistant.

Giff Gaff keep blaming heavy data users, I think the real reason stand's at to many O2 / Tesco & Giff Gaff customer's all on a network that just can't cope with the demand.

In this day & age I would never do a contract for a phone, sim free phone & then sim only 30 day plan is fine for me, if im not happy with the service I can just leave.

[Anonymous]

To be honest I myself have been saying am of this for a year now (funnily enough I have been written o2 for. ......a year).

I also wholly disagree about switching to 2g. O2 have recently updated their website. They used to say 2g for calls, texts, emails and basic Internet. Now they have dropped basic Internet from their website (according to CS).

In my work area after much bleating the Beacon Project has recently upgraded the transmission on the mast so now instead of download speeds of 0.01 to 0.07 mbps I now see 4mbps indoors and 7.5 mbps outdoors AND capacity is there too. 4g is also coming later this year too I believe.

O2 really need to wake up. They seem to not be listening to most these days. £1.5m per day is great till you hear that Vodafone are spending £2.5m per day and that is increasing. Watch out for the resurgent Vodafone, ignore them at your peril.

[jonsie]

As I have said in numerous posts O2 have fallen behind their competition and in my mind are now ripe for a takeover. 

[Anonymous]

Well given that Telefonica say they make little money in the uk due to the competitive nature of our market then given they would probably get £20 - £30bn for it I would sell.

But didn't Three (the only likely buyer currently) say no? Vodafone couldn't due to competition issues, same with EE, AT&T just spent £30bn elsewhere so who is left? Possibly Softbank but they were rumoured to be snuffing round Vodafone to become global.

[iar1980]

In the long term vodafone and o2 will have similar coverage, but vodafone will have more bandwith frequency, hence their performance may be better than o2.

http://www.prattfamily.demon.co.uk/mikep/frequency.htm