Disrupted O2 Network Services in North East UK

[Anonymous]

I live in the Newcastle-upon-Tyne area. Over the last quarter (probably longer) there has been significant disruption to 3G services, as well as call services. While some customers in the area may be aware of the ongoing work regarding 4G, these disruptions seem random. Most often this affects 3G and mobile data, which is frustrating enough. Sometimes (like today), the disruption also affects the mobile signal too. These disruptions are affecting areas in the North East that previously never experienced such problems in the last 4-5 years. For example, today 3G service in my area dropped off the map, then network signal followed. Now 3G has allegedly returned according to the device but does not work. No, there is no issue with the device, it has worked perfectly in the same location until O2's '4G Rollout' began. What's worse is that there is nothing on your website that suggests any disrupted service at all, in fact you claim the NE service is working perfectly.

How long will this disrupted service continue? At the very least please post more accurate information regarding outages, how long you expect this to continue and whether you intend to compensate customers.

[Anonymous]

Hi and welcome.

Just to clarify we are all customers here.

At some point we have all experienced network signal loss
At some point. My longest was two weeks or intermittent signal.

If you wish for some form of reduction when the signal settled then either ring O2 on 202 or fill out the online complaint form.

http://service.o2.co.uk/IQ/SRVS/CGI-BIN/WEBCGI.EXE?New,Kb=Companion,question=ref(User):str(Mobile),C...

[adamtemp64]

You would need to address this to o2 as we are all customers here

202 pay monthly 4445 payg.

Or put it in writing.

Telefónica UK Limited
Correspondence Department

PO BOX 694

Winchester

SO23 5AP

[Anonymous]

O2's stance in the 4G rollout is that they are not going to compensate for carrying out works in an area to improve the network.  Yes there will be some short term pain and outages but this will be far outweighed (in hindsight of course) by the eventual benefits of the work.

Personally I think that stance is right.  You can't really complain about something that improves your service.  How else does anyone really think a rollout of new technology happens?  That people are going to do works, in the dark, over the middle of a weekend in any an all weathers and ignore even basic health and safety principles so as not to upset folk?

[MI5]

I agree.
I barely got a 2g signal at work before the 4g rollout. Signal went virtually non existent for 3/4 days, then BOOM, 20mbps+ download speeds

[perksie]

I agree too, but a note to the effect that services may be interrupted or reduced in power as a result of the work should be on the status page.

When customers are not informed apart from finding out by getting poor service they tend to get a bit cross.