Data coverage ongoing issues Glasgow

[Brody77]

Due to unhelpful responses from the O2 twitter, trying here to get some advice - I've been with O2 a year, and in that time have had unbelievably bad data coverage every day in Glasgow City Centre despite the coverage checker showing as good across the board.
My device (previously the OnePlus 3T, now the Samsung S8+) shows full bars & H+ for data (a colleague recommended turning off 4G to improve coverage) but every day for at least 4 hours between 10-2 my data coverage simply doesn't respond.
I've done all the usual, cleaned SIM, reset networks etc and nothing helped. The issue is both indoors and outdoors but still causing me constant grief, and at £48 a month it's expensive grief!

I've gotten nowhere with Twitter support (they've cried mast faults, congestion and "no issues" at various times) and I'm really at the end of my tether.

Does the community have any advice, recommendations on what I can do in regards to paying for a service I'm barely getting etc?

All help appreciated as I don't know how to best resolve this.

Thanks

[MI5]

You've done everything we can suggest.
It is a congestion problem and until the improvements reach your area there's nothing anyone can do.
I'd suggest a complaint through Resolver (details on link http://www.o2.co.uk/contactus ) and see if you can get a goodwill tariff reduction.

[jonsie]

A complaint may eventually result in you being allowed to return the handset and end your contract without penalty. However you must make the complaint via the link before that will happen. That is the first step in any negotiations. 

https://www.o2.co.uk/how-to-complain

[Bambino]

@Brody77 Have you checked as to whether the other network providers are any better regarding coverage? The problem may not be limited solely to O2. If it is, you need to consider switching.

[jezza1234 · Accepted solution]

Hi. I'v posted this response to other forum users that have similar issues. 

There are a combination of reasons that O2 users will not get good 4G coverage in city/town centres and built up areas at certain times of the day(facebook hours!).

The first and main reason is not lack of coverage or faults with masts it is about 4G capacity.

O2 predominately uses 800Mhz(ish) 4G which provides a good coverage footprint (the lower the frequency the further it will travel) but has a smaller capacity bandwidth(fewer users at a single time). Therefore at busy times of the day, when people are on lunches etc and the first thing they do is come out of the office and jump on to social media or check emails etc(go on we wll do it ) This puts an incresed load on 4G which at those frequencies is an issue and therefore 4G speeds will slow right down.

Other networks, EE and voda, use a higher frequency which has a smaller coverage footprint but greater capacity(more users at a time) across alomost all of thier 4G estate

Interestingly O2 has recently obtained a chunk of spectrum at the higher frequncies which one would assume they will eventually use to alieviate this issue.

As to what you can do about it the best thing would be to register for the cloud or use O2 Wifi points of which there are many in town/city centres this should get you on line and also save you using your data allowance.

Unfortuantley there is no quick fix to this issue in city centres its just down to O2 4G frequencies and the  amount of people trying to access it at the same time at particular times of the day

Proffesionally I have a great deal of experience re frequencies, radio communications and LTE technology, and feel your pain 

[adamtemp64]

RE new band that o2 has exclusive access to https://news.o2.co.uk/press-release/o2-to-connect-1000-locations-to-latest-4g-spectrum-in-rapid-roll...