Who has the best network?

[TW]Fox

[TW]Fox

[TW]Fox

Man of Honour
Joined
17 Oct 2002
Posts
160,229
As many of you know, I am on GiffGaff. The deal GiffGaff offer is excellent but sadly the entire package is rather hobbled by one problem.

O2's network is, for want of a better word, dire.

Text messages often do not appear until hours after they are sent.

3g coverage is patchy at best - often areas where you'd fully expect to find 3G coverage - ie in large cities - has no 3g coverage

General signal is often lacking - I am often on barely 1 bar of signal, even in places where you'd expect to find a single. 10 minutes of London Paddington, probably near Slough (O2's head office!) the other day I didnt have enough signal to make an urgent call.

The data network is shambolic. A lot of the time you request pages and... nothing happens. Nothing continues to happen until you reconnect.

So, it's pretty clear that the answer to my question isn't O2. I've been on GiffGaff since Vodafone changed terms and conditions last year. I must admit that other than the terrible customer service and the idea that once I'd signed a contract they could change things, I felt the Vodafone network itself was excellent.

So, as it's probably time for another contract again, and as I am sure others probably have the same question, just who does have the best network?

I quite fancy some of the deals on T-Mobile but Giffgaff has tought me you get what you pay for..
 
I would have said 3 mate as the deals are great if you stick 15 quid on but I found a Black hole in Alfreton, I was completely off the radar.
Ask around the manor you frequent on how good 3's coverage is as if it's good then I'd go with it. My Desire gets instant updates on everything via 3 & 15 quid gets all you can eat data plus minutes & texts.
 
I've been with T-Mobile since 2007 and can't fault the network, since the 2g sharing came in with Orange signal has improved.

3G is also excellent as masts are shared with 3 offering good coverage everywhere I have been (I travel a lot for work).
 
4T5 said:
I would have said 3 mate as the deals are great if you stick 15 quid on but I found a Black hole in Alfreton, I was completely off the radar.
Ask around the manor you frequent on how good 3's coverage is as if it's good then I'd go with it. My Desire gets instant updates on everything via 3 & 15 quid gets all you can eat data plus minutes & texts.
Click to expand...

Yea, 3 looks like great value. I've got a 3 PAYG SIM for signal testing but it doesnt seem to connect to 3G. Is this because it has no credit on it or...?
 
I reckon it would need credit to hook up to 3g, How old is the Sim ?
 
I have at the moment a Vodafone, 3, Orange and o2 device of one type or another and they are all pretty much the same. Vodafone for my work blackberry is probably the worst with calls failing and quality being awful a lot of the time, where orange and o2 are about on par better. 3 has a very good data network which I use either with a dongle or iPad.

Its all down to coverage in the areas you go to, I travel a lot on the train and to be fair most of the train lines have very very variable signal quality on them.
 
I thought THREE only had access to their own network now I.E 3G. Maybe wrong or it may just be starting but sure I read somewhere they had ceased there agreement for 2g service with one of the other providers
 
T-Mobile/Orange on the whole, obviously it will vary depending on where you live.

O2 are fantastic around here and the mobile broadband speeds are actually very fast!
 
I've never had a problem getting signal anywhere in the Uk on 3, and they are good value, at the cost of having to put up with shambolic customer service.
 
It seems to purely depend on which area of the country you're in. Up here, Orange and Vodafone are terrible whilst GiffGaff, o2 and Tesco are all decent (iirc all use o2's network?). I don't know anybody on 3 so I have no idea about them.
 
T-Mob/Orange will be absolutely awesome when they open up full 3g sharing. T-mobile is faster and better in city centres, orange are good in less urban areas. I didn't drop 2g all the way to north wales on the train, suprised me!
 
I used to think o2, as they did seem to have the best coverage in my area, but over the last 2 years, it seems as though Orange have taken over and the reception is even better since they have hooked up with T-mobile!
 
As said, I think T-Mobile and Orange are going to be very very good when they join there 3G networks, admittedly there deals are not attractive compared to 3. I have only ever not had signal with Orange in very remote areas, and that has only been once or twice in my 6 months of having a 3G phone :)
Of course, the situation is different in all of the different parts of the country, but I don't think you can go wrong with Orange and T-Mobile (or Everything Everywhere as they like to call themselves)
 
As soon as you leave a town where I live O2 will drop you to GPRS. Ballymena and Belfast get 3G so that keeps me happy. :p

I have been thinking about 3 as I can get a £10 cheaper monthly sim deal but I find it hard to remove myself from O2. It's been about 8 years with them now.

I have checked and 3 seems to be good in all the areas I frequent.
 
With the money that the UK government is pumping into 3 at the moment (to ensure a British owned company has the best penetration), I'd say 3 will be, even if it's not quite there now.
 
Fot t mobile I have just come from London to York using my Ipad and I think the signal was acceptable nothing fantastic but just about did the job.
Make of that what you will
 
paradigm said:
With the money that the UK government is pumping into 3 at the moment (to ensure a British owned company has the best penetration), I'd say 3 will be, even if it's not quite there now.
Click to expand...
The government is really investing in a private company?
 
I believe that O2 have the largest network. When Orange and T-Mobile fully integrate that will overtake O2.

However it isn't that simple. O2's data network seems to be pretty poor. They often rank bottom on speed tests and mobile broadband reviews.

Another thing to bare in mind is where you live. O2 and Vodafone have both 900mhz and 1800mhz spectrum. I live in a conservation area with lots of listed buildings. These buildings have all got thick walls. As a result once inside the only networks I can get a signal with are Vodafone or O2. There will always be individual factors like mine to take into account. Even when Everything Everywhere has the largest network I still won't get covered at home because of their lack of 900mhz spectrum.
 
now that t-mobile have merged with orange they have the largest network iirc, i certainly have yet to be in a situation where i haven't been able to get one or the other! When 3G roaming goes live in 6-8 weeks it will be even better as it wont just be calls that are shared. I can't fault their customer service either, they have always been very helpful when I've needed anything.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom