Three signal deteriorated

Number29

Number29

Number29

Associate
Joined
25 Jan 2013
Posts
304
Hi all

I have a Three One Plan. At work, I get 1 bar of 3G signal which for the most part is just about usable (typically used to get 3-5mbps down etc). However, in the last couple of weeks, my signal has deteriorated to the point where my phone frequently drops the data connection altogether, and as from today, flicks between No Service and service without a data connection.

For the first time last week I noticed when out for a walk around the grounds of my office a 4G signal (I typically get 4G closer to the city centre, but this is the first time I've seen it here).

So it seems that Three have upgraded my local mast to 4G, but this in turn has completely knocked off my ability to get signal and use data indoors at work.

Is it feasible that an upgrade to 4G locally would have had this sort of effect? I'm loathed to give up the One Plan as a I tether heavily when away from home.

Many thanks

#29.
 
It would depend on the method of upgrade of the mast, whether they've added a new unit for 4G or swapped out a 3G unit for a 4G unit. If they've added a unit then in theory nothing should have changed but if they've taken out a 3G unit then that will have "weakened" the coverage.

I've been having issues with 3 at work. Before I'd have full service for everything, voice, SMS and data. Recently I've lost voice and data. 3 deny anything is wrong despite that several of my colleagues, also on 3, are having the same issue. This happened after "planned maintenance" took place.

As for the not wanting to give up the One plan because of tethering, you're in for bad news. Earlier this year all new One plan contracts had a 2GB tethering limit added. All contracts taken out before the limit was put in place will continue to have unlimited tethering until the current contract end date.
 
Resident said:
It would depend on the method of upgrade of the mast, whether they've added a new unit for 4G or swapped out a 3G unit for a 4G unit. If they've added a unit then in theory nothing should have changed but if they've taken out a 3G unit then that will have "weakened" the coverage.

I've been having issues with 3 at work. Before I'd have full service for everything, voice, SMS and data. Recently I've lost voice and data. 3 deny anything is wrong despite that several of my colleagues, also on 3, are having the same issue. This happened after "planned maintenance" took place.

As for the not wanting to give up the One plan because of tethering, you're in for bad news. Earlier this year all new One plan contracts had a 2GB tethering limit added. All contracts taken out before the limit was put in place will continue to have unlimited tethering until the current contract end date.
Click to expand...

Mine's a monthly rolling One Plan so there is no end date per se. I'm gonna speak to Three.
 
There's no real "swapping" involved in 4G upgrades as it's deployment of ENode Bs. What's much more likely to have happened is re-alignment (assuming it's not something geographic which is now blocking signal). Each network is taking the time to re-align all it's tx because they have to visit each site. Think of it as 2 birds one stone. Alignment is a tricky thing though and there are winners and losers, I'd call up immediately to register a fault - it's possible they are just doing work on the cell and need to bring it down for a week, happens quite a lot during radio network upgrades.
 
Using field test mode I'm noting the following:

I previously used to get about -107dBM which was 1 bar on my iPhone 5 and worked just fine for the most part.

I'm now seeing the following behaviour with the phone constantly flicking between the following states:

-118dBM with a data connection
-130dBM with no data
No Service
-102dBM with a data connection
-117dBM with a data connection

In all instances when I try to actually use data, it typically doesn't work. I can send texts from time to time and I sometimes can use data very briefly, but it quickly dies off again.

#29.
 
Ideally you'd need to know if you're connected to the same cellID as before, don't suppose you know do you?
 
We did twelve speed tests on three phones yesterday getting less than 1mb down in a zone that used to get high teens low twenties, I rang 3 and they say they are going to ring me back tomorrow with info, I said they've got till the end of my current contracts till I move 4 phones over to ee, I have to put my phone down between pages of the random images thread and the gif thread never completely loads.:confused::mad:
 
Three got back to me and conceded that there was need of an upgrade for the cell towers that are in my part of town even though we have partial 4g, even in 4g the best Ive got is 11 down and 1.5 up so I said thanks for your honesty but I'm moving the 4 phones I pay for in 9 weeks when the last contract runs out so if it hasn't been improved we're gone.
 
They are suffering from cell shrinkage then, 3G coverage shrinks in a bad way when user numbers ramp up to the user capacity max number (r^2 coverage problem so it's affects are dramatic). Try to check with other peoples SIMs before committing to your next deal to avoid the same problem. If three have deployed 4G in that zone then it's unlikely they will be back in the near future as the masts for all networks are being upgraded and visiting older stuff while important, isn't priority one this year with the need to ramp up 4G for the xmas sales pitch/marketing guff :/
 
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