Mobile 'Phone Operator Coverage

[seaboater]

I'd like to draw on the forum's experience of mobile 'phone coverage. We've managed so far (with the exception of Horning) to get a signal in most places either on Vodafone or O2. The O2 contarct is up and searching around, they seem to be the most expensive to start a new contract with a smartphone.

I'd appreciate people's experiences of other networks as alternatives to Vodafone around the Broads specifically, and Norfolk more widely. Thanks in anticipation.

[mbird]

Hi Pat

I am with Vodafone, and get reasonable coverage, hardly any 3G though. I have not been able to get a signal at Loddon, but most other places are passable.

[Hylander]

We are with Orange and 9 times out of 10 you get a signal except for Horning which by all accounts is in a different universe to the rest of the country. Can never see why there should be no signal in certain parts of Horning. By the way the Orange can also be T mobile and now we have EE on the mobile.

[MauriceMynah]

Any info about coverage in Hickling??

[ranworthbreeze]

We are on Vodafone band I can confirm Mark's comments hardly any 3G but coverage in most area's and very limited at the staithe in Loddon after saying that if you need to make a call walk onto the bridge and you can get a signal.

Other area's that we have been seem ok but we can not get up to Hickling so I can not advise you.

Regards

Alan

[wombat nee blownup]

Could i just say that it could be down to the phone build/manufacturer as well. I have an old Nokia flip phone and can get good coverage anywhere. St. Olaves where we moor all the rest say "Wombat let me borrow your phone" even though some of them are on the same network. I also get coverage down in the cabin if moored at Loddon where no one else's phone even rings whether or not they stand with their arms outstretched outside the canopies. I am on vodafone no probs anywhere!

[MBA Marine]

On this subject, I am with vodafone and have been fed up with bad reception, standing next to my mrs on same network she gets a better signal, i have tried many phones with the same result. I thought its either me or the SIM card so i phoned Vodafone and asked about this, they said its probably the SIM card as they do have a shelf life, the lady said they recommend changing it every 18months, I gasped in horror and laughed I told her my SIM was about 10 years old she said she was surprised it still worked at all!

Begs the question for those of us on contracts that we renew every 18 months or 2 years why do the not sent a new SIM card when they send a new phone?!!

[wombat nee blownup]

Just worked out my sim is 14yrs old blows that theory out the window

[senator]

Have found o2 rubbish with Vodafone outscoring it almost everywhere and that includes putting the boss sim in my phone to check.

O2 have lots of problems at the moment our work phones all on o2 and all different makes are all lucky to complete a call, most are dropped within 2 minutes.

You are right about old phones though, seems the only thing a smart phone can't do is make a phone call.

For broads coverage, voda/orange or t mobile and for data 3.

Sent from my HTC Sensation Z710e using Tapatalk 2

[kadensa]

My son is a project manager with National Grid, and although based in Staffordshire he is reponsible for projects in an area stretching from North Wales to Norfolk. The company issue all their on-site workers with Vodafone mobiles as their network has by far the most comprehensive coverage.

[loribear]

hi pat, i'm on the 3 network & i don't really have that much problem with the network down there, there are a few places where i can't get a signal like bramerton, loddon & horning,but i CAN get hsdp with my fone some times too, & ive also got a mifi on 3 too & seem to be ok with that too as i take my laptop with me when i go on my hols, ive got a samsung note fone , but ive only had it for about 6 months, i don't really believe the story about the sim being too old, i think that's a load of rubbish, my hubby's got a voda sim that's about 3 years old & is still working fine, lori

[MauriceMynah]

I think I got my sim card in either 92 or 93. Not doing badly either way !

My first phone was a nokia 101 back then with a battery life of nearly 20 hours in standby

[Hylander]

I have an old Nokia likewise other half. Only use it to make or receive calls/texts which is what it is for. As long as it keeps going will not change it, must be a good 12 years old and yes the same sim.

Built to last as with all older products.

Bit like us really.

[MBA Marine]

I cant say if changing the SIM has worked for yet as I got the new one yesterday but have not changed it yet, the age of SIM is perhaps the wrong thing to measure perhaps it should be calculated in hours of usage, my phone is never switched of so i guess it has a few more miles on the clock than some, but that said i do not call that often or web brows (wouldn't no how for the internet fingy, and aint got a clue about that 3G stuff im so out of touch) so gets a lot less use in that area than many!

I have always thought I was 'special' perhaps I emit some sort or electric field and i interfere with my own signal!!

[senator]

I am sure that sims can break down but I think it is just a delaying tactic most of the time when they have network issues. O2 sent out 4 new sims to me for 4 phones the other day, they made not a blind bit of difference despite the original sims being 6 years old.

[ranworthbreeze]

Hello MBA Marine,

When I changed my phone to a Samsung Galaxy S11the other year it was great for about a month then I kept having problems not getting coverage, this was all over the place, on checking out comments from other users there was a known fault that older Vodafone simms would not work correctly with 3G phones.

I got onto Vodafone who kept trying to say it was the new phone after speaking to them nicely they sent me a new contracted simm (the old one I had for more years that I can remember).

The problem was sorted.

Regards

Alan

[seaboater]

Thanks to all for your experiences. I'm not sure about the age of the SIm being an issue, but different 'phones definitely have different signal pulling powers. As we already have one on Vodafone, it sounds like Orange/Tmobile might be the best bet as an alternative.

[Gordon]

Basically the coverage is not great on any network.

Just to add my two penneth to the discussion, on expiry of my contract I have just moved from Virgin which uses Orange and T mobile to Vodaphone in the hope of getting better coverage on the boat.

My wife has always used O2 on both a Samsung and an apple and has got better coverage in many places than I did with Virgin on both an apple and a blackberry. ( Sounds like the Ronnie Corbett sketch in the greengrocers) My work mobile uses Vodaphone and is at least a match for the phones on O2

The phones do move in mysterious ways My work mobile with the sim in either a Blackberry or basic Nokia often shows a signal when the Iphone says no service (both on Voda) switching airplane mode on and off wakes it up. Possibly due to the following, (just a theory)

I cannot believe a SIM can age but there was a theory, or old wives tale, that there were different grades of service for different subscribers. ie if you paid an expensive tarrif you got through when the network was busy whilst those on the cheaper tariff didn't or even had the call drop. No idea if that is still the case but it makes you think when companys like Giff Gaff or Tescos offer you a cheaper deal on O2 than O2 themselves or indeed when there is such a wide tange on each carriers own deal.

[Viking23]

Mobile phone coverage again...

We are about to change our phones to Tesco mobile, which uses O2 as it's provider, i just wondered, if things have improved with O2 since this thread started.

I know there is still the black hole in the Horning Triangle, but what about other open areas, like Barton Broad, as we have managed to get a good signal with Orange/EE with our current one. Once a text message came in when we were in Horning... but I didn't notice exactly where in Horning... lol... Maybe it was where six people were standing on a bench seat with phones to their ears... only joking lol...

[deebee29]

I have a cheap basic Nokia phone on TalkTalk and the coverage is the best i've found anywhere. I only need it for emergency cover

Think they use the Vodaphone network

Used it all over the broads and many other blackspots near home without any problems (apart from the usual black holes)

It gets a much better signal than an iphone or android if all you need is a phone

[BryanW]

I have used Vodafone around the Northern Broads for many years and found that I can get a signal pretty much everywhere but no 3G, just sufficient for phone calls and checking the weather with the Met Office Weather App.

 

This year my wife moved to BT Mobile (SIM only, £5/month if you have BT Broadband) but she could not even get a good enough signal to make a phone call in most places, they use the EE network.

 

Some years ago my son was on O2 and again problems with a signal in a lot of places.

 

So, my vote goes to Vodafone.

[ExMemberBobdog]

My main 'phone is on O2 ... bloody useless just about anywhere in the Broads.  I bought a PAYG cheapo handset (£10) on Vodaphone, and that gets a signal just about everywhere - including Hickling - so that's what I use when out and about on the boat.  May be worth mentioning that I was told that the mobile phones issued to the Rangers and other BA staff are on Vodaphone.

[Baitrunner]

I think a lot of the yards use Vodafone as coverage is better than others.

I have a 3 contract and on the South it works in most places with a reasonable 3G signal.

The wife is on O2 which is iffy. Between us though we normally get a signal.

[Paul]

I've made this point before but worth saying again that reception can vary dramatically between devices, in fact reception can be effected more by the device than the network. iPhones tend to have very poor reception, though I have no idea about the latest incarnation as I don't know anyone silly enough to pay all that money. Sony and Nokia devices tend to have very good reception.

 

For data reception a mifi device tends to give much better reception than a mobile phone or a usb dongle and can be positioned to get the best receptiion without the need to browae the web and post to your favourite forum without having to stand on one leg on the cabin roof. Try and get one with the facility to use an external antenna which can improve reception as much as six fold.

[BroadScot]

I have a EE Samsung I-Phone the antenna compared to say a Nokia is rubbish. SWMBO has a basic Nokia phone and worked all over the Broads in the past 11 days. So Nokia for me come August .

 

 

Iain.