Who provides the best coverage...

[krug3r]

Out of

Vodafone
T-Mobile
O2
Orange

I personally feel that Vodafone are the best.....I don't think Orange is that great for out in the countryside....

Hows your coverage ?

[Daedalus]

theres no way of telling really. All networks quote 99% of the UK's coverage, but that 1% of no coverage varies from network to network and from area to area. So there is no one single strongest network, their all the same.
It makes no difference in other words.

Sorry to put a dead end on your question Kruger ;)

[krug3r]

Don't agree mate

I have a Vodafone and my bro has an Orange phone and the signal on Orange near where we live is always crap...

So although this particular area that Vodafone supplies may be better than Orange and visa versa I as a consumer won't go for Orange...

I'd be interested to hear what the general concensus is from others, which may well end up being area specific but then that still helps out our members depending on where they live....so I'm moving that dead end out of the way :)

[bunny]

Does it not depend to some extent on which handset you are using?

[krug3r]

Shouldn't do really although I guess it comes down to lots of factors even weather may stuff it up some times.......

[Daedalus]

it hardly makes any difference with handset you use really, their all capable of reaching the network from the same distance.
And Kruger, I get what your saying, but what i'm trying to say is an answer to your question. You said which is the best network, and i replied that there is no 'best' one, they are all fairly equal. But I'm not talking about in one area, I mean nationaly they are pretty much the same. For example, you may not like Orange just because of the crap signal in your area, but in other areas, Vodafone would be awful and Orange would be particulary strong. Do you see what I mean?

[krug3r]

Yep completely see your point mate...still think it would be good to know that Orange is crap in the North and Vodafone is good in the South for instance....

[Daedalus]

could be. or you could just look at their coverage charts on their websites ;)

[bunny]

I find the best in my area are Vodafone and O2.....which are both exactly the same with Orange not quite so good but more than adequate.
Cant pick up T Mobile or Virgin.......no signal at all.

[Daedalus]

interesting fact, Virgin does'nt have it's own masts. It runs off T-Mobile's masts, so where ever T-Mobile reception is good/bad, Virgin will be identical.
Thats why Virgin can afford all those daft price cuts on their phones and tariffs. It's called being a 'virtual' network, like One-Tel (Vodafone's masts) and BT's new BT Mobile Sense service (T-Mobile's as well).

[krug3r]

Blimey didn't realise that...very good to know this info :) it will certainly help out me in future recomendations and decisions over networks

[mp5]

I'm dissapointed with voda, good coverage where i live but do not support multi med messages on my nokia 6800 :bo:

[Fuzzy Duck]

Have to say I would say vodafone, I was with orange for a fair while and where I live the signal was always pants, never looked back after i changed !!

[sambean]

Have to say I would say vodafone, I was with orange for a fair while and where I live the signal was always pants, never looked back after i changed !!

I'm the total opposite.... I was on Orange living in Edinburgh and London and I've never had problems with reception whereas my housemate on Vodaphone was always having to lean out the window... May have just been chance with where we were living though....

[Lisnagonnell]

Shouldn't do really although I guess it comes down to lots of factors even weather may stuff it up some times.......

Yes, the weather. When its raining all day, the signal goes does in my village. Nearest mast 1mile approx.
I had an Orange sim and when I went to the Leisure Centre in town there was no signal. A member of staff said the electronic lockers in the chaging rooms affected the signal. I now have a Vodafone sim and there's 1 or 2 bars of signal strength in the L.C. - I have a 3330 and 8310 I don't think the phone matter's when it comes to signal. I also have a 02 sim but where I live Vodafone is the most consistant signal.
:ld:

[flyingflea]

I find Vodafone have the best reception overall, when I went travelling around the UK last year, I found Voadfone always had good reception. Orange seem to vary lots, depending on the area. I know of at least 5 locations where I won't get any signal from Orange, but can from Vodafone.

lol, I don't mean to biased about Vodafone and Orange, but has anyone had a look at http://www.hateorange.com/ ?

As for O2 and T-Mobile, my friends have said T-Mobile and O2 are OK, so long as you know where to stand!

flyingflea

[asiangirlpyk]

Hi everyone,

I live and go to school in WC1N, and currently have 2 SIMs, one from O2 for my contract phone, Sony Ericsson T610, and another PAYG Vodafone originally for my Alcatel 311 in Holland.

My unlocked T610, with the O2 SIM, usually has 0-1,2max bars out of 5 when I am home. I have to go out towards the foyer or even outside to carry on any conversation, and even that is spotty. I thought it had to do with building construction materials (foyer has skylight); by the time I am out the door, I'm up to 3 bars, and full coverage as I walk onto the sidewalk. When I was at Russell Square Tube station (entrance), I media mess'd and it had 'communication problems' TWICE. At the office I get about 3 bars as well, but much much better than home.

Putting the Vodafone SIM into the T610 I get full coverage. EVERYWHERE (above ground, London).

With the Alcatel phone, and its Vodafone SIM, also full coverage. I can't use the O2 SIM for that phone (obvious reasons) but I'm sure the reception is a SIM-dependent, not as much phone-dependent problem (for the conditions I tested).

I thought O2 uses Vodafone? Maybe I am wrong or O2 only use them selectively.

Is it possible that some SIMs from the SAME provider gets better reception than others?

Still loving my broadband landline,
Pei-Yi

[asiangirlpyk]

sorry about the image; I didn't think it'll be so big!!

[Azda]

i would say that o2 has the best coverage from where i am and i like o2 cause most of my m8s are on o2 as well so the calls are cheaper:), but this really depends what network you like tbh:)

cheers

azza:)

[sbridge]

I've been on orange, virgin and now im back on orange for a while. Coverage for any phone isnt that good in my area even though we're on the top of a hill, my dad has vodafone, all of us cant get a good signal, i have to keep my phone on my window sill, where i get 1 bar of signal - if im lucky!

The catch is, all networks quote 99% coverage, but they dont say how good it is, i must be in the percent that had coverage, but not good coverage! Bit of a scam really.

[ibyellow]

I'm on O2. I used to be on Voda but sometime it took ages to send or recieve a txt, longest was 4 days, not had any problems with reception on O2 except when visiting my dad in Shetland because they only have Voda on the smaller islands.