I know this is hypothetical and not really that meaningful but, if you could
pick one network based on only their coverage and their network services
what would it be?

If you then include cost and customer service and all the usual factors,
would you pick / are you using that same network?



I know some people will reply 'coverage depends on where you are' etc. which
is true, but for you personally what would it be? Just wanted to see if
there was some sort of consensus or pattern!



Thanks

S wrote:
I know this is hypothetical and not really that meaningful but, if you could
pick one network based on only their coverage and their network services
what would it be?

If you then include cost and customer service and all the usual factors,
would you pick / are you using that same network?



I know some people will reply 'coverage depends on where you are' etc. which
is true, but for you personally what would it be? Just wanted to see if
there was some sort of consensus or pattern!



Thanks


I used to find Orange excellent. But I have started working at a site
which has dreadful Orange signal - but good Vodafone, T-Mobile and O2.
Plus, in the past year or so, I have been finding more and more places
where there is next to zero signal level on Orange - e.g. in our town
centre where previously a good signal was obtainable. Ship. Jump. I am.

(Home is no test - we have transmitters for all four main networks very
close.)

Cost is now also driving me away - towards, probably, O2.

--
Rod

Hypothyroidism is a seriously debilitating condition with an insidious
onset.
Although common it frequently goes undiagnosed.
<www.thyromind.info <www.thyroiduk.org <www.altsupportthyroid.org

"Rod" wrote in message
...
S wrote:
I know this is hypothetical and not really that meaningful but, if you
could pick one network based on only their coverage and their network
services what would it be?

If you then include cost and customer service and all the usual factors,
would you pick / are you using that same network?



I know some people will reply 'coverage depends on where you are' etc.
which is true, but for you personally what would it be? Just wanted to
see if there was some sort of consensus or pattern!



Thanks


I used to find Orange excellent. But I have started working at a site
which has dreadful Orange signal - but good Vodafone, T-Mobile and O2.
Plus, in the past year or so, I have been finding more and more places
where there is next to zero signal level on Orange - e.g. in our town
centre where previously a good signal was obtainable. Ship. Jump. I am.

(Home is no test - we have transmitters for all four main networks very
close.)

Cost is now also driving me away - towards, probably, O2.


Mobile networks define their coverage in terms of "percentage of
UK population" which I assume means where people live and work.
Exactly the locations where you *don't* need a mobile phone!

--
Graham.

%Profound_observation%

Graham. wrote:
<

Mobile networks define their coverage in terms of "percentage of
UK population" which I assume means where people live and work.
Exactly the locations where you *don't* need a mobile phone!


Your point, as a general one, is sensible enough. But in my case, it is
dead wrong. I need to be contactable by my partner at any time - and not
force her to queue up with work contacts. The only realistic way I can
think of achieving this is with a private mobile. Therefore, coverage at
work is vital. As is coverage on my journey to and from work, when doing
the shopping, etc.

--
Rod

Hypothyroidism is a seriously debilitating condition with an insidious
onset.
Although common it frequently goes undiagnosed.
<www.thyromind.info <www.thyroiduk.org <www.altsupportthyroid.org

Rod wrote:
Graham. wrote:
<

Mobile networks define their coverage in terms of "percentage of
UK population" which I assume means where people live and work.
Exactly the locations where you *don't* need a mobile phone!


Your point, as a general one, is sensible enough. But in my case, it is
dead wrong. I need to be contactable by my partner at any time - and not
force her to queue up with work contacts. The only realistic way I can
think of achieving this is with a private mobile. Therefore, coverage at
work is vital. As is coverage on my journey to and from work, when doing
the shopping, etc.


In which case 3 should be good, if you are talking about voice
calls. They are very competitive and they fall back to using Orange
if there is no 3G coverage, so you get the best of both worlds.

regards, Ian

Ian Smith wrote
Rod wrote:
Graham. wrote:
<

Mobile networks define their coverage in terms of "percentage of
UK population" which I assume means where people live and work.
Exactly the locations where you *don't* need a mobile phone!


Your point, as a general one, is sensible enough. But in my case, it is
dead wrong. I need to be contactable by my partner at any time - and not
force her to queue up with work contacts. The only realistic way I can
think of achieving this is with a private mobile. Therefore, coverage at
work is vital. As is coverage on my journey to and from work, when doing
the shopping, etc.


In which case 3 should be good, if you are talking about voice
calls. They are very competitive and they fall back to using Orange
if there is no 3G coverage, so you get the best of both worlds.

In theory they should be good, but in practice I found they were
crap - 3's signal was patchy and automatic switching to their
roaming partner was far from seemless. Frequently I had no signal
and missed calls.
Personally I would opt for ASDA mobile. It's cheap and Vodafone's
signal is better in more places that I travel to than any other
network.

Steve wrote:
<
In theory they should be good, but in practice I found they were
crap - 3's signal was patchy and automatic switching to their
roaming partner was far from seemless. Frequently I had no signal
and missed calls.
Personally I would opt for ASDA mobile. It's cheap and Vodafone's
signal is better in more places that I travel to than any other
network.

Currently trying out Asda using a PAYG sim. Good signal everywhere I
have needed it.

Looked at 3 - they appear to have just one sim-only deal. Can't find
anything that would work for us. Coverage, from their maps, looks OK.

--
Rod

Hypothyroidism is a seriously debilitating condition with an insidious
onset.
Although common it frequently goes undiagnosed.
<www.thyromind.info <www.thyroiduk.org <www.altsupportthyroid.org

"S" wrote in message
...
I know this is hypothetical and not really that meaningful but, if you
could pick one network based on only their coverage and their network
services what would it be?

If you then include cost and customer service and all the usual
factors, would you pick / are you using that same network?



I know some people will reply 'coverage depends on where you are' etc.
which is true, but for you personally what would it be? Just wanted
to see if there was some sort of consensus or pattern!



Thanks





They're all pretty much of a muchness - in no particular order:-
O2 and Vodafone are probably best for coverage as they have the
advantage of GSM900, especially indoors.
O2 historically have better coverage out in the sticks but there's not
much to chosse these days.
Orange suffer from poor cell handover - they hang on to a cell for too
long then the next cell has no resources available.
Orange and T-Mob are not the best away from population centres. There
are also large holes in the coverage even on major roads (try Orange on
the A19 in North Yorkshire for instance. They not known as Lemon or
Zero-Range for nothing!)
3? Forget it other than major city centres.
As Vodafone have so many bundled users they are popular with youngsters.
Many of the packages get cheap at 19:00 so it can often be a problem
getting through around that time. Orange suffer as well from the same
thing.
Vodafone is the most 'professional' in its presentation, where T-Mob and
especially Orange are very much 'lead you by the hand.' Voda also have
simple codes for diverts etc rather than having to go into phone menus
like Orange require.
O2 used to have a problem with calls being dropped for no apparent
reason - and I'm talking here of when you are static and l.o.s. to an O2
mast onto which - by location - you must be logged.

On balance I would suggest Vodafone as the best bet, probably on Asda as
they are currently the cheapest. O2 are marginally better if you spend
time in the countryside. If you are mainly an urban user the Virgin on
T-Mob is probably the cheapest overall


--
Woody

harrogate three at ntlworld dot com

"Steve" wrote in message
...
Ian Smith wrote
Rod wrote:
Graham. wrote:
<snip
In which case 3 should be good, if you are talking about voice
calls. They are very competitive and they fall back to using Orange
if there is no 3G coverage, so you get the best of both worlds.

In theory they should be good, but in practice I found they were
crap - 3's signal was patchy and automatic switching to their
roaming partner was far from seemless. Frequently I had no signal
and missed calls.
Personally I would opt for ASDA mobile. It's cheap and Vodafone's
signal is better in more places that I travel to than any other
network.


3 solved their 3g to 2g hand over problems just before they changed
their 2g roaming partner from O2 to Orange.

But it can be hand set dependent, some models of handsets don't
hand over very well, older LG for instance

For voice coverage, 3 with Orange 2g roaming is by far the best.
It's what i use

Steve Terry

"Woody" wrote in message
...
"S" wrote in message
...
I know this is hypothetical and not really that meaningful but, if you
could pick one network based on only their coverage and their network
services what would it be?
<snip
They're all pretty much of a muchness - in no particular order:-
O2 and Vodafone are probably best for coverage as they have the advantage
of GSM900, especially indoors.
O2 historically have better coverage out in the sticks but there's not
much to chosse these days.
Orange suffer from poor cell handover - they hang on to a cell for too
long then the next cell has no resources available.
Orange and T-Mob are not the best away from population centres. There are
also large holes in the coverage even on major roads (try Orange on the
A19 in North Yorkshire for instance. They not known as Lemon or Zero-Range
for nothing!)
3? Forget it other than major city centres.


Complete drivel
e.g. sleepy Peacehaven in East Sussex has 2 Three BTS, 2 Orange BTS,
1 O2 BTS, 1 Voda BTS, and 1 T Mobile

With 2g Orange voice roaming on my Three phone that gives me 4 BTS to use

Steve Terry