O2 Apologizes for Wireless Network Performance Issues in London

[evilguy]

Further this highlights another issue that isn't AT&Ts fault. That is for a given spectrum and technology you only have so much bandwidth for a given area. It is one of the reasons the telcos have ganged up on the FCC to steal spectrum from other services.

And how do one come about optimizing the use of available spectrum????

If you need more spectrum you can alway use more carriers or you could build more cell sites with smaller a footprint thous boosting local capacity and use the allocated spectrum more effective throughout the network. That is what GSM operaters have been doing for years every time they needed to expand capacity. Its not rocket science!

In stead of building more cell-sites AT&T are blaming the FCC. Spectrum is not "unlimited" and the world also need frequencies for radio, TV and other services.

 

[touchtone561]

What is the network killer App?

Both O2 and AT&T have issues with iPhone and Blackberry in high density areas. So what is the killer NETWORKED App that these devices have that previous smartphones don't? I'm an iPhone user so I know about the 100,000 Apps and all the iTunes content. And I don't think it is Store purchases that are stressing the network capacity in these big cities.

Google Maps, streaming audio, Youtube video have been around for years before the iPhone and BB Bold.

Focusing on the number of missed calls, and call drops, and straight to voicemail complaints, is it possible that the killer app is Visual VoiceMail? (VVM) It is one of the applications that is unique and broadly used, and it works well! I know a voicemail download isn't as large as some other downloads but if it is a congestion issue maybe it is the number of active users and not the size of the file that is important.

We know VVM is a cellular data only app,it downloads to the device, it can't use Wi-Fi, and expensive charges if you roam internationally. It is also the default data application that all users will use even if all they use the phone for is to talk. In a large tech savvy city with (n * 100000) number of calls at any given time, not being answered for whatever reason, maybe it is Visual Voicemail service that is the network killer app?

I'm not saying it is the only problem, but it is just a thought.

 

[PeterQVenkman]

Yes Rogers, Telus, Bell, and Fido in Canada.

Damn you, Canadia! How dare you have networks that can handle the iPhone?

 

[samwise]

As I remember it from my research a couple weeks ago:

Orange - 750Mb per month mobile internet and webmail
Vodafone - 1Gb per month limit
O2 - Unlimited - in effect 8Gb is the rumour
Tesco (on O2 network) - Unlimited, but a call to their customer services to give them my PAC elucidated at 95Gb per month limit...

I went for Tesco - mostly because it was a 12-month contract.

 

[lilo777]

Both O2 and AT&T have issues with iPhone and Blackberry in high density areas. So what is the killer NETWORKED App that these devices have that previous smartphones don't? I'm an iPhone user so I know about the 100,000 Apps and all the iTunes content. And I don't think it is Store purchases that are stressing the network capacity in these big cities.

Google Maps, streaming audio, Youtube video have been around for years before the iPhone and BB Bold.

Focusing on the number of missed calls, and call drops, and straight to voicemail complaints, is it possible that the killer app is Visual VoiceMail? (VVM) It is one of the applications that is unique and broadly used, and it works well! I know a voicemail download isn't as large as some other downloads but if it is a congestion issue maybe it is the number of active users and not the size of the file that is important.

We know VVM is a cellular data only app,it downloads to the device, it can't use Wi-Fi, and expensive charges if you roam internationally. It is also the default data application that all users will use even if all they use the phone for is to talk. In a large tech savvy city with (n * 100000) number of calls at any given time, not being answered for whatever reason, maybe it is Visual Voicemail service that is the network killer app?

I'm not saying it is the only problem, but it is just a thought.

As other sites pointed out, the people in the know claim that the problem is not related to network capacity and thus it's not about killer apps. They claim that the problem is in iPhone itself. Apple chose to implement energy saving techniques (complete disconnect of the phone from the tower after 30 second timeout) which cripple the network.

 

[lilo777]

Damn you, Canadia! How dare you have networks that can handle the iPhone?

Well, people in GB were also laughing at AT&T customer problems in US until tey bought enough iPhones to cripple their provider (O2)

 

[SeaFox]

Unlike AT&T in the US O2 aren't the only carrier with the iPhone anymore.

Yup. AT&T doesn't have to care because, to parody the SNL skit, "They're the iPhone Company".

 

[Lone Deranger]

Thanks for that little summary. Been thinking about getting an iPhone in January and need to decide with what provider to go. Tesco's 12 month offering sounds ideal but the O2 side of things have me worried somewhat. How are you finding the data speeds for internet usage so far?

As I remember it from my research a couple weeks ago:

Orange - 750Mb per month mobile internet and webmail
Vodafone - 1Gb per month limit
O2 - Unlimited - in effect 8Gb is the rumour
Tesco (on O2 network) - Unlimited, but a call to their customer services to give them my PAC elucidated at 95Gb per month limit...

I went for Tesco - mostly because it was a 12-month contract.

 

[evilguy]

Well, people in GB were also laughing at AT&T customer problems in US until tey bought enough iPhones to cripple their provider (O2)

The difference is that O2 has in a matter of two months upgraded several cellsites in downtown london and installed 200 new cellsites in greater london to combat the problem.

AT&T in america? 3 years later still the same problem and AT&T is still blaming their customers for actually using their phones.

O2 apologizes and fixes the problem - AT&T blames their own customers for using their phones as intended within their legal contract.

I do not even live in the US and I should not even care but I still hate AT&T just because of their attitude.

 

[cjmillsnun]

Ah well..
Londoners are used to traffic congestion, how about a higher congestion charge to keep all the bankers out of the City?

except for the fact, most bankers come in via tube...