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UK Vodafone coverage

A

afd

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Apr 12, 2005
1,142
395
Scotland
Have got an iPhone 6 on vodafone, haven't been very happy with the coverage and not looking forward to another year with them. I was with Three before and was happy until my unlimited data became very slow, almost like it was being throttled....(I was using a lot of data) When the 6 came out the monthly costs were about £50 for three and £40 for vodafone, and it came with Spotify, so I thought I'd give it a try. I was naive enough to think that Vodafone, being a big network, would have good coverage.
Vodafone seems to have fast 4G access, variable 3G service and no 2G internet access. At work I put my phone on windowsill and I was able to get internet access and texts, which was barable but not ideal. I fond vodafone and was told to try all the usual things, restart phone, change to 2G/3G, take out or replace Sim or change to different network and back to Vodafone. Nothing made much difference. recently the 3G network has stopped working , I switched to 2G (as advised) and I'm back to the 1990's, all I can do is call. Vodafone says its the nature of the coverage and I have to put up with it, I pointed out that my first iPhones never got a 3G signal and could access the internet happily if slowly but was told that todays smartphones demand mor data and time out and there is nothing they can do to help.
I've been researching the cheapest SIM for an old MiFi to get internet, which seems a bit ridiculous.
 
I used to be on Vodafone and I had the same Issues they used to tell me to buy a sure signal box which I was not willing to buy as I believe a network as big as Vodafone should be able to cover my needs I therefor bought myself out of my contract and ended up going on ee since then in have no issues with 4g 3G etc.....
 
I was on vodafone but i got no data coverage at work so i left them and joined three which has flawless signal at work.

unlimited data too...won't go to anybody else. three is the best place to be for me.
 
Where i love Vodafone has excellent 4G coverage, very rarely has 3G always on 4G. Ive tried EE and 3 amd they are very weak. 3 literally gives me No Service!! Even on a windowsill i get one bar.
O2 isnt bad either but got a better deal with Vodafone
 
Yeah I am always having trouble with Vodafone. I have been with them for so many years though that they give me cheaper contracts and other added benefits. Really would like to switch though.
 
In my immediate family, we have iPhones on Three, EE, Vodafone and used to have giffgaff. We're on holiday at the moment in a fairly rural area and Vodafone only gets 2G, EE gets one or two bars 3G and Three gets three or four bars 3G.

Overall, I seem to get a lot better coverage on Three than any other network. Of course, this is just anecdotal evidence and there are probably many places where other networks are much better, but Three seem to have come a long way in the past five years or so.
 
I had the sand experience as the op with Vodafone. 3g frequently stalling and slow, 2g unusable.. It was before 4g. Switched back to the who I'd been on before and it 2 like a breath of fresh air.

That being said I was in new forest yesterday with no coverage in one area all afternoon, and bournemouth was a writeoff for the air show. Can't win everything.
 
What are other people's experiences with 2G? Vodafone seems to suggest that modern smartphones don't work on 2G, which doesn't seem likely to me.
 
This from Vodafone may help some when released.

http://www.vodafone.co.uk/explore/network/network-improvements/wi-fi-calling/index.htm

Regarding 2G https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2G

”2G technologies enabled the various mobile phone networks to provide the services such as text messages, picture messages and MMS (multi media messages). All text messages sent over 2G are digitally encrypted, allowing for the transfer of data in such a way that only the intended receiver can receive and read it.“

Trying to access Internet via a 2G connection in my experience results in timeouts / non connection.
 
The problem I have with 3G on Vodafone is it showing strong 3G coverage but not being able to do anything with it, can normally send a what's app message if it connects, but refreshing Twitter/Instagram/Facebook, trying to send a snapchat just won't work!
 
L T said:
The problem I have with 3G on Vodafone is it showing strong 3G coverage but not being able to do anything with it, can normally send a what's app message if it connects, but refreshing Twitter/Instagram/Facebook, trying to send a snapchat just won't work!
Click to expand...

Hello,

Perhaps try your Sim in another phone as a process of elimination to rule out the phone or sim that may be at fault.
 
bandofbrothers said:
Hello,

Perhaps try your Sim in another phone as a process of elimination to rule out the phone or sim that may be at fault.
Click to expand...
I'll try that when I get access to another 3G / 4 G phone with Vodafone.
I did try turning off cellular access for all apps other than Safari and tried to browse when I had 4 dots of GPRS, it timed out after a minute or so. I had similar results with a couple of Edge dots and 1 dot of 3 G. I also tried turning cellular access for everything other than for messages, that timed out too. So overall not impressed and want to change.
 
EE, for all their faults, seem to have the best overall 3.5G and 4G coverage. Once they properly merge, O2/Three should also be good. Obviously, a lot will depend on where you live and where you go, so YMMV.

My work phone is with O2. Voice coverage is excellent, as it always has been. 3G coverage is pretty good, but 4G is a bit spotty at the moment.
 
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