best mobile phone coverage

[dippingatoe]

I am doing some research as my Orange contract has expired and having a good phone connection is pretty important to me. When I started out I was with orange but quickly realised I would need more than one provider to get a chance of a connection. I currently have a Tesco mobile sim, the original orange contract (now expired so i am free if I want to move) and a mi-fi running on EE All can be unreliable and I often have no signal on any of them.

What does anyone use and which is most likely to give regular connections My brother says o2 but they don't look all that good on the rankings. Does 99percent coverage just count population so all big cities are covered but nice quiet places not?

When I look at this
Broken Link Removed
It would appear EE is far an away the best, but there have been many times and places it has let me down

 

[GJH]

I've been using Three for voice and MiFi for several years and found it better than the others.

 

[MattR]

Avoid O2 - I can't wait until my contract expires and I can get one that actually works. I had thought that EE was a good alternative .... . I also have a PAYG 3 sim that works well.

 

[DBK]

Does your mifi have an external aerial? This can help and you can get high gain antenna too.

I'm on O2 and have had no problems on a tour in Scotland earlier this year and in Spain recently.

This subject is in the news at the moment - allowing phones to roam and connect to another network if your provider doesn't provide coverage, but don't hold your breath on anything happening soon.

 

[MattR]

Does your mifi have an external aerial? This can help and you can get high gain antenna too.

I'm on O2 and have had no problems on a tour in Scotland earlier this year and in Spain recently.

This subject is in the news at the moment - allowing phones to roam and connect to another network if your provider doesn't provide coverage, but don't hold your breath on anything happening soon.

How is your O2 3G? Mine is very poor.

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[Badknee]

O2 on one phone (main number) and Vodaphone payg sim in an old phone. Works for me.

 

[Robert Clark]

All depends where you live
EE is the only carrier that works here
Check local coverage before signing up to a new contract

 

[DBK]

How is your O2 3G? Mine is very poor.

Can't always get 3G but when on the coast or in mountains that doesn't surprise me. However, when the contract expires early next year I will look around and 3 seems attractive at the moment.

 

[Gizmouk]

When I look at this
Broken Link Removed
It would appear EE is far an away the best, but there have been many times and places it has let me down

That link is 18 months old, so take it with a pinch of the salt stuff.

We have an ulocked mifi and an assortment of sim cards in the mh. Almost always it's 3 that gets the best signal / connection speed.
EE is ok. Virgin Mobile (uses EE network) is ok. Vodafone is completely useless.

For work I have to have two phones on different neworks - 3 and EE. 3 is always the better, more reliable signal.

 

[sdc77]

My 3 data sim in the van is relatively reliable.. My phone us Vodafone.. Which is OK in London and I can use it below ground at work too but I think I'd side with 3... Esp if I was going to Europe a lot too

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[scousebird]

Alan has Tesco contract and it's pretty cr.p! He can't get a signal at all in the house and it's nowhere near as good cover as my Orange phone.

I did discovered today that if you have O2 you can get an app called TUgo which gives you better coverage via wifi I think - one of our contractors was telling me today.

 

[tofo]

I am doing some research as my Orange contract has expired and having a good phone connection is pretty important to me. When I started out I was with orange but quickly realised I would need more than one provider to get a chance of a connection. I currently have a Tesco mobile sim, the original orange contract (now expired so i am free if I want to move) and a mi-fi running on EE All can be unreliable and I often have no signal on any of them.

What does anyone use and which is most likely to give regular connections My brother says o2 but they don't look all that good on the rankings. Does 99percent coverage just count population so all big cities are covered but nice quiet places not?

When I look at this
Broken Link Removed
It would appear EE is far an away the best, but there have been many times and places it has let me down

could you get some payg sims to try in your phone
assuming its unlocked ,
possiblyshow you the best signal local to you

without a long time contract for no signal

 

[MattR]

Can't always get 3G but when on the coast or in mountains that doesn't surprise me. However, when the contract expires early next year I will look around and 3 seems attractive at the moment.

I rarely get 3G on O2 when I am in urban areas - apparently O2 was bought out by a Spanish company earlier in the year and it seems to be getting worse and worse. O2 and Vodaphone appear to have the worse service and CS ratings amongst the big 4.

 

[DBK]

Sitting in front of the TV at the moment watching master chef, set my mobile to scan for networks and the only 3G coverage is T mobile and 3, all the others are 2G. But I live in an old barn and if I go upstairs reception is a lot better.

I think it depends very much where you live but as others have said 3 seem on top of things but my reason for swapping to them would be for their European coverage.

 

[Dazzlin]

Got vodaphone on contract and wife has o2 on payg. Always on the move thu uk but mostly europe.
vodaphone crap but have europe traveller so £3/day in europe for uk min etc. Wifes O2 when only making one call per day.
Had "3" for 6 months wifi and calls but had bad experience.
By far 3 was best signal/speed.
roll on cheap europe next year. Lol

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[Gooney]

At home near Chester my wife on EE and me on Giff Gaff (O2) have no problems with connection, we are currently in a cottage near Salcombe (Devon) I have perfect reception, wife's mobile has no connection at all

 

[tofo]

Listening to Jeremy vine radio 2 dinner time
They were discussing phone signal/aerials

Fellow came on he has sim registered in Southern Ireland
And uses it in the UK roaming
his phone connects with best signal
On any network as he is roaming in the UK

 

[irnbru]

I've been using Three for voice and MiFi for several years and found it better than the others.

I second this...for mifi

 

[dippingatoe]

Listening to Jeremy vine radio 2 dinner time
They were discussing phone signal/aerials

Fellow came on he has sim registered in Southern Ireland
And uses it in the UK roaming
his phone connects with best signal
On any network as he is roaming in the UK

That's an interesting thought. How might one go about that do you think. Would you need an Irish address and would it need to be in south rather than north?

 

[dippingatoe]

thanks for all the replies. I am now wondering if buying a cheap handset and getting several free pay as you go sim cards would be an answer, which although fiddly might solve the problem some of the time. If I did it that way would any ansaphone messages be waiting for me? And could I use the same number on all of the sims. Modern life is so complicated sometimes.

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[MattR]

Are you likely to need a mobile phone overseas? If yes, I would definitely get a Toggle sim and a 3 sim. In the UK, Toggle runs on Orange for its 2g service but, unfortunately, I think that it runs on O2 for its 3g service.

Do you use data a lot?

Do you need to keep your mobile number on your current sim? You might need to check whether you can transfer the number if you decide to change your monthly contract to PAYG.

No, you can't have the same number on different sims.

Answer phone features can be set up quite easily.