How Bad is the O2 Signal?

[etw]

I always used to think that O2 and Vodafone were the best carriers to be on, at least before the iPhone came out. But it seems that O2 having the iPhone exclsuively for all those years has ruined their network?

I just completed a trip from Brighton to Scotland with my Giff Gaff Phone (which runs on O2) and the signal was pretty much rubbish everywhere I went. In Briighton it was like the network was overloaded by the number of visitors to the city. Whilst in Scotland (Aberdeen) you'd have to lift the phone to a window to get a signal.

Even at home back in London I can't get a 3G signal indoors but do get a perfect 2G signal.

I have an Adroid phone, so rely on having a 3G signal and internet for mapping, etc.

All of this has me looking elsewhere for the big switch over when Giff Gaff stops doing any inclusive Internet Deals.

It's not only Giff gaff's new £10 per month minimum tariff I need to consider (If I want to have internet without worrying about the cost) but also the fact the O2 signal is just rubbish everywhere I go which this recent trip just cemented for me.

[aks782 phenomenon]

With gg i tend to get 3g and 3.5g quite often, with data coverage being quite reliable but quite slow tbh.

Settings make all the world of difference! You should connect to wifi and download app called “giffgaff apn” from market, that self-installs a 'good set' of settings!

[htccolumbia]

o2 signal has always been bad wherever i have been, 3g? what 3g yet there coverage map shows me there is excellent coverage in my area, on giff gaff call qaulity is worse, i feel o2 have not invested enough in this area <coverage>and lie out of there arses about the coverage well about most things, vodafone coverage is much better although hardly any 3g, t-mob signal is good here on 2g and patchy on 3g, orange is the worst though out of all the networks, 1 bar on 2g and no 3g whatsoever yet there coverage map tells a different story, remember o2 is always thinking of you and if you believe that you must be nuts

[mary_r_t big cheese]

While I find the O2 3G signal very good in Glasgow and Edinburgh it seems to disappear once you get out of the major urban areas. My parents live in East Lothian and are still 2G only - and that is a bit annoying to say the least.

[jhepper]

To be fair I've been on three providers in the last year and they all seem to have pretty bad 3G out of the big towns and citys, all countryside has rubbish 3G I swear! It's not just giffgaff I don't think

Jw

[etw]

The funny thing was in Aberdeen the singal was really weak, but when I did connect even on 1 bar it was pretty fast, I'm guessing because of the low number of people in the city, but in other places I can get a good signal but rubbish through put like there's too many people logged in at once .. all trying to download data at once.

I'm guessing this rubbish network is why O2 say they will provide people with free WiFi across the country (to take the load off thei mobile networks), although it makes no sense to me why they'd offer it to non O2 customers unless they also need to keep their Tesco and Giff Gaff customers happy also.

I'm thinking 3 Mobile might be the way to go after the 1st April once Giff Gaff begin charging for Internet - 3 seem to offer the things I use the most online for free, including MSN, Skype, Face Book, etc and their 3G signal where I live is really strong - 4 Bars, compared to almost nothing on O2.

[navi51 sensei]

I usually have good 3g in my area ( travel a lot ) except in the sticks, apart from streaming 2g is pretty good too just a bit slower

for web pages etc

googles sat nav seems to work with any data connection including wap

when I do lose the connection occasionally just switch to airplane mode and back forcing the phone to find the best signal.

[theresonlyonea…]

there are good and bad spots for every uk network, you said the signal was bad everywhere you went, this could probably be your phone or you were just very  unlucky

[dreams]

I'm in London and I find the o2 network signal is literally perfect anywhere I go! I get good 3G signal too.

[gypsy]

 the signal poor down here to.