3G getting unusable in London

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Discussion

croyde

Original Poster:

22,709 posts

229 months

Wednesday 1st October 2014
quotequote all
Anyone else finding this?

I have a Samsung S3 and most of the time it shows a full signal with either 3G, 3G+ or H showing yet it either takes forever to download a simple page or just can't do it at all.

It's daytime in my flat at the mo' and I have a full signal yet can't get on the net, although via WiFi everything is fine. A couple of hours ago, in Richmond Park with a low signal it had no problem uploading a photo.

Last night back in my flat in SW London it had no problem with Netflix, yet during the day on trains to and from East London, full signal but not usable.

I wondered if it was my phone but a quick search on line shows others complaining of the same thing.

Originally I only ever got this problem at big events like festivals as everyone is on their phones, facebook, twitter etc. I would switch my phone back to the old GSM network so I could still make calls and texts because I was working and had to keep in touch with workmates.

Is the London network crumbling with all the smart phones on line, especially as people have unlimited data contracts now or have the mobile companies taken down 3G masts in order to switch over to 4G?

Jaldi

1,195 posts

234 months

Wednesday 1st October 2014
quotequote all
I was at Urban Golf by Smithfield Market just now and couldn't get any data connection until I turned on LTE. The 4G/LTE is good there but 3G non-existent

vescaegg

25,489 posts

166 months

Wednesday 1st October 2014
quotequote all
I've noticed that since getting a 4G capable phone, I hardly get anything when in a 3G area now.

Properly rapid when 4G is available though.

Does one overrule the other and take all the data for itself? No idea how these things work!

surveyor

17,768 posts

183 months

Wednesday 1st October 2014
quotequote all
I'm getting increasingly frustrated with Vodafone on both 3G and GSM. Getting increasingly difficult to hold a conversation without it dropping, or at least this is how it feels.

BlackLabel

13,251 posts

122 months

Wednesday 1st October 2014
quotequote all
I hear this a lot now - people saying that 3G internet speeds have dropped since 4G was enabled.

http://www.theguardian.com/money/2013/dec/17/mobil...


Eversleigh

574 posts

184 months

Wednesday 1st October 2014
quotequote all
Waterloo station from 17:00 - 19:00 full service and showing 3G and zero data until the train has passed Vauxhall. Happens frequently in London.

The Restorer

841 posts

227 months

Wednesday 1st October 2014
quotequote all
Giffgaff (O2) and rarely get a signal when travelling from Berkshire to Lancashire. This was not an issue six months ago. Caved in and moved to 3 now. Me and the Mrs had 4G capable phones anyway...

petemurphy

10,108 posts

182 months

Wednesday 1st October 2014
quotequote all
least you have it - here where i live in oxfordshire i have no o2 signal at all. mobile signals and 3g are shockingly bad in this country and are holding us back.

Hackney

6,811 posts

207 months

Wednesday 1st October 2014
quotequote all
Eversleigh said:
Waterloo station from 17:00 - 19:00 full service and showing 3G and zero data until the train has passed Vauxhall. Happens frequently in London.
This.

And try getting 3G at a football game, anywhere. Impossible.

Mr Will

13,719 posts

205 months

Wednesday 1st October 2014
quotequote all
3G masts are being taken down and replaced by 4G ones, resulting in congestion on the remaining masts. Not a lot you can do about it except upgrade to a 4G phone really frown

Alex

9,975 posts

283 months

Wednesday 1st October 2014
quotequote all
Eversleigh said:
Waterloo station from 17:00 - 19:00 full service and showing 3G and zero data until the train has passed Vauxhall. Happens frequently in London.
Same for me, but on 4G I get superfast data at Waterloo.



V8A*ndy

3,695 posts

190 months

Wednesday 1st October 2014
quotequote all
I have this problem in Belfast.

Unlimited data plan on 3g. When it won't download anything I switch to 2g and usually get E and it works fine then.


AmitG

3,272 posts

159 months

Wednesday 1st October 2014
quotequote all
I'm really glad it's not just me. I thought it was either my phone or a recent software upgrade that had knackered it.

3G on 3 is now borderline unusable in inner/central London for me. My phone supports 4G but I used to keep it turned off in the interests of battery life. I will try enabling it.


casbar

1,102 posts

214 months

Wednesday 1st October 2014
quotequote all
Eversleigh said:
Waterloo station from 17:00 - 19:00 full service and showing 3G and zero data until the train has passed Vauxhall. Happens frequently in London.
I catch the train from Waterloo everyday around 18:00, never had any issue with 3G, I usually answer emails before leaving Waterloo.

Uncle John

4,271 posts

190 months

Wednesday 1st October 2014
quotequote all
Yep had this really bad in the last year or so, but why?

Plenty of people still have 3G and to think that in Central London you can not get a decent signal is ridiculous.

bigfoot7

340 posts

243 months

Wednesday 1st October 2014
quotequote all
Mr Will said:
3G masts are being taken down and replaced by 4G ones, resulting in congestion on the remaining masts. Not a lot you can do about it except upgrade to a 4G phone really :
3G and 2G for that matter are actually being upgraded along with the 4G roll out. Voice calls are still carried over 3G so you can't replace those masts completely. 3G should get better as more of the data traffic is done over 4G, but it's a huge roll out programme.

boxst

3,699 posts

144 months

Thursday 2nd October 2014
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surveyor said:
I'm getting increasingly frustrated with Vodafone on both 3G and GSM. Getting increasingly difficult to hold a conversation without it dropping, or at least this is how it feels.
Yes. Vodafone has terrible reception for most of my journey and parts of London. However, I just got an iPhone 6 (that has compatible 4G unlike the 5) and I do get quite a good 4G signal in places where there was no data before.

AndStilliRise

2,295 posts

115 months

Thursday 2nd October 2014
quotequote all
Yeah my S3 is not usable in London.

At home, when I switch to 3G the connection works downstairs but not upstairs.

Shockingly bad.

V8A*ndy

3,695 posts

190 months

Thursday 2nd October 2014
quotequote all
I've also found that very often if you go into settings and reset the phones APNs to default, 3g suddenly starts working again.

Maybe this is another issue altogether.

Puggit

48,355 posts

247 months

Thursday 2nd October 2014
quotequote all
Vodafone 3G has been unusable in the City for quite a few years now. Also happened once in Guildford for me.

As others say, it's like being in a stadium.