Mobile Network recommendations from Outdoor Enthusiasts?

[DeLorean75]

Hi

Am seeking recommendations for a mobile phone network for coverage in the outdoors in the UK more specifically north wales (snowdonia) and Scotland (various - assynt, aviemore in particular) as well as mourne mountains, NI.

I have had some recommendations for EE and am close to pulling the trigger on this one.

Just thought I would put a shout out lest there were any strong views from folk that are active in the outdoors in this country?

Many thanks!

[Bill]

I use Vodafone, mainly because I always have and all the others I tried are crap where I live. It's often rubbish in the valleys (Snowdonia and the Lakes) but great on top.

[Bill]

BTW if you're thinking of rescue, I got a PLB which you can use on land as well as water. I mainly got it for sea kayaking but take it climbing too.

[vikingaero]

I carry 2 phones when caving as you can still get a signal under ventilation shafts etc. But being in the valleys and rural areas is a little random. You can be near a large settlement with no signal and conversely in buttfksville with full-on 4G. One phone is on Vodafone and the other is on EE. Friends have phones on O2 & Three. In my experience I would say that EE is better - maybe only 5-10% better.

[DeLorean75]

Thanks. I know if it's a true emergency you can pick up any signal but am with 3 and have just nothing near Snowdon (ex llanberis obv), peaks or Aviemore area so can't message mates / climbing club to say on way back etc which is highly frustrating.

[Bill]

Ogwen valley is crap with Voda, but once you're up a few hundred feet seems ok. I posted a photo to WhatsApp halfway up Idwal slabs. Top of the pass is fine, not sure about lower down. You're probably better asking on UKclimbing TBH.

ETA thinking about it, we were camped in the valley by Little Tryfan and I could get a bit of signal on the bog.

Edited by Bill on Saturday 29th February 18:19

[vikingaero]

Get a handful of PAYG SIM cards from various mobile providers or £1 in Poundland. Bonus if they offer some free credit and they normally make you register the SIM for free credit. Then try them in the areas you commonly visit. I have one of these super slim mobiles with the Vodafone card in:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ultra-slim-Cell-Phone-C...

[sam.rog]

I live in snowdonia. EE is the best for this area. O2 are st and so is Vodafone. I have a works phone was Vodafone couldn’t get a signal and had 4g on ee. Now with O2 1 bar but no data. Signal constantly drops out.
I get 4g on the top of Snowdon, Tryfan and the Carneddau. Only place I don’t is Bontnewydd but its a signal black hole around there any way.

[DeLorean75]

vikingaero said:

Get a handful of PAYG SIM cards from various mobile providers or £1 in Poundland. Bonus if they offer some free credit and they normally make you register the SIM for free credit. Then try them in the areas you commonly visit. I have one of these super slim mobiles with the Vodafone card in:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ultra-slim-Cell-Phone-C...

Now that is slim - good shout - did same with my Nokia 8310 with an 02 card

[DeLorean75]

Thanks for various options - priced things up last night - does seem like I will pay a few extra quid pcm for moving away from 3 and end up somewhere around £19/20 pcm for EE (more than required 25gb pcm). Vod does have 5gb for 16pcm. Anyway it's there or thereabouts (20 quid). Thanks for various inputs.

[NDA]

If your phone supports it, you can have an electronic (eSIM) SIM and have, effectively, 2 cards in the phone and both working at the same time.

I have Vodafone and EE on my iPhone - EE is undoubtedly the better network in my experience, which is in and out of London from Hampshire.

[DeLorean75]

Interesting - wasn't aware of it - no my humble Moto G series doesn't support but good thought.

Lot of positive noises for EE

Cheers

[stevoknevo]

DeLorean75 said:

Interesting - wasn't aware of it - no my humble Moto G series doesn't support but good thought.

Lot of positive noises for EE

Cheers

I'm in the west coast of Scotland and on BT which uses EE's network (unsurprising given BT own EE) and are cheaper than EE - EE have taken over the Emergency Services network from Vodafone and have put in a lot of infrastructure here but there's still plenty of dead spots between the main towns (which are 40-50 miles apart). My Mrs is on Vodafone and she gets service where I don't and vice versa. I'm happy with BT's coverage for my use and it also gives you access to their WiFi hotspot network.

[Chozza]

For real outdoors - i found mobile networks a bit limiting !

I've rented sat phones in the past , but the price of a decent satphone is now cheap enough to consider buying one and using prepaid plans

[PF62]

No experience, but I recall this one was mentioned on the news a few years back, as it is effectively a foreign sim that roams onto Vodafone, EE, and O2 - https://anywheresim.com/ / https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-33091991

Not that cheap, but not awfully expensive for the odd phone call.

[Russ T Bolt]

stevoknevo said:

DeLorean75 said:

Interesting - wasn't aware of it - no my humble Moto G series doesn't support but good thought.

Lot of positive noises for EE

Cheers

I'm in the west coast of Scotland and on BT which uses EE's network (unsurprising given BT own EE) and are cheaper than EE - EE have taken over the Emergency Services network from Vodafone and have put in a lot of infrastructure here but there's still plenty of dead spots between the main towns (which are 40-50 miles apart). My Mrs is on Vodafone and she gets service where I don't and vice versa. I'm happy with BT's coverage for my use and it also gives you access to their WiFi hotspot network.

Not quite true.

EE will be providing ESN.

Voda have never provided ESN, previously the equivalent was provided by Airwave (still is actually, until switch over).

EE will no doubt continue to enhance their network for ESN.

[vikingaero]

Lots of YouTube adventurers use SPOT or Garmin InReach type devices:

https://www.findmespot.com/en-us/products-services

They are available on Amazon and it seems you can program the basic ones to send text messages or go for the luxury Blackberry looking version.

I've dithered with these but not looked much further into it.

[surveyor]

EE are typically better, and given that they have the ESN contract so must maintain certain coverage they have been rolling out sites in rural areas - more so than the other 3 anyway.

There has been talk of operators sharing in rural areas, but they appear to be not agreeing how to do this, with EE (BT) in particular not wanting to give away the advantage of their rural network that has been expensive to deploy.

[DeLorean75]

stevoknevo said:

I'm in the west coast of Scotland and on BT which uses EE's network (unsurprising given BT own EE) and are cheaper than EE - EE have taken over the Emergency Services network from Vodafone and have put in a lot of infrastructure here but there's still plenty of dead spots between the main towns (which are 40-50 miles apart). My Mrs is on Vodafone and she gets service where I don't and vice versa. I'm happy with BT's coverage for my use and it also gives you access to their WiFi hotspot network.

BT might have an appeal as it could dovetail into a shift to home broadband

So BT is an MVNO using EE network....but actally BT bought EE in Jan 16

It would therefore seem a fair assumption that rather than getting bumped down the priority list, as an MVNO might be, BT Mobile customers would get priority / equal treatment to EE (i'm thinking when there is very limited network coverage)

[DeLorean75]

stevoknevo said:

I'm in the west coast of Scotland and on BT which uses EE's network (unsurprising given BT own EE) and are cheaper than EE - EE have taken over the Emergency Services network from Vodafone and have put in a lot of infrastructure here but there's still plenty of dead spots between the main towns (which are 40-50 miles apart). My Mrs is on Vodafone and she gets service where I don't and vice versa. I'm happy with BT's coverage for my use and it also gives you access to their WiFi hotspot network.

PS any issues with customer service / app / roaming overseas? (BT)

Thanks