Phone Networks

[liberatordeluxe]

Hope this is ok to post as its to do with the home etc.

What mobile network in general has the best signal for voice calls and texting? Obviously does depend on location but overall? Mainly use it in rural areas. This thread is aimed at UK only forum users.

 

[warmsecondrinse]

All cell networks have dead zones of varying sizes. I suspect you'll need to be more specific as to which areas you need coverage in.

Just my 2 cents

Jim

 

[liamy1]

I have

Just last month, left a mobile phone provider after over 10 years employment with them.

I know O2 had the least amount of dropped calls of all the UK networks.

However, no network can guarantee coverage of 100% of the landmass, also signal will be affected by the building you're in, (example signal doesn't pass through a stone cottage wall as easily as a modern glass apartment etc).

Also the equipment you're using will affect signal (different phones receive signal differently).

Then there is network demand and distance between you and the mast/cell tower. The more people using the same network in the same area as you, will all affect the signal you get.

However the networks honestly do always try to give you the best signal they can give you all the time, so in the main, you should be fine.

For your area, it is going to be trial and error as to the best provider.

 

[hoovermad]

Down south here in the New Forest, EE/Orange gives the best coverage and Vodafone is by far the worst. As mentioned earlier, it is very dependant on area. My partner is on O2 which is much better when we are in Devon visiting her relatives there.

 

[arbilab]

I have all the bars it's possible to have. When I called AT&T to complain about EVERY call getting dropped at least 3 times, the tech had to call me back TWELVE TIMES because the network dropped the call.

Did they know it was broken? Yes, the tower was logged as 'unsuitable for voice' whatever that means. Did they have any plan to fix it? It was on their wish list but realistically, no.

Ask any AT&T U-verse customer. I've never heard one say anything good. Their landline DSL and TV 'attempt' aren't even in the same arena as landline cable, about which nobody raves either. They bought DirectTV, rated number LAST in cust sat without taking into account their sales contractors' lying.

Nuff said.

 

[warmsecondrinse]

Three years ago when my Sprint contract ended I compared the other networks. T-Mobile had the smallest footprint. At&T and Verizon had nearly the same. much larger footprint. One of the major magazines (CNET, IIRC) compard those two. At&T had higher average speeds than Verizon, but also had more dropped calls, dropped data connections, and dead zones than Verizon. I went with Verizon largely because none of the places I went to regularly seems to be Verizon dead zones. I've been very happy with them, but I realize that it's more luck than anything else that my life just happens not to take me into any Verizon dead zones.

When choosing a cell service provider it's important to check those 4 companies: AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint. Why? These companies own the only physical nationwide cell networks. EVERYBODY uses one of the 4, no matter what your phone or your bill says. ALL the other companies use one or two of these 4 networks. SimpleMobile uses T-Mobile. Virgin uses Sprint. Google "MVNO" and you'll see.

Jim