topic Re: 4g signal in Mobile Network discussions

4g signal

bbull26 — Thu, 24 Oct 2024 12:50:57 GMT

The 4g signal has gotten worse and worse this year. Always seems to coincide with the upgrade e.g 4g going to 5g. I have been with EE for years, no issues with signal in the Surrey area, now, you hardly get a decent signal i.e. internet slow, instagram slow, YT videos slow and buffering, everything buffering.

Myself and family will probably have to move networks.

Re: 4g signal

bristolian — Thu, 24 Oct 2024 12:45:10 GMT

It's quite common for additional carriers & technologies (be it 4G or 5G) to be done as part of the same works, to save multiple outages. The general outcome should always be improved service.

Have you reported your issues? A county-shire is quite a large area - are there any specific locations you've had issues in?

Re: 4g signal

bbull26 — Thu, 24 Oct 2024 12:51:18 GMT

Contacting EE on messages. Myself and son's have noticed it more and more.

Travelling to school through Hampton, Hampton Court, Kingston areas, there is no signal. Travelling to work on train the signal drops for about 4 stations from Fulwell to Twickenham.

It was never like this before, we would know. My opinion is they had 4g and a 3g fallback if not 4g signal , so has 3g been turned off so there is no fallback??

And they are trying to push 5g phones and 5g contracts too.

Re: 4g signal

bbull26 — Thu, 24 Oct 2024 12:53:32 GMT

https://ee.co.uk/3g-switch-off

Re: 4g signal

bristolian — Thu, 24 Oct 2024 13:02:18 GMT

FYI you have a short-time after posting to edit, negating the need for multiple short replies.

@bbull26 wrote:

Travelling to school through Hampton, Hampton Court, Kingston areas, there is no signal. Travelling to work on train the signal drops for about 4 stations from Fulwell to Twickenham.

Having a complete loss-of-service across this wide a populated area, would suggest your phone may have a fault. Do other EE users have similar issues in these locations? I've personally experienced very similar symptoms to yours, which turned out to be a device fault.

You refer to the 3G switchoff. EE's 4G coverage has exceeded that of 2G & 3G for many years, and any 4G phone could always fallback to 2G in the event of it being available but 4G not. That's not changed. 5G is the next generation but still heavily relies on 4G, which is EE's base coverage layer.

Re: 4g signal

bbull26 — Thu, 24 Oct 2024 13:35:12 GMT

As stated, family has the same issue so it isnt three faulty phones.

It started with the kids complaining on the way to school that their 4g is terrible, I laughed and thought they were just being moany kids, until I can hardly connect on the train for many stations. Obviously its not the whole of the county as that would cause outcry but definitely large chunks. The travel from Lower Sunbury to Kingston and then Kingston to Ham. The main road from Hampton to Hampton Court the signal drops for a considerable amount of the journey.

Then I noticed my train journeys to work, 3 or 4 stations of no 4g on the train just buffering, kids have the same on their phones when we go on the train to Kingston. Last night my train was cancelled, I couldnt get a connection for ages to tell the wife that I had taken a different train and to see if she could collect me.

The way your saying that their 4g coverage has exceeded, makes out that I should always be having a signal, everywhere.

Re: 4g signal

bristolian — Thu, 24 Oct 2024 15:05:40 GMT

@bbull26 wrote:

The way your saying that their 4g coverage has exceeded, makes out that I should always be having a signal, everywhere.

I was explaining how 4G coverage very rarely needs any fallback.

3G technology has inherent flaws, meaning that coverage could very often shrink, thus "fallback" to 2G was always required. 4G doesn't have those same issues, but also employs low-band frequencies thus very often its coverage exceeds that of 2G.

Another way of explaining is that an EE 4G phone will get better coverage than a 3G/2G phone - there is no need for any fallback.

Re: 4g signal

brendan1556 — Tue, 12 Nov 2024 09:47:11 GMT

Agreed! I have seen my 4g just get worse and worse over the last year. When I question the operator about the fact 5g is coming out and this has happened at exactly the same time, of course they deny it.

It's obvious, to me, what is going on.

I've gone from full 4g signal to often having 1 bar. I have done full diagnostics with many operators and it's the network causing the issue.

Re: 4g signal

bristolian — Tue, 12 Nov 2024 10:46:01 GMT

@brendan1556 wrote:

It's obvious, to me, what is going on.

What's your theory?

Re: 4g signal

brendan1556 — Tue, 12 Nov 2024 11:02:13 GMT

Well, there was zero issues with 4g until recently, speed or otherwise. How can they get someone to buy 5g if 4g is totally sufficient. So, yeah this is my theory. Sad, but the likelihood is that this is true.

All of my friends on EE have all said over the last 12 months their 4g signal has deteriorated.