topic Coverage in South Norwood in Mobile Network discussions

Coverage in South Norwood

Leanne_T — Thu, 06 Mar 2025 12:08:57 GMT

Update: 6 March 2025

Over the past few days, our engineers have installed the transmission and integrated the mast onto the network. The mast is now on-air, restoring full service to the South Norwood area.

We will continue to monitor performance in the area.

Update: 28 February 2025

Over the past few weeks, our engineers have accessed the area and completed building the equipment needed for the new mast and are waiting for the transmission to be installed. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, we expect the transmission to be installed and the mast to be on-air by the middle of March.

We will keep you updated on this post.

We are aware of a signal issue that is affecting some of our customers in the South Norwood area. Our mast in the area had to be removed from the existing site during January 2025, as this was requested by the landowner. Our engineers began looking for a new location as soon as we were made aware our equipment had to be removed.

Our engineers have completed surveys and designs at one location, and found the area will be suitable for the equipment. We are currently working with the landowner to access the area and start building the equipment needed for the new mast. Pending a positive outcome from the negations, we can start building the equipment and confirm an approximate on-air date for the new mast.

We will keep you updated on this post.

We’re sorry for any inconvenience caused. In the meantime, you may be able to use WiFi Calling to make and receive calls and texts over a WiFi connection.

For information on who can use WiFi Calling and how to set up this service, please see our Using WiFi Calling, Help page.

Leanne.

Re: Coverage in South Norwood

Dangerousdriver — Wed, 22 Jan 2025 17:24:54 GMT

I too have found the reception to be utterly ridiculous and I am unable to make calls or use the data plan I pay for.

I work in the Network Rail depot next to Norwood Junction Station (SE25 5AG) and whilst I was calling customer services the call dropped 5 times due to the lack of a cell tower in the area. I am unable to use Wi-Fi at work for my phone or tablet as it only allows corporate devices to be connected to them, so I have to rely on EE’s data which up until recently has always been brilliant. The speeds I am currently getting on 5G is 1.4mb/s download and 0001mb/s upload meaning I cannot do anything at all.

I too was told about the decommissioning of the mast, but was not told it was being repaired, and that parts were on order. I was not given any timeframe for this happening as the agent I spoke to said there were no notes on their system. He gave me a fault reference for this which is INC000093161128.

I was credited £135.50 as my tablet and phone are now all useless during my shifts at work. I was told to explore getting a router and using another provider’s SIM card in it, but this is not going to work for me.

Ultimately EE cannot provide any reasonable timeframe as to when the service, so I cannot see why I cannot be released from my contract to find a provider that can provide the service I am paying for. I give EE over £240 a month for my devices and have noticed a steady decline in service all over, not just in the SE25 area.

Re: Coverage in South Norwood

Dangerousdriver — Wed, 22 Jan 2025 17:32:01 GMT

Hi Leanne,

I work in the South Norwood area and have like many others suffered a complete dropout in service since the decommissioning of the mast. I am unable to make or receive calls, nor even browse a webpage rendering my phone and iPad in the time I am at work useless.

I have been credited £135.50 back this month for my iPhone and iPad, but moving forwards I cannot afford to be without a useable phone or data service. It is clear that it is going to take many many months if not years to rectify this issue that now exists. Therefore, with no timeline in the horizon for this situation to be rectified, surely EE are in breach of contract as they cannot provide me with a useable service.

At work, I am solely reliant on the data service provided by EE, which is why I paid for the unlimited and uncapped speed, so that it was able to be used for work and personal matters.

I realise these things are sometimes unavoidable, but there was no communication to customers prior to this mast decommissioning and it has left me with even less confidence in EE than I had previously.

Re: Coverage in South Norwood

NotKevinBacon19 — Wed, 22 Jan 2025 17:42:45 GMT

This outage has been going on for over two weeks. I have regularly been contacting the EE technical "help" people and not one of them has been able to give me any information other than the mast is out of service. Absolutely no suggestion that this likely to go on for weeks. How can the network that boasts so loudly in its adverts about being regularly voted best in the UK be so bad at communication?

Re: Coverage in South Norwood

Dangerousdriver — Wed, 22 Jan 2025 19:02:40 GMT

I also spoke to the technical team and like you they don’t know what’s going on and couldn’t give me any idea whatsoever as to when this situation might improve. I am confused however as the agent I spoke to yesterday informed me there was an issue with that mast that meant the decision was taken to decommission it whilst parts were sourced. However, after reading this post it would appear that is in fact not the case!

EE did not provide any communication whatsoever as to this decommissioning, therefore as my service is not in any way useable then I cannot see how they can keep me locked into a contract when they are in breach by virtue of not being able to provide a service to me.

If they spent as much on maintaining their masts as they do paying Kevin Bacon to tell us how great their service is then their network might be half decent.

I am not willing to jump through hoops every month to have my lines credited, and in the meantime I have spoken to Vodafone who I will swap to as soon as I am able to. They offer a proper 5G unlimited data router for £35 a month which I am happy to get if EE credit me the value, so I am not out of pocket for their lack of foresight.

Re: Coverage in South Norwood

220K — Wed, 22 Jan 2025 18:32:37 GMT

Hi Danagerousdriver unfortunately the issue is affecting multiple networks in the area EE mobile, Three Mobile and 02 are affected I think also Vodafone so it's simply not a matter of ending a contract and going with another provider hopefully the networks are able to get a new mast installed as quickly as possible and they might also need planning permission from Croydon Council which unfortunately leads to delays I think it's really out of the networks hands if a site has been told a phone mast can no longer be used there hopefully keep an eye on the community forums and any updates and solutions will hopefully get posted here and hopefully ee will keep all customers updated until this matter is resolved hopefully there be working on it as quickly as they can

Re: Coverage in South Norwood

bristolian — Thu, 23 Jan 2025 08:35:41 GMT

@Dangerousdriver wrote:

If they spent as much on maintaining their masts as they do paying Kevin Bacon to tell us how great their service is then their network might be half decent.

Sites removed due to landlord &/or legal issues such as this example, are different to the maintenance & Field Ops budget.

It's different again, to the tech & capacity-adds pot which allows for increased usage to be catered for.

Re: Coverage in South Norwood

Agnieszkarz — Fri, 24 Jan 2025 11:25:23 GMT

I have the same problem as others. I had no communication whatsoever from EE about this problem. I rely on the data, it works as WiFi at my home, because I can't get normal broadband here. I have contacted EE online and in the store. No one was able to help me in any way, also I posted about it in the EE community, but still didn't get any reasonable answer on what was going on until I found this post myself.
When I contacted customer service on the Chat I was told they placed a complaint in my name, but it ended there.
I didn't get any refund, they said I need to contact EE yet again on the phone. It's ridiculous. I took the unlimited data sim card at the end of last year and I regret that as it is my first time with EE and it's completely let down. I never had such a bad experience with customer service as it is in the EE.
Can I get any advice here on what I should do next? Because I can't live without the internet and I can't afford to take another one from a different provider.

Re: Coverage in South Norwood

KayFab — Fri, 24 Jan 2025 14:07:29 GMT

Disgusting service, no network for over 2 weeks.

Unable to make calls, unable to use the internet, currently on BT Broadband but my home is unable to get a fibre connection so speeds are generally poor - heavily relied on EE personal hotspotting my mobile if I needed faster speeds for the type of work I do but I haven't received any updates or been contacted by EE about this issue. I raised this with them on 3 occasions and they came back lying saying there are no issues .

The root of the problem is the mast atop the block of flats off of Sunny Bank, the building is being decommissioned/destroyed and power to the building and mast has been completely switched off, this building and mast is in viewing distance of my house and I correlated the issues once I noticed the construction work around the site.

I can't call 150 because there is no coverage, and I don't have a spare line. Please sort this out or reimburse the many people going through this issue.

Re: Coverage in South Norwood

220K — Fri, 24 Jan 2025 16:58:39 GMT

KayFab ask BT if you can get fibre to the cabinet part fibre and part cooper you have to call bt broadband 08000282020 go though to sales and say you would like fibre to the cabinet also go to openreach website and check your postcode it will tell you what's available in your area https://www.openreach.com/

Re: Coverage in South Norwood

220K — Fri, 24 Jan 2025 17:02:51 GMT

KayFab your looking for something like this under the Openreach website if it says available you can speak with BT sales about getting upgraded

Re: Coverage in South Norwood

PauloRamos — Tue, 28 Jan 2025 08:26:24 GMT

I don't have connection since 6 January..customer service was horrible until now ..I had to pay my bill on total..I have 3 phones in this contract without coverage..now they told me next month bill will be reflected the issue ..any updates was sended ..unbelievable treatment from EE ..first information the issue should be solved until 13 January..until today nothing at all ..

Re: Coverage in South Norwood

JaneNicholl74 — Wed, 05 Feb 2025 18:59:38 GMT

When will this be sorted? The situation is ridiculous. I am having to stand outside of my home to make and receive calls, and I have missed many important calls from numbers that don't do WiFi calling.

Re: Coverage in South Norwood

bristolian — Wed, 05 Feb 2025 22:31:35 GMT

@JaneNicholl74 wrote:

I have missed many important calls from numbers that don't do WiFi calling.

Sounds like you misunderstand what WiFi-calling is. I think you take it to mean using apps such as WhatsApp, Messenger and suchlike, in which case you're correct - you can only communicate between other users of that app.

WiFi-calling is not this, but simply allows you to use WiFi instead of mobile coverage, as your connection to EE's central network. How the other party to a WiFi-call connects to their network is immaterial - it could be a landline in Edinburgh, a mobile in Exeter, or a business in Eastbourne. Once your phone has WiFi-calling enabled, you continue to make & receive calls using your phone's normal dialler.

Re: Coverage in South Norwood

hortonmatty1210 — Sun, 09 Feb 2025 07:30:19 GMT

Will i be refunded my contract charges due to not being i formed that my area will have coverage problems because why should i pay for a service i am not getting this is completely unexceptable

Re: Coverage in South Norwood

NotKevinBacon19 — Sun, 09 Feb 2025 07:40:14 GMT

I find that the problem with WiFi calling is that it is not reliable, it consistently drops calls. Every time I make or receive a call now I have to immediately explain at the start of the conversation that the call might be dropped. The whole situation is a disgrace. EE can't be held responsible for the landlord deciding to remove the mast (for whatever reason), but the way they have handled the situation is appalling. Even now, weeks into this situation with all these comments and complaints they can't even be bothered to respond or post an update.

Re: Coverage in South Norwood

bristolian — Sun, 09 Feb 2025 09:50:05 GMT

@NotKevinBacon19 wrote:

I find that the problem with WiFi calling is that it is not reliable, it consistently drops calls. Every time I make or receive a call now I have to immediately explain at the start of the conversation that the call might be dropped.

WiFi-calling is fundamentally a reliable service quite capable of holding calls just as well as the mobile network is.

I suspect you have WiFi-calling enabled, but your phone is not using it due to some mobile coverage being present. Either that, or your phone is losing WiFi signal and attempting a handover to a non-existing mobile signal.

Testing using flight mode enabled, and WiFi-activated manually, should prove this either way.

Re: Coverage in South Norwood

Will01692 — Tue, 18 Feb 2025 11:09:41 GMT

This has been a month since your update and no further information has been provided and there is still no connection at home. This has been nearly two months with no data connection. there needs to be some compensation as I have two devices that are not doing what I am paying for. this is a complete shambles and there has been no communication to your customers.

Re: Coverage in South Norwood

hortonmatty1210 — Tue, 18 Feb 2025 12:27:18 GMT

I will be leaving ee due to this so 2 moblie contracts and home internet im
fed up paying for a bad service

Re: Coverage in South Norwood

Sch275 — Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:20:37 GMT

You will have to contact EE and ask for a refund. The gaslighting at the start of this debacle was next level. When they finally admitted there was an issue they offered to discount the bill. If they haven’t sorted it out within 3 months they have to release you from your contract according to ofcom.

I have been a customer since 1997 when I joined Orange and have been brand loyal ever since but they have absolutely lost me as a customer over how this has been handled.