Mobile internet dropping out continuously

[Seadrex]

The last fortnight or so (possibly slightly longer but I don't think so) my mobile internet has gone from pretty much perfect to a nightmare. In areas where I would usually have 4g and perfect signal, I now find the internet either disappears completely or displays the E symbol, the VoLTE symbol flashes on and off like it's available then unavailable multiple times a second, and my actual phone signal is tanked while this is happening.

I only noticed this start after I installed the latest security update although I have been searching for days and can't find anyone else having a problem with the update so I suspect it's sheer coincidence,  but I mention it just in case.

I've tried checking for updates, clearing the cache of various apps mentioned in posts with similar problems, resetting the network connections as advised in other posts, turning off 2g and 5g in network options, turning off the developer option to keep the mobile data constantly on... Nothing.

I've only noticed it happening with I'm on mobile data, and then only when I'm outside of the house. I can't call customer services because I have a toddler and a phone call that could last 5 minutes or several hours simply isn't on the cards for me, live chat doesn't seem to exist on my help section in the app, and my nearest EE shop is over a half hour away by car which isn't an option for me at the moment.

Twitter just says to check the network in my area but when I try I get an error message (I'm not the only one who's having that issue so I suspect the problem is the network checker rather than the network itself)

I'm using an up-to-date Moto G54 5g (android 14) and I'm on pay as you go with a subscription pack )I can't see that mattering because the phone is almost a year old and the subscription pack is even older but you never know.)

So, does anyone have idea what the heck is going on? I don't have another phone I can put my SIM into, but the SIM is only as old as the phone so I can't see how it could be either of them that's at fault, especially as a friend has the same phone (locked to a different network) and isn't having problems (I have taken out, wiped, and reinserted in the SIM just in case, although the phone hasn't been banged or dropped so I didn't expect it to help)

Sorry for the wall of text, being annoyed makes me blabber

[Seadrex]

Glad I waited before marking this as solved - my signal is occasionally better with the changed APN settings, but worse than before at other times. 

I'm actually starting to think it's the mobile network itself rather than just the mobile internet so I'm going to look for some solutions to that and post back 

[Peter_W]

Thanks for the update @Seadrex, I'm disappointed to hear that this suggestion hasn't fully resolved things just yet. 

Please keep us posted on how you get on, if possible it's worth trying your SIM in a different device, as this can help highlight if it's a problem specific to this handset, or if it's linked with the network or SIM.

Peter

[Seadrex]

Definitely NOT the mobile data. My signal just had a 3 minute long freak out while I'm sat at home with my WiFi turned on. EE's network it is. Quite how I'm meant to sort that when EE can't even check the service status in my area is anyone's guess 

[Leanne_T]

Hi @Seadrex 

I am sorry this has continued. 

If you call us on 150, the team will get the service looked into for you and get this reported if needed. 

Please let us know how you get on. 

Leanne.

[Michael1975xxx]

I have the same issue. I take the train and as I go through different areas. In some I have a signal, others it says voLTE 5g with the voLTE flashing and I have no signal at all. Motorola g54 5g

[Seadrex · Accepted solution]

@jpwuk @Michael1975xxx 

Searching through various sites and I found a bunch of people complaining about 5g messing with their signal everywhere since the Huawei ban. No idea if that's actually the reason, but it led me to try a more nuclear option and turn off 5g fully on my phone. Haven't had so much as a flicker since I did it.

It's pretty easy to do, BUT! I have no idea if this is a permanent fix OR what might happen if you do this wrong so follow at your discretion.

Open your dialler and enter *#*#4636#*#*

It'll open a debugging menu. Select 5g/LTE debugging information. Then press the 3 dots on the top right corner and press NR options. Then press disable NR.

5g is now turned off and hopefully our crappy signal will be a bit more stable. 

I'm not going to make this as a solution until I've had a good 72 hours without issues, fingers crossed I'll be back doing that soon

[bristolian]

The 5G/Huawei idea is a wonderful conspiracy theory but sadly not true.

There's an ongoing swapout programme for Huawei radios to be replaced with either Nokia or Ericsson on a site-by-site basis. It's separate from the BAU 4G/5G rollout, although sometimes the activities are combined.

[Skip6163]

Re..."The last fortnight or so (possibly slightly longer but I don't think so) my mobile internet has gone from pretty much perfect to a nightmare. In areas where I would usually have 4g and perfect signal, I now find the internet either disappears completely or displays the E symbol, the VoLTE symbol flashes on and off like it's available then unavailable multiple times a second, and my actual phone signal is tanked while this is happening."

Exactly same for me. Problem/real annoyance is it's random so you may miss an important call...grr.

Would appear it's only evident on 5g-enabled phones.....(Seems ok if I put Sim into an older 4g phone)

[Seadrex]

I strongly suspect the idea originated with people who were annoyed they had to switch brands in order to upgrade, and it's being used as an explanation by others who can't get any help from their various networks to fix the problems they're having. 

Whatever the reason may be, it's looking likely what I thought was a mobile data issue is actually a network signal issue and that its the 5g that's causing it.

Seeing as EE can't even fix their service status checker I highly doubt they'll ever solve this problem either, so I guess the solution really is to disable 5g (and hope 4g doesn't get switched off any time soon lol)

[Seadrex]

Definitely try and find how to disable 5g. I haven't had a single problem since I did it and I'm going to mark it as the solution to this thread