Cell Signal dead, Whitehaven

[Yzerman19]

Could someone from the company reply and give an estimate for the the signal (calls and data) outage in the Whitehaven area?

No signal since Thursday, and one message that there'll be an update on Friday 31st (over a week on from the initial failure) is pretty unacceptable.

Before anyone advises dialling 150, there literally is no signal and works phones block the landline number. Similarly, tethering personal devices to works' WiFi is not permissible. 

[bristolian]

Network faults happen in any location from time-to-time, voice calls & mobile data use the same network signal and are thus similarly affected.

Most site faults are resolved in a short time and are often back on-air in a couple of days where physical site attendance is required. Sometimes there can be third party issues or other related delays and this is extended - it's never intentional and restoration is always ASAP.

If you want specifics on this instance, then the only people that can assist will be CS - although you may have to speak to numerous agents before finding one with fault-ticketing-access. And even then, it depends what they can tell you and/or what specifics are of any interest.

[Northerner]

Hi @Yzerman19 

Have you reported via the service checker:

https://ee.co.uk/help/service-status

EE are aware of an issue. Regrettably sometimes services fail.

Thanks 

[650Max]

The outage has been going on since the morning of the 21st, it would be helpful if someone were to advise what the problem is, what is being done to fix it and when it is expected to be sorted. 

The occasional emails and texts to say "you're working on it" aren't really satisfactory.

[bristolian]

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@650Max wrote:

The outage has been going on since the morning of the 21st, it would be helpful if someone were to advise what the problem is

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Out of interest, what level of technical detail are you seeking? The serving site is likely off-air.

[650Max]

Why is it off air?  If it needs critical spares, why aren't they available off the shelf?  When is it expected to be back on air? 

When customers aren't receiving the service they're paying for, they're entitled to a little more than just "we're working on it", the reluctance to tell us anything worthwhile comes across as evasive and does nothing to alleviate the frustration of not being able to make and receive calls outside the home. Being honest and up-front might just help in these circumstances.

[bristolian]

The updates on the status tool suggest an access issue here. These are unfortunate and can be frustrating, but where third party delays or complications are concerned - these are not always in EE's direct control.

[650Max]

So they've positioned a mast where they can't get to it? Genius.

Is it on the roof of the BT exchange by any chance?

[bristolian]

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@650Max wrote:

So they've positioned a mast where they can't get to it?

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No, a problem gaining access. It could be a legal one, it could be a H&S one, there's numerous possibilities. I don't know for sure, I'm surmising from the updates sent out by the status tool.

[Yzerman19]

Third party or not, folks have a contract with EE for a cell phone service. We pay for signal, and data, and pay handsomely at that. 

Gas, electricity, water... even Sky tv, they all update consumers in cases of outages with estimates for a return to service. EE? Nothing. "Something's wrong, we'll be back in touch in a week" *is not good enough*.

Tell us the problem. 

Tell us the estimate on the fix. 

Assure us we'll be refunded for loss of service. It ain't ideal, but it tells customers the company cares for more than our monthly bill payment.

And do those things without us having to jump through hoops, without having to resort to a "forum of last resort"...

EE should monitor these, it's on their website after all, and you need a customer account for access, so it's not just a talking shop.

Now, as an update, I have had a response from a complaint email, but again, that doesn't tell me when the service I pay for will be fixed. Just acknowledges that yes, there's a problem. They do say we can claim credit on the account after the fix, but also that they'll just close the complaint in 28 days unless the customer pushes. It's just not good customer services.