Impossible to make/receive calls since 2006! - should I just give up?

[Shmev]

Should I just give up with EE / being able to make a call from home?

I've lived in my home since 2006, which is a small 3 bed semi - the phone and internet signal outside of the home is very poor/ almost non existent. Postcode is LE9 2DJ - which is a large village about 5 miles from Leicester city centre.

I believe I have tried virtually everything over the years and recently.

The phone signal breaks up/ missed calls/ sounds like a dalek.

We have EE fibre broadband (we are only 200meters from telephone exchange). We have three mobile phones in the house - 1. my work phone - Samsung A32 5G, 2. My partner and my phone - Samsung S20Plus 5G. All of them are on EE network.

This is a list of just some of the things we've tried:

Made sure all phones are upto date, replaced sim cards for new.

Moved EE router several times to various locations

Replaced EE router to the new Smart EE router, AND installed three of the booster disks.

We've had the line to the house tested several times - no issues found.

We've tried resetting all routers and phones.

We've changed many settings on all phones with the advise from EE technical.

We've been put through to endless amounts of 'EE technical' staff with no resolve (we generally get passed from "its a broadband issue - its a mobile phone issue")

Just as an example - I have just received a call on my work phone - they could not hear me as they said my voice kept breaking up. So they called again from another phone, but still had same issue, and then they called again from yet another phone and still had same issue. I tried walking around the house but it did not improve - I was literally stood 4ft away from the router and still could not hear.

Note: there seems to be no issues with my internet, only ever phone calls.

Please can someone resolve???

[bristolian]

I sympathise!

Does your phone definitely show WiFi-calling and not VoLTE/4G-call when this happens?

If in doubt, put flight mode on then enable WiFi manually- so as to force no mobile coverage and be sure VoWiFi is triggered.

Useful to eliminate if you're actually using a weak mobile signal and the router is a red herring. WiFi-calling should trigger in these circumstances but let's make sure.

[Shmev]

Thank you.

Yes I'm certain it's on. It shows the normal full Wi-Fi bars, then next to it the small telephone symbol with bars above it, and the normal phone reception bars are at zero.

EE have suggested that also - that everytime I arrive at home and leave that I should put it on flight mode on and enable Wi-Fi.......... as you can imagine I don't really want to do that everytime I arrive/leave home.

We live in a very small 3 bed semi, and I now have more Wi-Fi around the house than most shopping centres lol. We have the new smart router plus 3 booster disks - yet still can't make/receive a call

[Shmev]

Well I finally got a conclusion from EE with this on-going issue.

Conclusion from EE technical support is  ......... move to another network ?!? 

"EE the UK's best network" .......... apart from phone calls at home it seems..........

Hi Kevin

Just a follow up from our conversation today.

You have recently getting in touch to report very little signal where you live which has been ongoing since 2006. You have had several conversations with us to which we have advised of WiFi calls.

Unfortunately this has not rectified the issue and when speaking to broadband they have also said nothing further they can do to support.

We know the device works as WiFi calls work elsewhere as you have mentioned  which would point this to be an isolated issue in your property.

As such I have advised today nothing further form a technical stand can be done to achieve a better signal and the best option for yourself at this stage would be to look into leaving us for a different provider.

Sorry I was unable to assist further"

[Leanne_T]

I'm very sorry to hear we are unable to resolve this for you @Shmev

Leanne. 

[Mustrum]

@Shmev   whist I can understand you don't want to switch to flight mode and turn on WiFi every time you get home, have you at least tried this to see if it works?

It would help narrow down the issue.

[Shmev]

Hi, thanks for your message.

I've just tried that with my daughter's phone whilst she's here.

She has an Iphone and I have Samsung S20...... we both turned flight mode on, and both then turned Wi-Fi on.

And then called each other in the house (different rooms)........ the phone signal was bad and like a dalek again?

[Mustrum]

@Shmev   thanks for that, could you each try a call to a land line if possible and le us know if you get a different result?

[Shmev]

Luckily we have a landline here so I've just put both phones again on flight mode and turned Wi-Fi on, and called the landline from both phones - both calls seemed ok

[Mustrum]

Sorry for the delay @Shmev  I had to pop out for an appointment at the local eye hospital just after my last post.

Still, at least some progress by the sound of it. You at least know WiFi calling can work. But it seems like many others, mobile phones are not great when the mobile signal is low and struggles to switch to WiFi. I believe there may be settings to help prioritise WiFi in those conditions, perhaps @bristolian  or @Chris_B  can help?

Is there a reason you have been with EE for so long, have you tried to see what other mobile provider are able to offer in your area? https://checker.ofcom.org.uk/en-gb/mobile-coverage 

[bristolian]

Many Android phones have the option to set "mobile preferred" or "WiFi-preferred" which may assist here, now you've proven WiFi-calling works.

WiFi-calling options within "call settings" menu