Mast Fix Rural Scotland

[Jas771]

Our village is in a very rural area. 
We all have antennas to receive an EE signal from 14 miles away over the sea. It’s always been not too bad at 20 plus mb download (some got 80 occasionally). For at least 2 months the signal is now more or less unusable. I’ve complained to EE but all they say is that they are waiting to fix the mast as they can’t get access. 
Apart from Starlink, this is pretty much our only source of internet. Businesses have been unable to take card payments and many of our older residents can’t pay bills online or even access their bank and calls are pretty much a no go.

the executive office have been really nice and helpful but it doesn’t change the fact that we are pretty much cut off most of the time now.

Theres never any movement on the issue that’s taking weeks, or maybe months at this point.

The advice given is to use call over WiFi (pointless). I’ve been given a months credit on my bill but that doesn’t really make a difference. I’m waiting for the 8 weeks and asking for a deadlock letter and refer to the ombudsman. 
in the meantime has anyone else experienced something similar and do you have any advice?

thanks

[bristolian]

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@Jas771 wrote:

They had received a report saying they needed to get helicopters to get access to ot, which wasn’t true.

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That depends what the fault is, and where on the site it is. Is the issue at ground-level or at height, for starters.

There are some other considerations which may factor in certain locations. Do you know the eNB-ID, out of interest?

[Jas771]

No. I did have it but I’ve no idea what happened to it. The site I used to go to doesn’t seem to have it, just coverage. I’m on iOS so I can’t download an app. 

[Jas771]

I barely have internet just now and we all get our signal via antennas but it’s dropped significantly. We can’t get reception on phone alone

[Katie_B]

Hi @Jas771. 

I have sent you a private message. 

Katie

[Jas771]

Think it’s this one

eNB ID 17428 (Macro) - LTE

but it might not be

[Lm98]

Hi Jas771,

I realise you posted this some time ago but wanted to try to help as I had the same issue on Isle Of Skye which went on for 8 months. 
Get in touch with Voove, based on Benbecula but cover all of Scotland. They install outside routers linked by wire to an inside router with excellent results. I went from 8Mbps to 55Mbps immediately. No more phone calls, no more platitudes from EE - brilliant. 

[dannocks]

Also in rural Scotland (mid Argyll). Are you sure it’s the same cell ? We had a ee mast installed locally with unusable data rates. Had to use directional antenna to access the old (further away) good data rate mast. the new mast uses avanti Ka HYLAS backhaul which is 1mb down maybe 3 up. Unusable. 

Incidentally 300m away the 3 mast uses starlink 

[bristolian]

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@dannocks wrote:

Also in rural Scotland (mid Argyll). We had a ee mast installed locally with unusable data rates. Had to use directional antenna to access the old (further away) good data rate mast

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Sounds like you have some sites carrying B3-1800Mhz service and others potentially only carrying B20-800Mhz service.

Possibly also complicated by satellite backhaul.

[dannocks]

There should be a new thread on the evils of satellite backhaul. IMHO it’s a cheap way for these folks to drop in masts to satisfy their rural targets without having to do any work running cables. 

yes the new ee mast is a digital dividend B20 only and the “good” one is cabled and 20/3

the 3 mast I mentioned with starlink takes the laziness to another level. They didn’t even bother to run power the last 200 metres and simply stuck in a generator which they fill up every few weeks. 

At least starlink is LEO unlike the avanti setup but then should you hand over your national infrastructure to a foreign state. 

[bristolian]

If only rollout build works were as simple as using "cheap ways" or "didn't even bother".

Some sites do have issues, but to assume that corners are being cut in every example - does rollout work a disservice.