New building site blocking signal

[Padeeee]

I live a 5 min walk from Southampton university and it's blocking my phone signal. I've never had any issues in 16 years until building work got above residential housing height. Since then both myself and my wife who is also with EE can no longer speak to people. Out going and in coming calls I can hear perfectly fine but no one can hear either myself or the wife. Short of ending 27yrs of the same provider (since Orange) I'm at a loss.

[bristolian]

This sounds a slight case of 2+2=5!

If your signal was being blocked, your phone would not have coverage and would not be able to make or receive calls without WiFi-calling. But your symptoms are something else - you're able to make & receive calls, and you have inbound audio but nothing outbound? That's not a blocked signal.

First off, have you proven your phone's microphone as working? A sound recording app would be ideal for this, or Android phones have the basic diagnostic tests within the settings menu.

Next up, an occasional loss of incoming or outgoing audio can be indicative of a brief handover between sites or to/from WiFi-calling - are you saying that some calls setup with no outgoing audio at all, and never gain it? Or do they start with outgoing audio, and lose it partway through?

Have you tried using WiFi-calling indoors, at least as a temporary workaround? If you prove your phone's microphone as OK, this will at least ID the issue to the radio network.

[Padeeee]

Our phones work perfectly fine when we leave our house and have done for the time stated. This issue where no one can hear us speak only begun when that building went up. Our mics are 100% in perfect working order. When I phone the wife whilst she's at home I cannot hear her speak but she can hear me and the same if she calls whilst I'm at home. Leave the house and everything is fine. 

[Padeeee]

It is from the start of the call and throughout. There is no in and out of audio 

[bristolian]

You have a short time after posting to edit, negating the need for multiple corrective replies.

Something appears slightly contradictory here - in your first post you mentioned "I can hear perfectly fine" but in your latest post "There is no in and out of audio". You've also not addressed one of my other points, specifically...

Have you tried using WiFi-calling indoors, at least as a temporary workaround? If you prove your phone's microphone as OK, this will at least ID the issue to the radio network. WiFi-calling & mobile-network calling share some common core-network elements.

In the meantime, I would recommend starting to collate some timed & dated examples of problematic calls. In the first-instance I'd suggest using the web-status-tool https://ee.co.uk/help/mobile-coverage-checker > "check service status" > "report a problem" > and choose the option for in-call-audio problems. That enables further details to be submitted for additional checks of the sites covering your area.

You have the option of reporting your timed & dated examples to CS on 150 if issues persist.

[Padeeee]

I was asked if it occasionally happens but no it's all the time ie no in it works or out it doesn't. I have checked with EE which says no issues in my area. If a building is blocking my out going signal ee would not pick that up as they would see the signal go next door and the other side and across the road which raises significantly.

I have addressed your other issue,I said my wife and I microphones work 100% perfectly  as we have zero calls issues other than at home. So there is no need to use WiFi to see if it's signal or mic . I CAN STILL do video calls via WhatsApp without issue. It is only voice only calls over the phone network. And as stated it happened to both of us at the exact same time two massive cranes went up and the building grew in height. One day fine the next day 2 massive cranes and instantly no one could and still cannot hear us.

[bristolian]

I would recommend starting to collate some timed & dated examples of problematic calls. In the first-instance I'd suggest using the web-status-tool https://ee.co.uk/help/mobile-coverage-checker > "check service status" > "report a problem" > and choose the option for in-call-audio problems. That enables further details to be submitted for additional checks of the sites covering your area.

You have the option of reporting your timed & dated examples to CS on 150 if issues persist.