Is it just me or is ee phone signal poor

[Pyromanic]

I've noticed a huge degredation in network coverage in the past few months.  The network civerahe checker indicates I should get excellent coverage at home, but I currently get 1 bar, and sometimes that drops out!  I travel around the country a lot and have never previously experienced such poor signal on EE.  I don't know what EE have been doung to the network, but the signal has significantly reduced virtually everywhere I've travelled.  Been a customer for over 18 years but now find EE network to be so poor, I'll be going elsewhere unless this gets sorted soon.

[James_B]

Welcome to the EE Community, @Pyromanic 🙂

If you select the check status option in the coverage checker, are any problems reported in your area?

James

[Pyromanic]

No known problems.

[bristolian]

A few interesting observations here.

Firstly onscreen signal bars are only a rough indicator and not the be-all of of service - also less onscreen bars can sometimes mean higher-band carriers which will give ultimately better service. Are you having any issues using your phone for calls, texts or mobile data?

Secondly is this a recent issue, in other words are you observing a noticeable degradation in reliability in a particular area?

Several months ago I would have agreed with many of your sentiments based on direct experiences - but following a device change, it's become apparent a phone fault was behind many of them. Do other EE users have the same issues in the same areas as yourself?

[Pyromanic]

Whilst I appreciate the limitations of the on-screen display of signal strength/quality, the issue is often accompanied by a lack of data connection, call drop-out etc.

The problem has been ongoing for a couple of months and appears to be general across the network at numerous locations.  Coverage appears to be patchy at best and in areas where network signal was once strong and being indicated at 4 bars, it's now down to 2 or even 1.

I also appreciate that a faulty modile device could present the issue identified, however, my wife also uses EE with a different phone model, and also experiences issues.  The conversation is frequently one of "not being able to connect to the internet, or missed calls" whilst friends on other networks have no such problems.

[Leanne_T]

Hi @Pyromanic 

If tis is happening in more than one location and device, please call us on 150 and our tech guides can get the areas looked into for you and provide further information. 

Thanks 🙂

Leanne.

[OldSchoolTech]

hi guys,

as a former hardware technician and software engineer, i've found the perennial issues of "call drop outs" and "low bars" on an android phone can be addressed in numerous ways:

1.  check network status (you will need your full post code and be logged into My EE)

coverage checker link:

https://ee.co.uk/help/mobile-coverage-checker

even if signal is reported as "excellent" in your area, you can still report an issue to EE engineers (because many factors are involved when you are experiencing low signal or "dead zones").

2. update your system software (on your phone) to the latest "android version". ee recommend this for obvious technical reasons. usually,  your phone will be more responsive after a system update.

note: be patient during an update, let the phone reboot and load, then re-test your net speeds. (open browser and visit a speed checker site).

many net speed checkers are now available online. the two i recommend are:

https://broadbandtest.which.co.uk/

https://fiber.google.com/speedtest/

3. consider clearing temporary files from your phone (this also usually makes your phone more responsive). i recommend ccleaner for android or 1tap cleaner for android (both are free apps from google play store).

4. when you're physically at home (stationary) and just using your phone as a router, i've noticed signal bars increase if one places an aluminum foil dish or flat aluminum sheet beneath the phone. this basically acts as a signal collector, since your phone signal is radio waves. heres one of the better guides on youtube for interested persons:

MatthaisWendal : wifi antenna booster dish [1.3 million views]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZKc3PBs67c

5. if you are unfortunate enough to be in a "dead zone" due to architectural inhibitors (such as thick concrete walls, metal framed buildings, heavy tree cover, etc), there are a plethora of signal boosters and "repeaters" that can be installed, so you can enjoy a stress free internet experience. (my plan is to review the better ones for interested parties, should anyone reading this have an interest).

have a great summer: ☀️

kind regards, OldSchoolTech

[Gareth43]

The EE network is great where is live (Burnley Area)  never had any problems at all but my mum who is on 02 as nothing but issues with her line. It’s like all mobiles some areas good for some and some areas good for others, I tested EE on pay as you go sim before I joined years ago and now also moved my daughter over as well. 

[Arundalep]

This is fundamentally because in fringe areas that only had 3G coverage you now only have 4g available (with poor signal). EE turned off all of their 3G antennas with a complete closure by the end of Jan 24. Unfortunately the network now has many areas of no signal, especially in rural areas, unlike before. EE was always the best network where I live and work (Sussex and Surrey), especially in rural locations, now it’s terrible. 

[bristolian]

The comments by @Arundalep are incorrect as regards 3G & 4G. Coverage patterns are not dictated by the "G" in use, but the frequency bands. In addition, EE's network design always required that 2G coverage on 1800Mhz to exceed that of 3G on 2100Mhz

EE's 4G coverage - including the low-band 800Mhz band - has exceeded that of 2G & 3G long before the 3G switch-off.