Service in Castlebay, Barra

[Crithwood]

The bandwidth of the transmitter site near Castlebay, Barra is exceeded. Only in the early morning, when few users are awake can some internet service be obtained. During the day it is so slow that most sites fail due to delay. Other networks don't have this trouble, only EE.

[Leanne_T]

Morning @Crithwood

Thanks for coming back to the community. 

If you use our EE Coverage & Network Status Checker, and select 'Check Status' this will show any known problems, for the area. If none are showing select 'Report a problem' option, our network team will get this looked into and keep you updated. 

Thanks. 

Leanne. 

[Crithwood]

That coverage and reporting system requires that you are using one of only three phone types ( and mine not included,) and that you have a postcode. I'm on a visiting yacht, and don't have a postcode. And if course having a system that relies on the connection to internet to report a lack of internet connection just doesn't make any sense .

xxxxx xxxxxxx, mobile

[Mod edit: Please do not post personal information on the public board. Thanks!]

[Leanne_T]

Hi @Crithwood

You can use the drop down option for the mobile device and type which phone you are using. 

If you don't have the postcode, you can contact our mobile care team and the team can get this looked into further for you. 

Leanne.

[bristolian]

I'd recommend using the status & faults tool as previously advised, as the best way to report short-term issues such as this. Has this only started recently?

There's 2 network sites covering Castlebay, both of which have a single Band-3 4G-carrier and one has a single Band-20 carrier.

If one of the B3-enabled sites has an issue and there's heavy data use in the town, it's quite feasible that there could be poor speeds as a result.

[Crithwood]

The advice to use the network status checker seems on the face of it good. But if there's so little bandwidth available that it is not usable, then it doesn't help. Only in the small hours between about 0200 and 0600 is there any chance of using data. During the day even phonecalls drop out, disconnect, or miss seconds of audio. The status checker requires to know phone type, but works off an incomplete database that doesn't include all  phones available. Even if I select a common phone it reverts to blank form, to the start. So the checker doesn't work, even though I have tried this early in the morning. I can see the mast in use, not 500m away, a strong signal strength, just lacking bandwidth preventing reasonable use, and preventing reporting the problem.

[James_B]

Hi @Crithwood,

I've just tested the network status checker and it seems to be working at my end. Could you try a different web browser and let me know if you see the same issue?

Thanks

James

[bristolian]

I was in Castlebay a year or so back, and have re-checked some datasets & online maps to confirm my suspicions.

I'm fairly sure EE is the only network to offer 4G service in this part of the outer Hebrides.

[Alick75]

I live on the east side of the island and after Mondays couldn’t make calls or use data in either the east side or Castlebay area, it shows full signal but nothing, it’s an iPhone 11 and my wife’s phone is working fine but my own doesn’t. EE technical support have been no use and need a signal outside of Wi-Fi. Any help would be much appreciated 

[bristolian]

If your wife's phone is working but yours isn't, it tends to rule out a network issue.

Try swapping SIMs between your 2 phones, see if the problem follows your SIM to the alternate phone, or remains with your phone regardless of SIM.