Signal difficulties

[Mel1407]

Hello,

Anyone got any advice regarding signal issues. I have had very poor signal since phone contract commenced Jan 2023. Despite numerous contacts with EE they say I have good/excellent signal in my area but I usually have zero-1 bars. I frequently miss calls as phone doesn't ring then get voicemail alerts hours-days later. I have been unable to take important calls eg doctors, work etc as no signal. I can ring & text personal contacts using WhatsApp and wifi but very difficult to call or if can make call then it constantly breaks off/can't hear each other. This occurs home, work & most locations I go (these aren't rural either). Weirdly when I've been abroad with roaming extra turned on it works much better.

EE refuse to even aacknowledge any signalling difficulties. Ombudsman say EE has told them no signal issues so nothing further they can do. I have asked repeatedly what evidence I can provide to them to prove it but they refuse (I tried sending screenshot with zero bars in many locations on Google maps but this is not sufficient). Any suggestions how best to prove no signal when online EE signal monitoring saying good.

Getting very frustrated that I miss unexpected calls, constantly have to tell people not to phone me & haven't even been able to be NOK for immediate family health issues as never contactable. My husband is on different network at 1/4 price of mine & has great signal most places we go. 16 months now this has been going on since took out EE contract 

I will obviously be ending contract Jan 2025 but I need a phone to use in meantime when not in WiFi area.

[bristolian]

There's several angles to this.

1: WhatsApp is just an app that uses the internet - be that mobile-data or WiFi. If you are out of mobile coverage but have WiFi, then you can use WiFi-calling to use your phone as normal - for direct-dialled voice calls & text messages, without needing any mobile coverage.

2: If you're having coverage issues "most locations I go", I would tend towards your phone having an issue. Comparing with another operator is meaningless, a comparison with another EE user would be very useful. If there is a genuine network outage in these locations, all EE users are affected indiscriminately.

3: One test is to perform a 2way SIM-swap with your husband's phone. Put your SIM in his phone - what is the result? Put his SIM in your phone - what is the result? Does the problem follow your SIM to the other phone? Or does it remain with your phone regardless of the SIM?

[Mel1407]

I have no suggestion but totally agree with you. I have very little signal coverage in multiple areas but when you type in address / postcode it says good or excellent.

EE tell me that's what their signal check say so won't do anything about it.

[Mel1407]

Is there any possibility you can check a location for me as always tells me hood/excellent wherever I go/am but 0-1 bar. I'm interested in what you've found & if anything I can do in my area. Home would be good start for me.

Thank you

[bristolian]

If your phone is giving minimal coverage in multiple locations where the coverage tool predicts better, this tends to suggest a fault with your phone.

Do other EE users have similar problems in the same locations? If the network is genuinely poor, all users are affected indiscriminately.

[Mel1407]

Sorry just seen response.

Luckily we managed to avoid my husband joining EE as i joined a couple of months before e was planning to. His sim works perfecting in my phone though (different network) and when ive been abroad it works fine (both EE roaming and local sim card). EE shop did change me sim early on during contract to see if helped but no success.

Phone was purchased through EE too though so either way, i feel they should be looking in problem

[Mel1407]

Thank you for reply.

1. Wifi calling works reasonably well (I dont expect coverage everywhere especially in rural walks etc and does tend in work in normal places)

2. I dont know how else to check phone - EE checked in store & changed sim. I have used several different sim cards now both in UK & abroad and phone always works so much better

3. We did this and I had great signal whilst he has virtually none again. This makes me persoanlly think its EE signal. I dont really know anyone else close to me who is on EE to test their phone though unfortunately

[bristolian]

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@Mel1407 wrote:

2. I dont know how else to check phone - EE checked in store & changed sim. I have used several different sim cards now both in UK & abroad and phone always works so much better

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A 2-way SIM-swap with a known good phone ideally on the same network, is an excellent real-world test.

Your non-working SIM in a working phone - what result?

A working SIM in your non-working phone - what result?

There will always be localised variations, such is the nature of radio coverage. Nationally, all the benchmarking surveys are broadly consistent in which networks are rated better than others.

I've personally experienced over a period of 15 or so months where every symptom suggested an underlying network issue, but which turned out to be a faulty phone after a bodged repair. Fortunately I was in a position to upgrade, and just using a brand new device (on the same network) was a night & day difference - I've been extremely sceptical on all "the network is rubbish everywhere I go" posts ever since.

[Mel1407]

I don't know other EE users to compare unfortunately. Luckily we stopped my husband getting EE few months after me due to these issues.

We have however swapped sims with least 3 different ppl. I have great signal with their sim in my phone yet they've all had zero.

In my mind feels like signal over phone 8ssue but definitely not an expert

[Mel1407]

That is interesting what you say about no network but was phone. To me the fact the phone works fine with other sims or even when had EE roaming on abroad but not in UK thought not phone but I homes don't know 

I can't afford to buy new phone mid contract though & EE refuse to look into issue so unsure on solution