Why is EE network cover so poor?

[bobbySeg]

Not sure what anyone can do on a forum but I wondered if anyone in my area (Grasscroft/Uppermill) has problems with EE voice and data? Unlikely anyone from these areas will read this I suppose, but worth a shot.

I only switched to EE from Vodafone a few weeks back (about 4 - 5 weeks) and on the day I switched there was a known issue that took at least a week to sort out. So I couldn't gauge an accurate baseline of service. This has added problems because I'm now outside of the cooling off period. But the reception has barely improved. I'll be at home, voice calls will just fail (regularly). Even if they don't fully fail, there is clear interruptions mid-conversation and 'dead zones' where the phone goes completely blank. 

If I go outside, it's slightly better, but nowhere near what I would expect for a service that EE state is "Excellent Inside and Outside". Even outside though, I get failed calls. I must have had 1 or 2 over the 6 years I'd lived here with Vodafone, now I'm getting 2 - 3 per week. If I venture into the local village/town, then there' not a bit of cover. 

Coverage and status checker has reception as 'Excellent' inside and outside. The odd grey zone (but these are typically on the tops in the hills around Saddleworth which I would expect). Going off my experience, this is simply a lie. Cover is nowhere near 'Excellent', not even excellent outdoors, never mind the indoor status.

Would be useful to get any other EE users experience if they live to work in or around Grasscroft/Uppermill/Greenfield.

Thanks

[bristolian]

You only need to post once, your issues are best broken down.

Are you reporting poor coverage in an area where it's predicted to be good? Or problems using your phone when good service is shown on-screen? The two have different potential causes.

Are you using VoLTE/4G-calling when you have problems? Apple & Android display these differently.

[bobbySeg]

No idea why it's posted it twice. I created a new post, submitted it. Seems to have auto merged a comment I made on a completely different discussion... Anyway..

This is cover that is poor and phone reports it as poor. But the network status checking tool, states that both indoor and outdoor are "Excellent"..

Not sure what you mean by "Are you using VoLTE/4G-calling when you have problems? ". Im just using the phone how I always have and that has never previously been an issue.

[bristolian]

4G doesn't natively support voice calls without VoLTE, which is the technology underpinning 4G-calling. This allows greater reliability and better voice codecs (clearer audio) than is available on older phones that will now be using 2G for calls.

Are you using Apple or Android? The process to check VoLTE enablement does differ slightly, but is the first basic check to make. You've also alluded to using the same phone on EE as you did with VF - is that correct?

How widespread is this area where the coverage checker reports excellent but indicated coverage is poor? Some small variances against the map predictions can be expected, but large-scale differences should be rare. Comparing the coverage map with the site locations in this area, any reference to "not a bit of cover" in the town centre leads me towards a fault somewhere. A methodical approach may help identify the source.

[bobbySeg]

Yeah, same Apple iPhone as I used with Vodafone. 

The cover checking tool shows excellent pretty extensively. There are a couple of greyed areas, but these don't cover my home or the village centre where I got no reception at all over the weekend ( I did manage to get a tiny bit of reception by walking up and down the street. But generally, I couldn't make a call or use data). All service status say there's no network problem.

Here's the status map.The two long 'outside only' areas are actually on the hill tops overlooking Greenfield/Uppermill (which is understandable). Where you see the museum & Gallery, is the village high street where I had no reception this weekend (or any other time for that matter).

If I try and report a problem using the link, the website errors out. Been like this for a few days at least.

[bristolian]

Apple enables VoLTE by default but check for it by attempting to use mobile data whilst on a call - this won't work on 2G.

A good test here would be that of elimination. Do you know any other EE users locally, and are they experiencing similar coverage issues here? Or does your phone have the same problems in other locations?

Something is clearly awry in your case, resolving it will be helped significantly by identifying whether your phone or the network is consistently poor.