Three using o2 as their backup network "on a ten year contract"

[daveyfs]

Just cancelled my Three contract because, since the sim card has started giving priority to Orange on 2g, the network's overall performance in South Wales (where Orange is noticeably worse than the others) has deteriorated.

Had a phone call from Three (Scotland) asking for feedback on why I was leaving, and when I told him why, he said, oh well we've got a ten year contract with o2 to provide our 2g service, so it shouldn't be a problem.

Any truth in this? Or was he just telling naughty porkies for customer retention purposes?:eek:

[acoolwelshbloke]

Where in south wales are you because I have never had a problem on Orange or Three???

Think he was BS'ing you about 10 year contract with 02, or at least if they do have a 10 year contract they will not be using 02 come the end of the year if memory serves me correct!

[daveyfs]

I live in west Swansea and to be honest, Three has always been very good when on 3g coverage, but I have had problems ever since the sim has started giving priority to Orange as their 2g backup, and indeed over a number of years and with a number of phones on the Orange network directly

I've found so many dead spots with Orange coverage compared to the other networks, even T-mobile. Sometimes I wonder if, when they planned the network, they looked at S Wales, stuck pins on a map to mark out base stations and forgot to take account of the area's topography!

I've been through all the networks living around here and I would say, in order from best to worst, o2+voda - joint best, then Three, then T-mobile then Orange. It quite amuses me that everyone I know who's on Orange whinges about the network and not being able to use their phones in various places but never does anything about changing it ('that's just the way it is...')!!

I think you're right about the CS BS, and as you say, I've always been given to understand that come the end of the year o2 will cease to have a roaming agreement with Three.

[Planner]

there is no truth what so ever in this claim. they should be completely removed by the end of the year from the O2 network.

and rumour has it, not long after, going into RAN share with t-mobile, as a pre-cursor to being bought out by them.

[acoolwelshbloke]

It has been about 3 years or so since i left orange!

My three phone has strong 3g signal on three and as far as i know hardly changes so maybe my opinion is old/don't count!

[paulkerdot]

I live in west Swansea and to be honest, Three has always been very good when on 3g coverage, but I have had problems ever since the sim has started giving priority to Orange as their 2g backup, and indeed over a number of years and with a number of phones on the Orange network directly

I've found so many dead spots with Orange coverage compared to the other networks, even T-mobile. Sometimes I wonder if, when they planned the network, they looked at S Wales, stuck pins on a map to mark out base stations and forgot to take account of the area's topography!

I've been through all the networks living around here and I would say, in order from best to worst, o2+voda - joint best, then Three, then T-mobile then Orange. It quite amuses me that everyone I know who's on Orange whinges about the network and not being able to use their phones in various places but never does anything about changing it ('that's just the way it is...')!!

I think you're right about the CS BS, and as you say, I've always been given to understand that come the end of the year o2 will cease to have a roaming agreement with Three.

Must have been a dummy who planned the orange netwoork in your neck of the woods. Where I live on the south side of Glasgow I find Orange to be far and away the best for coverage. The worst is Vodafone by a long way. Orange seem to have loads more sites and the ones they do have are on the tallest buildings whereas Voda sites are small in height and too few and far in between. O2 and T-mobile are about the same around here and three is ok too except for my sodding office 2g/3g switching unless I lock the phone in a drawer and it logs onto Orange (full signal).

[daveyfs]

I think that's it though, isn't it - when I lived in a part of South England, Orange was fantastic, and o2 (or cellnet as it was then) was dire, so the resilience of any particular network depends to a large extent on where you live. It makes one wonder whether this is intentional on the part of the mobile operators , i.e. they agree informally which ones are going to give the best coverage in any given place, though I admit that doesn't sound very plausible.

[gonzokev]

I think it purely comes down to who gets what site. I doubt it's planned as the networks agreeing that one can have a strong signal somewhere at the expense of the other networks - at the end of they day, they're all in competition with each other, and want the most customers everywhere in the country.

[squawkBOX]

Yeah - that call would have been from a rententions team which don't have any access to any of the information in regards to o2 being removed from 3's service.

The removal has started already, all new customers can use 3 or Orange. There has been batches of customers removed from o2 access altogether now and it will continue until all customers are removed.

[edna_clouds]

I live in Mid Wales and orange is very patchy. I am one of the unlucky ones that have had O2 access removed.. I am now 8 months into an 18 month contract with a phone that is of no use to me as I cannot receive 3g or orange..:mad:
5 calls to three technical and still getting nowhere.. they just can't understand or listen when I tell them orange is sh1te in my area.. They keep telling me to connect to o2 and I don't think they believe me when I say I can't..:(

[daveyfs]

Yeah - that call would have been from a rententions team which don't have any access to any of the information in regards to o2 being removed from 3's service.

The removal has started already, all new customers can use 3 or Orange. There has been batches of customers removed from o2 access altogether now and it will continue until all customers are removed.

Hmm, that's much as I thought.

Regarding the retentions team not having access to the information about o2 being removed, if that is indeed so it is utterly unprofessional, especially in a company of that scale, that they are put in that position. They have unwittingly given out misleading information.

In any case, my number goes over to o2 on Weds - at least i can se assured of more or less rock solid coverage wherever I go.

[Planner]

See, now I find Orange to be rubbish in glasgow. mainly because they ARE on the top of all the tall buildings (this isnt good radio planning btw) they are great at height, or in open area's because high buildings work.. but when your in a city.... no no...