Hello Vodafone, I currently have a complaint reference raised with this issue but can't help feeling i'm being fobbed off with technical jargon so i'm hoping you can help on here.
I've been with Vodafone for 10+ years and have home broadband as well as mobile. I have always spoken highly of the network until now which is why I feel particularly disappointed.
I signed a new sim-only contract at beginning of this year with 80GB data allowance. Since then i've noticed mobile signal has been terrible with calls dropping out frequently, despite signal showing as nearly maximum on 4G. I didn't notice it immediately as I hadn't been leaving the house much, but then when the home broadband was down, I realized how bad it had become.
We moved into this current house and new area August 2020. Prior to then we had both Vodafone services with never any issue. When we moved in here, the home broadband seemed to go through all sorts of issues despite it being a new street. I'm highlighting this as it demonstrates the mobile signal was ok then, as I was able to tether to work.
Just after Christmas 2020 is when I signed the new contract. When I first noticed issues, I thought it was just temporary or weather or something, but my partner and daughter had both recently signed up to Vodafone (on my recommendation!) and they all reported call drops and slow mobile internet.
I started contacting Vodafone support back in January to ask them to check my account as I had read some unlimited data contracts restricted download speeds. After getting passed between customer services, sales and technical, with me questioning if there were any restrictions on my account and me wondering if I had been mis-sold, eventually someone confirmed I wasn't on an unlimited data package, just on a very large one with no restrictions, therefore with 4G speeds should be high.
Over the next couple of months with several exchanges with Tobi, various network settings were changed and reset. Network settings checked, reset, sim card cleaned and reinstalled, multiple reboots etc etc. All to no avail. I started performing download speed tests and despite 4G signal showing almost full, download speed was regularly only 1.5Mbps with upload sometimes less, but other times twice as fast. Another symptom of this issue is the call dropping. Audio with another caller doesn't just crackle or become disrupted, I can hear the other caller loud and clear, but they report my voice just goes completely silent. The fact i can hear them crystal clear and there is no deterioration makes me believe this is a technical issue also, not just poor signal. My partner and her daughter experience exactly the same which is awful when it is important phone calls.
I was out walking recently and found I couldn't stream and listen to music, which proved the issue was in the whole area not just my house. After doing some research I found where I walked was covered by different cells but same mast. I contacted support again and reported my findings. After telling me yet again there was no issue with the mast, I explained I was stood in line of sight with the mast and still only reaching 1.7Mbps download speed. That is when complaint reference 1-1628567119710 was raised. Trouble is I have contacted support several times now to be told the issue is still being worked on but no information as to what the issue is or how long it will take.
A further update to the issue which baffles me: Just out of interest, i switched the setting to 2G/3G only, and not to use 4G, then ran another set of download tests over several minutes. On average my download speed on 3G is now 14Mbps whilst sat in my house on mobile network. Again this proves there to be an issue with 4G signal.
To complete the form:
1) Does the issue happen in just one location? If so, how far do you have to travel to regain service?
Home and surrounding area is where it is noticed most which is Heanor, Derbyshire. Other areas still seem low for 4G. Derby city center was 7Mps on 4G. Beeston in Nottingham was 18Mps on 4G.
2) What is the full postcode
DE75 7WD
3) Does the issue occur if you try your SIM card in a different phone?
I don't have another phone to try but other family members have same issue using their phones on Vodafone.
4) What errors are seen or heard when the issue occurs?
Speed tests show very low download figures. Calls drop frequently but in a strange way.
5) Does this happen on 2G, 3G, 4G or all?
Seems it only happens on 4G after switching to 2G/3G only.
6) When did you first notice this issue?
January 2021
7) Is the issue permanent or intermittent? If intermittent, are there certain times of the day when it occurs?
Permanent
Further information - all 3 of us have the same make model of mobile phone - Huawei P20/pro
Please can you help Vodafone as I feel i'm paying for 4G service and not getting it.
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