Need extricating from woeful unlimited 4g data plan.

[Mark_72a]

Hi.

Could an admin get in touch please, to discuss (hopefully on the phone) the cancellation of my Vodafone unlimited data contract due to the not-fit-for service data speeds which have not been resolved via other Vodafone representatives. This is essentially, a last resort option.

I am signed up to what was (when I started my contract) the mid-tier, “up to 10Mbps” unlimited data plan but am getting nowhere near those speeds. Over the course of one day I did speed tests in roughly hourly intervals from 6:30am to 3:30pm and the average speed was just over 4Mbps download speeds (Max 8.7, min 0.5). The highest speed was the first test, at 6:30am, likely when most people were still asleep which to me suggests the fault being a congested 4g service. If we were to disregard the first speed test, the average speed would have been just under 3Mbps.

Now I can replicate these daily speed tests ad-infinitum and the results are roughly the same (just did a speed test now, and pitifully the speed was 340Kbps - I kid you not).

Speaking to a Vodafone representative a few weeks back via text-chat, was told there was some engineering work locally that was supposed to have happened between the 2nd - 7th June that might fix the issue. This did not resolve the problem, if the engineering work occurred at all.

Things I have done my end to test various scenarios in case it was an issue with my phone etc: I have changed settings several times under instruction from Vodafone tech, reset my network settings, tried my SIM card in another phone, tried a new SIM card in case my now unused one was at fault and so on. The fault clearly is the local network, in terms of not being up to snuff to provide the speeds one would expect, as I do in line with the unlimited data plan I have. 

Also, I did a side-by-side speed test where my wife (with EE and a weaker signal) managed 14Mbps on 4g and I got 1Mbps on 4g (at 8:30am)… literally EE is 14 times faster in our town.

As I am self-employed, I rely on a good data network connection and this service I have just doesn’t do that, so please, could someone from Vodafone help me in the switch to a service that works.

M.

[Mark_72a]

Hi Beth.

The info you provided matches what I sourced via the Vodafone Network Status Checker myself. I noted the minimum download speeds (3.8Mbps) is above what I get during normal hours if I take several readings. Today, for example, I did 4 separate tests, resulting in download speeds of 3.4, 0.45, 0.46 and 0.37Mbps respectively which equates to an average download speed of 1.17Mbps and the first test was taken at 2:55am!. Now I'm not saying there is downtime or maintenance (though one of your online representatives told me there was some work being done on the mast between the 2nd to 7th June), but clearly there is an issue going on somewhere related to data speeds (not voice calls). I attach here the screengrab of the speed tests I took today.

Regards.Mark.

[Lynxthecat]

I imagine this is simply to do with the distance to your local Vodafone mast? You ought to be able to identify your nearest mast using something like the OpenSignal app. Ideally you would obtain signal measurements relating to your connection. If you have a router that should be easy otherwise on your phone you could try something along these lines:

https://www.signalbooster.com/blogs/news/how-to-measure-signal-strength-in-decibels-on-your-cell-pho...

Ultimately if you are not based close to a Vodafone mast you are stuffed. 

You could buy those 99p sim cards from EE, Three and O2 and check to see which network gives the best coverage in your area. 

I happen to live within line of sight to a Vodafone mast and get >60Mbit/s download and >25Mbit/s upload (save for the10Mbit/s throttling on port 443 Vodafone likes to apply, in breach of net neutrality provisions).