SO23 - Winchester

[highpriest]

Anyone else in SO22/SO23 Winchester experiencing extremely poor 4G speeds? I've been struggling for months with poor 4G speeds in Winchester (in the city centre mainly). Contacted Vodafone via Twitter - no help at all. Contacted CS and I've gone through every single troubleshooting technique (reset network settings, change APN, re-register sim with network, etc. etc.) in the book and nothing has helped.

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1) Does the issue happen in just one location? If so, how far do you have to travel to regain service?

SO22 (home) less affected, SO23 (work) is particularly bad. If I move outside of Winchester City Centre (even just a few miles), 4G data speeds can jump to as much as 50 Mbps down, 20 Mbps up.

2) What is the full postcode (e.g. ST1 1AA) of where the issue occurs?

SO23 8US

3) Does the issue occur if you try your SIM card in a different phone?

Yes.

4) What errors are seen or heard when the issue occurs?

Phone shows full 4G signal. Calls are unaffected but data speeds are extremely poor. There's quite a bit of variation, but speeds could be as low as 250 Kbps and sometimes between 1-2 Mbps. Upload speeds are not affected to the same degree. Speed tests show 4 or 5 Mbps upload.

Sometimes it is so bad that the speed test app will fail to even locate a server to run a speed test against and just give up.

5) Does this happen on 2G, 3G, 4G or all?

Not tried 2G or 3G (and don't ask me to). Problem is with 4G.

6) When did you first notice this issue?

A few months ago (Q3 2017).

7) Is the issue permanent or intermittent? If intermittent, are there certain times of the day when it occurs?

Permanent. Data speeds range from non-existent to ultra-slow. Everything buffers constantly or just times out and gives up.

I use an iPhone 8 Plus.

[PedroC1999]

Essentially they have already given the site a significant capacity boost but it needs even more; the Christmas markets are generating a lot of traffic. 

It currently uses Nokia kit for the radio access network. VF are decomissioning this kit out and replacing with Ericsson to streamline the SW zone. This leaves a challenging position because installing tons of new Nokia kit  when you are going to rip it out and rebuild the site with Ericsson in a few weeks/months does not work financially.

When the swap will happen I do not know, I do not work for Vodafone. However, it is unlikely to be in 2018 as we are about to go into winter lockdown.

[Strowger]

In the last few weeks I have been in Laura Ashley, Hotel du Vin and Winchester Hospital - all in or close to central Winchester - and in no case was I able to get sufficient signal to even perform a speed test 😞

Now that we're into 2019 and the change freeze is presumably over, let's hope that it won't be too much longer before SO23 is updated.

[highpriest]

Winchester folk - Now that the Christmas rush has died down, how do the 4G speeds look like with Vodafone at the moment? I switched to EE a few months ago out of sheer desperation. Although outdoor speeds with EE are better than Vodafone's, EE's indoor coverage is notably poorer.

If I can get around 2 Mbps with Vodafone, I might consider switching back as I presently cannot use data at all indoors at my work with EE. Heck, I'd settle for 1 Mbps as long as it is consistent. Thanks.

@PedroC1999 - any idea when the full vendor swap might happen?

[sappercaptain]

Hi @Highpriest.

Outdoor still shocking. Latest speed test attached.  Indoor non existent, I tend to go into Pret a Manger to use their WiFi (the Vodafone shop WiFi is on a MiFi, so that useless).

Can anyone advise Vodafone’s 4G licence obligation for service or our consumer rights for a refund as the service is not fit for purpose?

[highpriest]

Haha yup, brings back painful memories 

At least with EE I can complete a speed test and get around 7-8 Mbps download. Thanks though, I think I'll just have to wait till things improve a bit before I switch back.

What is it with Winchester and poor network coverage and speeds? It's not just Vodafone and EE, things are equally bad on O2 and Three as well.

[highpriest]

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@sappercaptain wrote:

Can anyone advise Vodafone’s 4G licence obligation for service or our consumer rights for a refund as the service is not fit for purpose?

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Apparently there is none. Their obligation is limited to making and receiving calls and sending and receiving texts (2G, basically). 4G converage/speeds (or lack thereof) apparently is not grounds for contract termination. Trust me, I tried. My case had to be escalated up to the heavens before they let me leave mid-contract.

There's a good reason why Vodafone is regularly named as having the worst CS in the UK for mobile customers. You just cannot get past first level helpdesk hell. Their complaints line is manned by ultra-aggressive staff who will try and put the blame back on you.

[highpriest]

Hello @sappercaptain and others,

Has there been any improvement in 4G speeds in Winchester?

The inconsistent service from EE is driving me to insanity.

Thanks in advance!

[sappercaptain]

Hi there,

it was much improved, but has fallen back to the usual slow speeds again in the past week. Hit and miss is the best way to put it.

m

[highpriest]

Thank you. It’s encouraging that there has been some improvement, even if it was temporary. Might take a punt and see how it goes.

[highpriest]

Moved back to Vodafone a couple of months ago and although it was looking half decent in the beginning (was getting around 8 Mbps download), it's back to being utterly useless again.

Speed tests top out at 2-3 Mbps during the day (which should be enough for basic stuff), but for some reason, when you try to actually use it to watch a video on YouTube or make a WhatsApp call, the experience is very very poor. Constant drops, lag, video buffering every 2 seconds. Terrible. It's especially bad during the "office hours" in Winchester city centre.

Now that you've started rolling out 5G in various cities, maybe you can give us some basic 4G coverage in Winchester? I don't want 200 Mbps 5G. Around (a consistent) 5 Mbps would do. Maybe? Pretty please?