Sure Signal Alternative

[David200]

I live in a remote area with limited phone reception and run my business from home. For years I have used a Sure Signal which worked fine but is now disconnected so I am forced to use  Wifi calling. I have a Samsung S20 5G phone.

For around half my calls the other person cannot hear me, if cuts in and out very quickly so they only get every other word although I can hear them clearly.  Consequently I have been forced to use Whatsapp calling or the old landline. 

Vodaphone have 'refreshed' the line 3 x but still the same problem persists. Is anyone else having the same the problem or know of a solution?

Thanks

[JamesBond]

Message for Mark - The Moderator.

I will agree that there are times when WIFI Calling does not assist, in as much that despite WFH there is congestion on the network.  There is a school nearby and another Vodafone transmitter / relay - that's according to the Opensignal app. Why is it not possible to purchase an individual TX / RX relay so that the person who uses Vodafone has a really good signal.

I look forward to your comments.

[westo123]

What on earth is that?? What does it do and how and where do you fit it?

[Judy2]

And what if in our rural areas we also have terrible wifi? What do we do then? That is my position. Wifi calling does not work. Vodafone only value some customers it seems.

[newmikeman]

That may be the theory Mark, but I have been missing a lot of incoming calls and texts. WiFi Calling isn't fit for purpose here.

[Farai]

This certainly isn't ideal @newmikeman and shouldn't happen if you're connected to a stable broadband service.  @AnnS  provided a link to a similar thread above - 
https://forum.vodafone.co.uk/t5/Pay-monthly/WiFi-Calling-dropouts/td-p/2641139

You'll be able to find some troubleshooting steps there that may help improved your Wi-Fi calling service. 

[newmikeman]

You're right, it shouldn't happen. I am connected to a stable broadband - Vodafone Gigafast 200Mbps fibre. We live in Milton Keynes and we still can't get a proper signal from Vodafone but we can from O2 and EE.

I'm thinking of raising this whole thing with OFCOM because dropping SureSignal is unethical, especially when the alternative doesn't work properly and isn't being fixed.

[cybernat]

If I hadn't had my contract duration altered from March 2023 to December 2021, Ofcom was going to be my next port of call.
If Vodafone are cutting off the Sure Signal service contrary to customers wishes and in breach of their contracts they need to replace it with a suitable alternative which works properly.

[Tonecontroller]

I have opened a complaint with Ofcom using this page : https://ofcomforms.secure.force.com/formentry/SitesFormCCTSwitchedWithoutPermission

They don't have a specific form for this situation so I'm categorizing it as a form of mis-selling, as my inference from the provision of Sure Signal was that it was a stopgap until network improvements rendered it unnecessary.

My complaint reads :
"Vodafone signal in our location is poor, so VF supplied SureSignal local cell to compensate. Although their right to terminate the service is within Ts & Cs, it was implied that this was dependent upon service improvement obsoleting it (e.g. 4G expansion). VF is now withdrawing Sure Signal without any compensatory service improvement. Their alternative solution - WiFi calling - would require replacement of handsets for many customers (myself and wife included) with no actual guarantee of a satisfactory result.
It is my contention that VF should retain Sure Signal service in all areas where they cannot provide the satisfactory 4G coverage that can replace it."

I cannot say that I hold out much hope, if the eventual retirement of 3G is the ultimate aim, but maybe if enough people make the same point, it might delay the switch-off until one or other network provider covers every affected area satisfactorily.

[newmikeman]

Good work. I would like to add that I think VF are using this as an opportunity to get rid of customers who live in difficult areas so that VF can then save themselves the expense of investing in more complete coverage. 

[newmikeman]

I have added my vote to OFCOM as follows:

I've been with Vodafone for about 30 years and have had satisfactory coverage and service until 2006 when we moved to the present house. Here we got no VF signal and the company gave us a SureSignal box that would provide a 3G signal from the broadband Internet connexion. This worked OK but each time we updated the SureSignal its effectiveness got worse, even when we were paying £50 for the device. Recently VF has decided to drop the SureSignal service and we are once again without a connexion. VF say that their "WiFi Calling" service will provide for the calls and texts that we need, but in our experience at our house it would let us make outgoing calls and texts but many or perhaps all incoming calls and texts would not arrive. Looking at the forum.vodafone.com it is clear from the scale of the problem and the commonality of the situations that the company just wants rid of customers who are in difficult signal areas as it will save them having to invest in the necessary infrastructure to provide any reasonable level of service. I think VF are in breach of ethics and in case the UK Government is subsidising Vodafone in any way to improve mobile phone coverage maybe they are in breach of contractual conditions in doing this.