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  • O2 switches on superfast 3G

    by
    3GScottishUser
    Published on 23rd May 2011 03:38 PM
    4 Comments Comments
    O2 has become the first UK operator to reuse 900MHz spectrum for 3G services after it gained permission from communications regulator, Ofcom.

    The operator switched on a new superfast 3G network in Bradford, Bristol, Glasgow, Nottingham, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Leicester, Sheffield and Liverpool today (23 May).

    Today’s switch follows switch ons in London, Leeds, Birmingham and Manchester in March this year and will allow O2 to offer a 50% increase in network capacity, greater coverage and 30% faster downloads.

    O2 UK chief technology officer Nigel Purdy said: ‘This 3G900 switch-on is the latest in a series of network enhancements for O2, and is a first for the UK and Telefónica. We’ve acted quickly to bring the benefits of 3G over 900MHz spectrum to our customers and we’re thrilled with the results. Quite simply, on O2’s network, more customers can use more data, and experience it quicker.’

    O2 said its new 3G900 network delivers a superior smartphone and tablet experience for its customers and offers the capability to significantly improve the potential of 3G services.

    Purdy added : ’We invest the equivalent of over £1m a day, every day, in our network, which is used to deliver technologies in a way that goes beyond traditional cellular infrastructure; providing access to a new range of ‘smarter’ services. Our strategy is to intelligently layer our network to give our customers connection to 2G, 3G, HSPA+,LTE and Wi-Fi, seamlessly, simply and at speed.’

    http://www.mobiletoday.co.uk/News/11...erfast_3G.aspx
    This article was originally published in forum thread: O2 switches on superfast 3G started by 3GScottishUser View original post
    Comments4 Comments
    2. Hands0n's Avatar
      Yea but ... its O2. And they really suck
      Reply
    2. blush's Avatar
      When Purdy says layers does he actually mean little patches. A little patch of 3g and a few patches of 2g and lots of patches of fresh air with no signal in them! Honestly o2's network is completely broken. I have been working in Central London the last few weeks and I cant believe how lacking the capital is in o2 3g signal. Its not until you are pretty much a mile from the centre that you get consistent 3g and saying that more often than not the 3g network is either down or when you make a call it drops to 2g. I have had an phone on three with me at the same time which has had full signal the whole time. If I go into field test mode on my iphone I rarely seem to be on the 3g900 network or get 3g at all. I really want to move my primary phone onto Three but the horror stories of CS puts me off.

      I wonder if o2 have any HSPA+ and if this is as broken as the rest of the network.
      Reply
    2. Hands0n's Avatar
      That mirrors my own personal experience of O2's 3G network since the day they switched on the service. It has been patchy at best, horrendous mostly though. I only bought into O2 for the iPhone, then the 3G and then the 3GS, finally leaving when the contract ran out, unlocking the 3GS and switching to Vodafone when for the first time in its life the 3GS had 3G most of the places I tend to live/work/play. O2 really and truly do suck, despite their fanfares to the contrary. And lets not forget that OFCOM have criticised them very many times, even threatening to revoke their 3G licence. The only UK operator to have that threat positioned at them.

      I find myself unable to trust O2 for any reasonable coverage in the South East and London itself. Working in E1 I find the 3G highly variable, latencies are horrid, connection timeouts abound and generally the service if wholly unreliable.

      That O2 have switched on 3G/900 impresses me not. They have some serious internal network issues that persist, these are manifested at the edge where 3G lives - always assuming you can get a signal.

      I know they sell a lot of handsets and contracts, but I would question what percentage are smartphones. I had one of their earlier featurephones (and SE something) and that had to be held up to the window glass at home to pick up a 3G signal - meanwhile the Vodafone and Three handsets held by the rest of my family worked all over the house! O2 claimed it was the handset - that was disproved in moments by popping in another network's SIM which then hand the handset locked on to 3G like a limpet.

      For me O2 is more like "No2, the best notwork in the country"
      Reply
    2. miffed's Avatar
      I really don't get it - I just can't shake off o2's 3G signal wherever I go , no matter how hard I try !
      Reply