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Best network for area

andrewtjb

Casual Member
Hi

I’m trying to figure out which network is best in my area. I’m currently with three but signal at my home isn’t great and my data speeds are poor even outside with good signal.

I picked up a couple of different sims to test with a s8+ and the cellmaper app and I've took some screenshots from the app but not sure how to read the results.

Am i right in thinking O2 and Vodafone are better because there’s two masts or will that not make a difference?

Thanks
 

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Yeah unfortunately it seems I just don't get good signal in my area on any of the networks. These were taken with my phone on the window sill.

It's worse if I'm just sat on sofa etc.

I was planning on going sim only anyway when my contract is up but I'm just trying to figure out if one is better than the other.
 
I had the same issue and then suddenly Three put up a new mast nearby...so fingers crossed for you.
If I were you I would sign with one that allows you to make wifi calls. Then you can use your home broadband (if you have that?) to improve the quality of your calls. They still charge you as per your plan. Three network (so also Smarty) lets you do this if you have the right phone. Not sure which others do/don't.
Good luck.
 
Hi

I’m trying to figure out which network is best in my area. I’m currently with three but signal at my home isn’t great and my data speeds are poor even outside with good signal.

I picked up a couple of different sims to test with a s8+ and the cellmaper app and I've took some screenshots from the app but not sure how to read the results.

Am i right in thinking O2 and Vodafone are better because there’s two masts or will that not make a difference?

Thanks
EE looks good.

What device are you testing with?
 
EE looks good.

What device are you testing with?
I was testing with a Samsung s8+ and had the phone on window sill.

Ee is probably a bit to expensive tbh i was planning on going with one of the smaller networks that piggyback like voxi, smarty etc.

I use WiFi calling at home and my home broadband for data so its mostly when I'm out and about.
 
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I was testing with a Samsung s8+ and had the phone on window sill.

Ee is probably a bit to expensive tbh i was planning on going with one of the smaller networks that piggyback like voxi, smarty etc.

I use WiFi calling at home and my home broadband for data so its mostly when I'm out and about.
1p mobile
 
I'll have look.

Just curious does the screenshots really show ee as being best?

From the signal bars it seemed to be the worse. Dropping down to nothing when not near the window.
EE shows 4G+ and Volte, which means your device is able to connect to two different frequencies and give a better service.

All the others show 4G only.
 
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Determining the best mobile network in your area used to be so much easier with the Rootmetrics Coverage map until Ookla closed it down after acquiring Rootmetrics.

I used to contribute a lot of coverage and speed data to that app too.
 
Determining the best mobile network in your area used to be so much easier with the Rootmetrics Coverage map until Ookla closed it down after acquiring Rootmetrics.

I used to contribute a lot of coverage and speed data to that app too.
Ookla have a maps feature in speedtest
 
O2 and Voda are B20 only which is fine if you like drinking your internet through a collapsed straw.

EE is fine if you've got money to burn and you don't need a public IP.

Three is the way to go for ok internet (signal is fine, could be worse, could be better) and reasonable pricing and public IP.
 
There are some places only B20 can reach.
But there are also places that something more than B20 is needed. Its good to have B20, but using it as a main and only carrier is horrid. A mast can serve a few hundred people. 600/700 devices on an single B20 10MHz carrier never had been and never will be a "good" user experience. This is why EE and Three have B20 alongside their other bands. B1 B3 B28 B32 being the others it is used with on Three and B1, B3, B7 on EE.
 
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