Sponsored Links

EE Finalise Their 3G Switch Off Plans

Glad to see EE are going to just nip it in the bud quickly.

Will be interesting to see if 3G switch off allows them more potential of 4G bands in the same spectrum (ie, broadcast power levels)
EE have not been restrained by 3G power levels for years.

They got to work pretty quickly with Band 20 and VoLTE, so they didn’t need the circuit switch back down to 3G.

They rolled out a lot of 2G/4G masts.

Adjusted the selection process to basically ignore 3G if 4G 800mhz is available.

Unlike O2 and Vodafone, EE won’t have much tinkering to do.
 
Why not? its more reliable than the copper it is replacing and its better than having the roads all dug up.

Around here they mole along the lanes now. Far less disruption and a lot faster. They laid a new power cable along our lane a couple of years ago, just dug a hole about every 20m or so and moled along between the holes. Very quick, with the only road disruption being around 2 holes at any one time.
 
3 seem to be, i get a stronger signal via their 3G
I have noticed it and it’s mainly due to the amount of 3G only sites they have. Some of them are ancient too.

Your 4G signal may be coming from miles away.

Three’s selection process confuses me.

I went to the top of a 540m hill today and on the top is a single band Three 3G mast. All the other networks have 4G.

My phone was displaying 5G, 2 bars. It was Band 28 700mhz coming from a mast 20 miles away as the crow flies.

Soon as I started using the data connection, it flicked over to the mast meters away from me. Closed safari, back to Band 28.

It’s weird.
 
Nationwide - so will be everything. I'm assuming they'll follow Vodafone, who are also killing business 3g-only masts (and will remove them). Remember, they want the frequencies to re-farm them - that means they need them empty.

(see -> https://www.vodafone.co.uk/business/3g-switch-off "In-building coverage scheme" -> https://www.vodafone.co.uk/business/business-mobile-plans/mobile-plan-features/in-building-coverage)


Do you have examples? I'd be surprised if the contract calls out the specific technology ? From what I've seen before they give an example of a specific technology or a minimum requirement, but not a specific tech.
One seems to be smart meters, another emergency services. Smart meters is 3g specific, I think (but not sure) emergency services is also.

Good luck replacing all the smart meters before these dates.

Pretty sure I asked about smart meters on this specific site a year or so back.

My gut feeling is they just winding down general commercial use, so can remove capacity on them, ,as the service commitments with other entities are low data rates.

Found it.


Contracted until 2033 to supply 3g. They not wiggling out of that so will be some infrastructure left up.

Our second-generation meter solution is primarily based on the 3G network which has commitments through to 2033 based on our current contract, so this service remains mainly unaffected for the next 11 years.

A bit like how windows XP etc. is EOL for general use but entities like the NHS still get support and patches.
 
Sponsored Links
I have noticed it and it’s mainly due to the amount of 3G only sites they have. Some of them are ancient too.

Your 4G signal may be coming from miles away.

Three’s selection process confuses me.

I went to the top of a 540m hill today and on the top is a single band Three 3G mast. All the other networks have 4G.

My phone was displaying 5G, 2 bars. It was Band 28 700mhz coming from a mast 20 miles away as the crow flies.

Soon as I started using the data connection, it flicked over to the mast meters away from me. Closed safari, back to Band 28.

It’s weird.
in my case all the local sites are 4G enabled, although only B3 and 20, 3G is set as the lowest priority, and i get put onto B20 often (never 3g), forcing 3G usually gives me better speeds vs b20 and even b3 sometimes.
 
That's not really correct though, They've consistently been running MVNO's and PAYG customers without VoLTE options, and as has been said regarding Three, 3G signals come in stronger than 4G signals?
EE don’t really care about MVNO’s or Pay as you go. The bread and butter is the contract and corporate contracts and they got to work quickly making sure iPhones and top end Android phones would use 800Mhz and VoLTE.

For everybody else, you drop from 4G to 2G for a voice call.

Bare in mind, the ESN masts are 2G/4G and when my Vodafone test phone lost service earlier, it was connected to EE 1800Mhz 2G on emergency calls only.
 
I have noticed it and it’s mainly due to the amount of 3G only sites they have. Some of them are ancient too.

Your 4G signal may be coming from miles away.

Three’s selection process confuses me.

I went to the top of a 540m hill today and on the top is a single band Three 3G mast. All the other networks have 4G.

My phone was displaying 5G, 2 bars. It was Band 28 700mhz coming from a mast 20 miles away as the crow flies.

Soon as I started using the data connection, it flicked over to the mast meters away from me. Closed safari, back to Band 28.

It’s weird.

That's by design as they prioritise 4G over 3G now.

EE's 4G is still not as good in building as Vodafone or O2's, their band 20 just doesn't travel, I assume still power limited
 
in my case all the local sites are 4G enabled, although only B3 and 20, 3G is set as the lowest priority, and i get put onto B20 often (never 3g), forcing 3G usually gives me better speeds vs b20 and even b3 sometimes.
Band 20 in most cases is a saturated mess because of the coverage it has. It gets swamped because phones miles out will latch on til death!

Three need to get more Band 28 out there and get all these 3G legacy sites sorted.

It’ll cost them though where some of them are. I can imagine backhaul will cost a fortune.
 
That's by design as they prioritise 4G over 3G now.

EE's 4G is still not as good in building as Vodafone or O2's, their band 20 just doesn't travel, I assume still power limited
If they’re prioritising 4G over 3G, why was it switching to the massive 3G macro site right next to me only when I opened a data connection?

With the phone on idle, it ignored it.

Is that due to a VoLTE configuration I wonder.
 
Sponsored Links
Band 20 in most cases is a saturated mess because of the coverage it has. It gets swamped because phones miles out will latch on til death!

Three need to get more Band 28 out there and get all these 3G legacy sites sorted.

It’ll cost them though where some of them are. I can imagine backhaul will cost a fortune.

Band 28 should supposedly provide better coverage than band 20 but I've yet to see it. I assume it has a band 20 anchor?

I wonder if they will ever do it as 5G SA?
 
If they’re prioritising 4G over 3G, why was it switching to the massive 3G macro site right next to me only when I opened a data connection?

With the phone on idle, it ignored it.

Is that due to a VoLTE configuration I wonder.

Selection differs depending on idle vs not idle.
 
Band 28 should supposedly provide better coverage than band 20 but I've yet to see it. I assume it has a band 20 anchor?

I wonder if they will ever do it as 5G SA?
I will have a screenshot for you from NSG in the next few days showing the difference between B20 and B28.

It’s not huge but it’s noticeable.

Three throwing absolutely everything they have at a mast does have its benefits from time to time.
 
I will have a screenshot for you from NSG in the next few days showing the difference between B20 and B28.

It’s not huge but it’s noticeable.

Three throwing absolutely everything they have at a mast does have its benefits from time to time.

Looking forward to seeing it. I have yet to experience any difference at all.
 
You are correct, just done some tinkering on my phone and noticed that calls do go from 5G/4G straight to 2G and then back upon hanging up.

They need to share their config with Vodafone as I've heard they struggle with the handing down on calls when 3G is unavailable.

I also noticed my phones settings don't allow 3G only option with my EE/Talk.Home sim, however I can force it using Phone Info.

Upon doing this I notice that Three/EE using the same radio for 3G.
EE removed the 3G toggle from the toolkit years ago. They really don’t want people on it.

I have just checked and it has gone for Three now too - that’ll be due to VoLTE I would have thought.
 
Sponsored Links
There is a lot you have written which I haven't time to read but one point regarding poles for fibre and your mention of emergency use. Installing what you are implying is critical infrastructure on poles is not where critical infrastructure should ever be!
It isn't critical infrastructure anymore. There's no guarantee your FTTP will be up at all times like your copper-based phone line would be. It's why vulnerable customers who need it can get (or could) get a BBU for their setup.

Around here they mole along the lanes now. Far less disruption and a lot faster. They laid a new power cable along our lane a couple of years ago, just dug a hole about every 20m or so and moled along between the holes. Very quick, with the only road disruption being around 2 holes at any one time.
Depends on what's being laid, most telecom prefer micro-trenching for speed. BT made a big deal about robotics years ago for digging in this manner - but I don't think it went anywhere.

One seems to be smart meters, another emergency services. Smart meters is 3g specific, I think (but not sure) emergency services is also.

Contracted until 2033 to supply 3g. They not wiggling out of that so will be some infrastructure left up.
For Smart Meters:
Pretty sure they'll just make them replace the comms unit worst case - SMETS2 meters are built modular, so you can just swap out the module for comms.

However - it's worth knowing they're not sat on 3G in Scotland -> Arqiva uses LRR instead.
O2's patch should be 2G/3G - any that can't fall back I'm sure will get swapped out.

Contract with DCC means pretty much nothing though I suspect, it's just Catheter Capita in Government clothing. (no, really.. -> https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/08641679/officers ). If Gov has decided that the networks have to go by 2033 - then DCC will have to deal with that, as networks have already agreed their timeframes.

Emergency services are now served over ESN - which is EE 4G.
Unless you meant some specific comms?
 
Oh the comms unit will get replaced at some point it says in the article, but a contract is a contract, there is 10 years of 3g connectivity left for smart meters.

There is millions installed so good luck getting them replaced in a year or two, thats why there is such a long contract.
 
You need to remember not everyone is interested in having the fastest connectivity and might be more interested in the look and amenity of their home, street and area.

Why should a company who only has one purpose, to make profits for shareholders, ruin the look of an area with infrastructure and go unchallenged? It's not beyond the wit of man to install masts and new fibre connections where they can go unnoticed. For example, on my street we have electricity, gas, water, sewage, drains, telephone connections plus now FTTP from Openreach and FibreMe, but you wouldn't know by walking up the street as it is all invisible, and they made it all invisible for a reason. Imagine what our streets would be like of these other utility companies decided it was too expensive to put their stuff out of sight underground?

The reason they go for poles and big ugly large phone masts is they want to maximize profit, end of. You can bet the directors of said companies don't have new poles put up outside their expensive houses.

Oh no we have a live one here.
 
Top
Cheap BIG ISPs for 100Mbps+
Community Fibre UK ISP Logo
150Mbps
Gift: None
Virgin Media UK ISP Logo
Virgin Media £22.99
132Mbps
Gift: None
Vodafone UK ISP Logo
Vodafone £24.00 - 26.00
150Mbps
Gift: None
NOW UK ISP Logo
NOW £24.00
100Mbps
Gift: None
Plusnet UK ISP Logo
Plusnet £25.99
145Mbps
Gift: £50 Reward Card
Large Availability | View All
Cheapest ISPs for 100Mbps+
Gigaclear UK ISP Logo
Gigaclear £17.00
200Mbps
Gift: None
Community Fibre UK ISP Logo
150Mbps
Gift: None
Virgin Media UK ISP Logo
Virgin Media £22.99
132Mbps
Gift: None
Hey! Broadband UK ISP Logo
150Mbps
Gift: None
Youfibre UK ISP Logo
Youfibre £23.99
150Mbps
Gift: None
Large Availability | View All
Sponsored Links
The Top 15 Category Tags
  1. FTTP (6026)
  2. BT (3639)
  3. Politics (2721)
  4. Business (2439)
  5. Openreach (2405)
  6. Building Digital UK (2330)
  7. Mobile Broadband (2146)
  8. FTTC (2083)
  9. Statistics (1901)
  10. 4G (1816)
  11. Virgin Media (1764)
  12. Ofcom Regulation (1582)
  13. Fibre Optic (1467)
  14. Wireless Internet (1462)
  15. 5G (1407)
Sponsored

Copyright © 1999 to Present - ISPreview.co.uk - All Rights Reserved - Terms  ,  Privacy and Cookie Policy  ,  Links  ,  Website Rules