I'm paying a mobile provider for calls, text and data, so why am I having to make calls through WiFi?

[BassinBas]

It's a piss take isn't it? Why is there fuck all mobile infrastructure? These companies have been getting loads of money from us for years. How come we can't make phone calls?

You can make phone calls.

Even via wifi there is a cost for routing the call to the number you dial.

But I'm paying separately for WiFi. Why do I need to do that? Why can't I just have a decent signal? For my money.

Or, actually, how come I have no signal at all? Why is this normalised? To pay money for nothing.

If you have no signal, why did you take out a contract?

You aren’t paying for nothing, you can make phone calls.

Jesus Christ Mumsnet posters will always find a way to support corporations and make spiteful pointless remarks. I am far from being the only person in the UK with shit/non existent mobile service

Spiteful? Pointless? Get a grip.

I have no signal here either. It’s not a problem because I use wifi calling. Try it.

We have to use WiFi calling at home. 2ft thick stone walls and a cliff behind the house probably doesn’t help. That said, we're in NE Scotland and the mobile infrastructure is definitely lacking. I don't have a signal for 90 percent of my commute which also corresponds to the 90 percent of my commute that doesn't get gritted and has a tendency to snowdrift.

If you don't have a signal either then you're also being ripped off. You should be getting cross with your mobile company, not with me.

Agree OP . I don’t actually use my phone signal but the scammers find me .
I use internet for every communication. Am going to investigate tomorrow/ today!

Nah it's a problem everywhere, really not just you.

I worked out in the sticks in the shire no bloody signal all day wasn't unusual so glad I live in the city.
Non gritting is a pita no matter where you live.

I mean phones are built now with WiFi calling enabled just because signal is so shit. That's how endemic the problem is. There isn't even an expectation that people will have signal, and there's no plans to provide it, they just bake it into the handset .

We've had no signal for a few weeks because a twatty drunk driver took out the nearest mast.

Before that as long as you were on the right network you were fine.

I do think there should be better advertising of what companies provide decent cover in areas. People moving here often have no idea that a Fisheries Price toy phone is as effective as being on EE. Whereas vodaphone (pre drink driver) was absolutely fine.

There are maps you can look up online that show you who gives good coverage in your area. However in my experience these are not accurate. This is the third provider I've been with and here I am with no signal, yet again. No stone walls, no snowdrifts, a mile from the city centre.

I agree that the signal is crap sometimes, but both mobile phone and broadband services are comparatively cheap (if you're paying more than £10 a month for your phone and £25 for your broadband, look at changing providers) that I can't get worked up about the cost.

Have you looked on the signal checker on the OFCOM website to see if another provider might be better for you? Then look at the Moneysaving Expert advice on this - you can get a cheap sim only deal that piggybacks the best network where you want to use your phone.

But I don't see the problem about making calls using wifi while you're at home. What difference does it make? Plus you still use the mobile network when you're out and about and presumably you use your wifi for data at home anyway>

Have you checked your phone settings? It seems odd that you have no signal in an urban area on three networks.

You’re not wrong op. Every time I go into central London my phone turns into a dead brick and I’m uncontactable. The infrastructure is totally inadequate for the demand.

I hear you OP. UK mobile phone coverage is largely poor. The maps will tell you I should have excellent signal in my area but in reality it is patchy at best and if I turn the corner from my house, my phone will not do anything.

I live in a well populated town near a city. There’s a retail park near me that has such poor signal that you can’t load your apps for the loyalty cards and offers of the various stores without connecting with each stores wifi. The nearby Sainsbury’s and car park has zero bars signal. None. I don’t get how it can be so bad in this day and age. I think wifi allows the phone companies to get away with a lot of failings (and yes it’s weird that people are so quick to defend instead of asking for better infrastructure).

We lived between 2 cities, 2 miles from the M1 and 3 miles from an airport in the UK and I had to drive a mile up the road to make work phone calls, the signal in the UK is rubbish.

We moved to rural France, expecting the same and get amazing phone signal here.

There’s numerous reasons why you’ll have poor coverage
but like anything mobile service has it’s limitations
the building you are in can inhibit mobile signals
depends where you live in the Lake District they struggle to get enough mast up due to planning regs as it’s an AONB
land owners don’t want mobile mast on there land , they use to put mast on top of buildings but mast can devalue property do owner are reluctant to do that

mobile phone service for unlimited calls and text is about £6 a month so it’s not extortionate

I completely agree, there’s no other utility where you’re expected to pay for no service. I can’t get a signal in the very centre of the 3 nearest cities to me and I’ve no change in my village. The mast in my nearest city has been broken for over a year and even our MP is involved but there’s no sign of it being fixed.

All the networks shutting down the 3G network without proper 4G infrastructure in place across the country was a very bad move.

I still don't fully understand the reason for doing this. A few years ago being able to route voice calls through the 2G network freed up the congestion on 4G.

And 3G was amazing at penetrating walls, so the reach from a single tower was further.

I live in a town and often have no coverage. It's got a lot worse in the past couple of years. There are 5g masts dotted around, but I don't know what they're for.

Totally agree

I live in london on a hill and cant make a fucking phone call

Same here. I use my landline for calls, WhatsApp for messages. No speech, text nor data at home, though fine when I am out and about. Utter crap. Can't even ring O2 for nothing as they moan about their own rubbish signal and hang up.