Mobile reception 4G/5G getting worse?

[innocentize]

I’m on o2 and have an iPhone which is probably around 4 years old if that’s relevant, but so much of the time I can’t get any mobile internet. Like it always shows as having bars/ and either 4G or 5G but it just won’t connect. Sometimes I think it’s because I’m someone too busy (a traffic jam or town centre) and sometimes somewhere too quiet or remote but it feels like it’s just really unreliable and causes problems for using google maps when driving, paying for parking with apps.

Is o2 particularly bad? Is having an older phone the problem?

I experience exactly the same! It’s not phone related as I changed my phone last year hoping it would improve and it didn’t. I got 5G as part of the upgrade in handset and it made no difference at all. Like you, traffic jams, shopping malls, anywhere where there’s a lot of people (but not football stadium numbers!) I get no internet service. I’m O2 also. It’s incredibly frustrating.

Yes mine is getting worse too.

Meant to add mine is o2 as well

Yes. And everyone in our area is also complaining about it. I am also O2 but in our local area it seems to be all networks. It's not so bad in my house but I'm a little rural.Noone can get a signal in our local town centre.

It's practically unusable in our town even though boosters of some kind have been installed.

I've had a couple of companies mention that they've tried to call me but its not connected which is worrying considering I have a lot of medical needs. I have giffgaff which is apparently O2.

It’s def O2… I was with Vodafone for 20 years and never had any signal issues. I changed to O2 couple of months ago cos of a great deal thru Virginmedia… I hugely regret it! DD also changed to O2 last year as was cheaper… she is always complaining about it. DH and other DD still on Vodafone and never have problems.

I am just about done with 02- I have almost no signal and every time I ask them about it they say the mast is broken and will be fixed within 48 hours - first told this 2 months ago and it’s not improved. Their advice is to use WiFi assist- so what exactly am I paying them for? Absolutely appalling and they are not that cheap either.

I have had the same but I am on the Three network through Smarty.

It is so annoying as I need to show a qr code at the post office, my digital prepayment at the pharmacy etc.

Modern life is completely dependent on using your phone but none of them work!

I have the same issue. Last 12 months or so I have no connection in places that always worked before. It shows as 1 or 2 bars 4G but doesn’t actually DO anything.

I am with Three, but friends on other networks say the same.

I wonder if apps have just got more data hungry and the network hasn’t kept up? I’m not techy enough to know whether that’s likely though.

I’ve had the same and I’m with BT/EE. Checking my phone, see it’s 5G and I struggle to get mobile internet. It’s so frustrating as whether we like it or not we are reliant on it

I've got a 7 year old Android with O2. Because of landscape features reception has always been dodgy here, but since 3G switched off, I can't even text from home. Apparently 3G was really good at getting into buildings, 4G isn't.

Im with Sky which is basically o2. It is AWFUL. Basically doesn’t work in London because it’s too overcrowded. 4G is worthless. It’ll say I have 5G bars but it does fuck all. I have tried all the tricks, when we go abroad it works brilliantly, I was on the internet on 3G in rural Norway! Apparently it’s shit infrastructure (shock).

I need to change to EE next time, but the cost always puts me off and I am in WiFi 80% of the time, but when you need it and it doesn’t work it’s infuriating.

Our WiFi went out last week for half a day and NOTHING worked, I couldn’t do anything because despite supposedly having signal my phone it wouldn’t do anything. So I couldn’t phone anyone, couldn’t phone to find out about wifi, couldn’t check Facebook to see if it affected anyone else. Just had to sit and wait for everything to come back on…

I get the same, I think the infrastructure isn't good enough for the amount of people using it nowadays, we are encouraged to do everything on our phones, it also seems similar for other providers as I looked to change but the reviews didn't seem any better

I'm on Sky with an iphone 17 and it's the same. I'm always having to log in to wi-fi in stores.

@shuddacuddadidnt I always get suckered in by their prices 🙄 I like that it’s cheap abroad too.

I had similar issues with O2, I would have a 4G/5G signal but no actual data.

Moved to Vodafone and it's been much better, especially 5G coverage in busy places, EG London train terminals etc.

Apparently it’s because of the removal of 3G masts which means the signal isn’t being projected as far.

Although 5G signal is meant to be better, it’s only better if you’re directly next to it or within approx 100 meters of it, and the 3G masts have helped to strengthen the general signal.

The phone manufacturers have denied this, but since the 3G masts have been being removed the signal has decreased.

I’m on EE and have exactly the same issue.

I’ve got this problem. Also O2. Went into a shop and they said it was because my phone was old. It wasn’t that old at all. I’ve got a new phone and it still doesn’t work. It’s so annoying. As soon as I leave the house I can’t access internet or use WhatsApp or receive emails. Weirdly, my son who is old the same network and has an old iPhone doesn’t have this issue at all. It’s driving me mad and I need to spend some time moving to another provider. They’re not even cheap anymore!

Have had loads of issues today.

Couldn't get a qr code for parcel collection again and couldn't get on the school app to check dinner money.

My daughter and her colleagues who are on O2 all had zero network today… couldn’t even make calls… yet when looking up online O2 said no issues anywhere 🤷🏼‍♀️ they were in Teddington area