Cell C's coverage map is grossly inaccurate. How do they get away with it !!!!

[Malcolmt]

Hey folks,

I live in Parys, Free State, I ordered a router and the 20g data from Axxess for the Cell C LTE service they advertise.
According to Cell C's coverage map I'm 1.5km inside the 4G coverage area.

The B315 router and sim arrive, I set it up ( with external antennas) and get NIX 4G signal, plenty of 3G but absolutely SQUAT 4G !!!!!
After a few emails and suggestions from Axxess ( which weren't really related to the lack of signal) I did a test of my own.
I drove round town with the router in the car powered from a 12v battery. Eventually I found the 4G signal, and I was 1.5km from home.
Cell C's 4G coverage map has an error of about THREE KILOMETERS. What I discovered is the main residential and business area of town has no 4G signal but Cell C's map clearly shows its covered.

After some very strongly worded emails to Axxess, I've cancelled my account, they have agreed to refund me plus take the router back at their cost, this still has to happen.

I then called Cell C and was shocked at what they told me. The girlie said they are aware of the lack of signal in Parys and added
Cell C has no plans to extend the signal into main part of the town !!! I asked why their coverage map shows coverage when it doesn't exist.. she went quiet. I asked when will Cell C be correcting their coverage map, then more silence.
In a nutshell, this is fraud, pure and simple, Cell C are offering a service, taking payment, and fully aware the service doesn't exist.

How the hell can Cell C get away with this ???
Is it even worth complaining to ICASA ???
Can anyone suggest how I put pressure on Axxess to get the refund they promised ?
And is there anyway to force Cell C to correct their coverage map?

Cheers
Malcolm T

 

[themba990]

I'm impressed at your level of dedication driving around with a router rigged to a battery

 

[Malcolmt]

I'm impressed at your level of dedication driving around with a router rigged to a battery

Hi Themba, Hey..I was getting nowhere fast. I had to do something to prove the point and get some hard evidence to counter their bullshit ;-)
Prior to retiring I was occasionally involved with radio telemetry systems so I know a little about radio propagation but I'm far from being an expert.

Edit..Oh yes..I also suspect I know how they came to get a 3km coverage error but didn't want to bog down the posting.

 

[ginggs]

I live in Parys, Free State, I ordered a router and the 20g data from Axxess for the Cell C LTE service they advertise.
According to Cell C's coverage map I'm 1.5km inside the 4G coverage area.

I think you should be looking at the Fixed-LTE coverage.

 

[Malcolmt]

Internet is an issue in the dorpie.
I don't have a phone line so ADSL is out, I'm not going to sign up with Helkom and pay R360/month for a line rental. before I get a kilobyte of data.
Only a small part of the town is covered with fixed LTE.
It looks like its 3G or no G.
I'm not a heavy user, data speed isn't an issue, I just wanted to lower costs.

What burns my ass is how Cell C can advertise coverage and accept contracts while knowing the service doesn't exist !!!! Does anyone know if ICCASA has any clout to stop others getting ripped off ?

 

[dotcat]

So what Cell C seems to be showing may be their MTN roaming coverage. Axxes is the only provider who seems to be displaying the MTN roaming on their coverage map. However if you look at Afrihost's cell C coverage there is nothing.

So it may be the case that Cell C roaming on MTN does not work when buying through an ISP. Have you tried putting a Cell C sim in your router at your house? The cell c consultant may have said they have no plans to add coverage because they already have coverage via the MTN roaming agreement. So on the cell C map there is no fixed LTE coverage in Parys and so the fault seems to lie with Axxess who may be displaying an incorrect coverage map.

 

[Mrlepen]

Interesting

 

[Dan C]

Axxess map is wrong. I can get CellC LTE. But not Fixed LTE. Afrihost seems to be correct.

 

[SlowInternet]

I also dont understand all these maps and stuff. Vox and Afrihost maps says I don't have coverage and I cannot purchase the CellC deals. CellC map says I have LTE & LTE-A coverage. Our local Vox shop says they sell the CellC package because they have tested the signal and it averages about 20-25Mbps.

 

[Malcolmt]

Hi DotCat
Axxess supplied a Cell C sim with the router.
I wasn't aware Cell C can roam on MTN, I thought they only used Vodacom. I've used Cell C for calls for a few years, after I moved to Parys the phone had to be set to Vodacom to receive calls reliably.
I used 3G MTN data from Axxess for a few years, it was always flakey, worked, didn't work, until 3-4 months ago. Suddenly the signal was perfect, MTN erected a tower 250m meters away from my place.
Telkom Mobile have recently setup their own base station on the tower at the local exchange, prior to that Telkom Mobile could only be received whilst roaming on MTN.

I've tried a MTN and Telkom Mobile sim in the router and both get a good 4G signal.

Does anyone know how the cell phone companies generate the coverage maps ?
They can drive around and log signal strength, but what happens when the boundary is on farmland, surly they don't go bundu bashing !!!

I suspect much of the Cell C map data is theoretical and based on antenna performance.
They may not have taken the gradient to the river into account.

Does anyone know if ICCASA has any teeth to pressure Cell C to provide coverage or correct the coverage maps ?

 

[dotcat]

Hi DotCat
Axxess supplied a Cell C sim with the router.
I wasn't aware Cell C can roam on MTN, I thought they only used Vodacom. I've used Cell C for calls for a few years, after I moved to Parys the phone had to be set to Vodacom to receive calls reliably.
I used 3G MTN data from Axxess for a few years, it was always flakey, worked, didn't work, until 3-4 months ago. Suddenly the signal was perfect, MTN erected a tower 250m meters away from my place.
Telkom Mobile have recently setup their own base station on the tower at the local exchange, prior to that Telkom Mobile could only be received whilst roaming on MTN.

I've tried a MTN and Telkom Mobile sim in the router and both get a good 4G signal.

Does anyone know how the cell phone companies generate the coverage maps ?
They can drive around and log signal strength, but what happens when the boundary is on farmland, surly they don't go bundu bashing !!!

I suspect much of the Cell C map data is theoretical and based on antenna performance.
They may not have taken the gradient to the river into account.

Does anyone know if ICCASA has any teeth to pressure Cell C to provide coverage or correct the coverage maps ?

So the cell C Coverage may be accurate as they now roam on MTN 4G. It is likely the Axxess map is not. Maps will be generated using software. You can do a simulation using https://link.ubnt.com/

 

[Malcolmt]

Hey Gents,
Here's a follow up regarding my issue with Axxess / Cell C 4G service.
Axxess have refunded me for the subscription to the Cell C 4G service and given a refund for the router and took it back at their expense.

Next step is the speak to Icasa and the ARB ( formerly ASA) to put pressure on Cell C and Axxess to correct their coverage maps.

Incidently, I now know Afrihost and Vox Telecom promote the same 4G service but not in Parys.
It makes me wonder how many other Dorpies have hassles with huge errors on coverage maps.


Cheers
MalcolmT

 

[Draconia2]

Shows no fixed LTE signal. Yet I got my axxess sim on monday and used around 15 gigs until friday morning 1am the sim cut out and since then its been dead. The *No service* issue that's been going on...