UK PAYG

[Dave]

Problem is Trump and the US influence on Europe, networks were full steam ahead with 5G but the anti-Huawei campaigns created too much uncertainty, with 2020 compounding the problem I think everyone is holding out for Biden to take office before they proceed with adding 5G to their Huawei networks or lay down the capital to rip and replace with another provider

It's likely too late for Huawei now, BT (EE) have already signed a new contract with Ericsson for the renewal of the core network. O2 were already an Ericsson customer and Vodafone have no Huawei equipment in their core network. I'm not sure about Three's core equipment.

Ancillary equipment like antennae and base station infrastructure will be swapped out over a number of years (and likely mostly when upgraded replacement equipment is done under maintenance).

 

[HavocXphere]

Tiny bit ironic that a ZA broadband forum is being used for this debate

 

[Dairyfarmer]

Tiny bit ironic that a ZA broadband forum is being used for this debate

Getting ready to leave SA. So need to get reacquainted with the mobile companies. When I left there was T-Mobile (just changed from one2one), Vodafone, Orange, O2 and Three as the main players. The closest you got to a smart phone was a HP or Palm.

 

[HavocXphere]

Reckon you're overthinking it a bit, but to each their own.

If you're in a very rural area you might need to try a few but beyond that it's all much of a sameness

 

[Sinbad]

Getting ready to leave SA. So need to get reacquainted with the mobile companies. When I left there was T-Mobile (just changed from one2one), Vodafone, Orange, O2 and Three as the main players. The closest you got to a smart phone was a HP or Palm.

I think you and I were there at the same time

I had one of the 3 clamshell video phones - http://timtyler.org/mobile/e808/

 

[gregmcc]

I've been with Three for a while. No issues. Was previously with O2, also no issues there but moved as Three was cheaper.

Vodafone generally do not get good reviews. TalkTalk stay away from. EE are also big but have never used.

 

[bwana]

Reckon you're overthinking it a bit, but to each their own.

If you're in a very rural area you might need to try a few but beyond that it's all much of a sameness

He hasn't said where he's going so it's probably somewhere dodge.

 

[Dairyfarmer]

He hasn't said where he's going so it's probably somewhere dodge.

Defiantly not living in London again. Probably out west. Wiltshire.

 

[Dave]

Defiantly not living in London again. Probably out west. Wiltshire.

Probably a good idea, not many dairy farms in London.

 

[Dairyfarmer]

Probably a good idea, not many dairy farms in London.

Not going into farming unless it is the IT side of it. Had my fill of 70 hour work weeks and low pay.

 

[Dave]

Not going into farming unless it is the IT side of it. Had my fill of 70 hour work weeks and low pay.

They also frown on you keeping dairy cows in your garden here.

 

[Dairyfarmer]

Been looking at all the options and it looks like Smarty is what I'm going to go for. 3 x 4Gb plans for GBP6 (2 will get 10% discount) = GBP16.80pm

 

[Sinbad]

Been looking at all the options and it looks like Smarty is what I'm going to go for. 3 x 4Gb plans for GBP6 (2 will get 10% discount) = GBP16.80pm

I was with giffgaff for my first 3 weeks, then as soon as I had a proper bank account I snaffled an ID Mobile (three network) 12 month contract on special offer for £16 a month. Uncapped everything. I did 250GB in month one.

 

[Spizz]

I was with giffgaff for my first 3 weeks, then as soon as I had a proper bank account I snaffled an ID Mobile (three network) 12 month contract on special offer for £16 a month. Uncapped everything. I did 250GB in month one.

Nice. LTE or do they do 5G as well?

 

[Sinbad]

Nice. LTE or do they do 5G as well?

They've just started doing 5g as well. Limited coverage but it's early days.

I get about 40-50mbps on the lte connection here.

I don't have a 5g phone yet, but I foresee a google pixel in my life soonish...

 

[Sinbad]

Lol

 

[Gtx Gaming]

They've just started doing 5g as well. Limited coverage but it's early days.

I get about 40-50mbps on the lte connection here.

I don't have a 5g phone yet, but I foresee a google pixel in my life soonish...

Uk still has slow lte speeds, mine was also slow few years back when I was there

Guess they trying to push 5g, which can't reach far .

 

[Dave]

Uk still has slow lte speeds

What do you consider slow speeds? I haven’t done many speed tests on 4G since 5G launched but I have almost always seen speeds from close to 100Mbps to over 200Mbps.

For example, digging into my Ookla results

 

[Dave]

Guess they trying to push 5g, which can't reach far .

5G is capable of reaching much further than 4G, the networks have just started their rollout of 700MHz 5G spectrum, it’s the lowest spectrum in use for any technology. Vodafone and o2 will also be re-farming 900MHz from 2G to 5G in the near future as well.

I suspect you got hung up on the idea of mmWave 5G which is very short distance but I don’t think any network outside the USA has even considered rolling it out yet.

 

[Gtx Gaming]

What do you consider slow speeds? I haven’t done many speed tests on 4G since 5G launched but I have almost always seen speeds from close to 100Mbps to over 200Mbps.

For example, digging into my Ookla results

View attachment 1071933
View attachment 1071935
View attachment 1071937

150mbps plus is considered fast which easily done on mtn, but was definitely not getting that in docklands and center London. Lucky to get 30mbps