Mobile Broadband Coverage

[champagnebaby]

Just can anyone tell me what like the broadband mobile coverage is up here or what experiences they've had with it?

I've been looking at a few deals offering free laptops but when i started checking the coverage with the providers listed here (http://www.bestmobilebroadband.co.uk/uk-mobile-broadband-coverage.aspx) there's none that cover Caithness![disgust] Been kinda looking at a deal on Vodafone offering a Samsung NC10 but not much point if there's no coverage!:eek:

Thanks

[Brizer2k7]

Hi,

I'd say pick a provider e.g. orange, t-mobile, vodafone, three, o2 then put a few postcodes of where you are likely to be using mobile Broadband, into their coverage checkers online to see what signal you should get.

I wouldnt imagine 3G is too good anywhere in Caithness.

My girlfriend signed up for t-mobile in Exmouth, Devon and it was un-usable and we had to request a refund and cancel the contract as the signal was too poor even though when we signed up online it said she could get a "good" signal using the postcode of her flat.

I'd say its hit and miss really.

[blueivy]

No 3G availability in Caithness at all. On the mainland the farthest north I get it is Inverness.

This post (http://forum.caithness.org/showthread.php?t=48001&highlight=mobile+broadband) discussed it a while back. Nothing has changed as far as I'm aware.

I think we need to concentrate on landline broadband first up here as it's poor in a lot of places. I know the Scottish Government were looking at this and I now know Westminster is.

By the time we get 3G it will be obsolete ...

[Dynamic Sounds]

O2 do 3G coverage in Wick. It has only been official since the start of April but they were trialling it before that. I have used it twice in wick when I have been doing a disco and had the laptop connected.

[blueivy]

Fantastic! You sneeze and something changes!

Is there anything official on it? Where did you hear about it?

Hopefully this will put some pressure on the others to follow suit.

[Dynamic Sounds]

I noticed it on my mobile in January, the HSDPA symbol came up on the phone, but i thought it was a fault as I contacted O2 and went into shops and got the same answer that there was no coverage.

Easter weekend I was in Wick doinf a disco, so I tried to do a video call to a mate in Aberdeen, and it worked, so connected the mobile to the laptop, and hey presto had 3G access, at about 3Mbps!

Bought a dongle in Inverness this week, and they confirmed that Wick, well at least the central part of it, is covered.

If you go the the o2 website, in the mobile broadband section, there is a coverage checker, and if you put in a postcode, it will say yay or nay.

[blueivy]

Unfortunately I'm with T-Mobile but my contract is up shortly so I'll see what they say.

Good news it's here though. I did think we'd never get it ...

[Stefan]

End of last year three had it up on their future checker that they would cover thurso and wick in 2009. Disappeared since but if they do come up here then it will be t-mobile as well as they share their masts.

[champagnebaby]

Thanks for the info, i put my postcode in here http://www.webmap.o2.co.uk/map.asp (http://www.webmap.o2.co.uk/map.asp) and it seems i am in the HSDPA area :lol: Must go see what o2 have to offer!

[dx100uk]

o2 are currently doing a 3g simcard which will give free unlimited data for 12mts for a £10 top up.

dx

[blueivy]

Slightly related (but also slightly off-topic), can anybody tell me what Vodafone coverage is like north of Inverness? I know they don't do 3G so I'm interested in voice coverage. Everytime I go to their website to get the coverage checker I get the maintenance page.

I was with them about 3 years ago and coverage was fine, however not sure what it is like now. I cover from Inverness northwards so interested in the coverage all the way down the A9 / A99 if anybody knows what it's like.

Thanks in advance!

[Pastychomper]

I ordered a free Vodafone sim to see what their coverage is like, and it seems to be great in the Thurso-Castletown-Scarfskerry area. At least the 'phone worked and reported full signal everywhere I tried it (which is more than can be said for Orange), but I haven't tried actually making calls yet.

[Haitch]

I cant beleive that in this day and age there is anywhere without mobile signal. It really needs to be sorted as a priority.

[Bobinovich]

I've been with Vodafone for years and, apart from a few blackspots and when masts are down, coverage is pretty good over the north.

[blueivy]

Thanks guys. On tha back of this I've just ordered my phone through Vodafone after my contract was up with T-Mobile.

[Dynamic Sounds]

As an update to this thread, Came up north for the weekend and noticed that now have 3G in Thurso. My 3 phone and mobile broadband thing both work, even if the coverage is a bit patchy at my house. Nothing on their website as of yet though.

From the coverage, it's patchy like O2 is at my house, so I think they may be using the mast at the Police station in Thurso. Anyone know more?

[cdell196311]

using t-mobile dongle in wick it switched to hdspa last wednesday

[Green_not_greed]

Hi

I'm on Vodafone. For over a week now the signal has been gprs (lowercase) or edge (lowercase) and I have no access to mobile data services or email. Can anyone shed some light on this please?

Thanks

[Phill]

Hi

I'm on Vodafone. For over a week now the signal has been gprs (lowercase) or edge (lowercase) and I have no access to mobile data services or email. Can anyone shed some light on this please?

Thanks

Yer need a sock apparently!

I had a row today with vodafone about my iphone (worse decision ever) anyway they said a sock hadn't been attached, could have been socket though difficult accent.
Anyway they reckon I'll get mobile broadband now. so the answer is to give 'em a bell and check your account is set up okay.

Also (I'm assuming it's a blackberry) the handset may need resetting, there is a technical term but I forget now, and there are two different types.
First one is with the phone switched on pull the battery off then take the sim out and leave it for 5 mins.
I had to do this every few months as I lost mobile internet.

The second one is some files need to be renewed, but I cannot remember which or how but the techy bods at vodafone will. I had to do this once to regain email & tinterweb connectivity.

[Green_not_greed]

Thanks Phill

I actually phone Vodafone lat night and after a few tests it seems that my SIM card has failed and a new one is on its way.

Thanks for the help - resetting the handset (as you describe above) what Vodafone tried without success.

But nothing to do with socks, tights or (unfortunately) stockings!

Cheers

GNG