3G or 4G Coverage at Glastonbury

[johnny-yen]

This year will be my first year at the festival with a smart phone. 

In the past I've always relied on a good old fashioned Nokia with buttons (how quaint!) just for emergencies really. I wanted something that had a good battery and didn't really matter if I lost it. 

However, I need to move with the times and for the first time I plan to possibly take my iPhone. 

My question is quite simple, how good is the 3G (or possibly 4G) network there? I'm specifically interested in the coverage of O2. 

I know in previous years, it's been bad enough just to get a text message sent or received so I'm not holding out for anything special. Am I wasting my time and should I leave my iPhone at home?

Thanks

[rikkirascal]

I'm with o2 and I had 4g most of the weekend. I think around 9am till midday it was difficult to get 4g... Maybe it's because that's the busy time. 

[rikkirascal]

Was quite cool... When I was waiting in between acts I watched other acts on other stages live on my phone. 

[cb4747]

40 minutes ago, johnny-yen said:

This year will be my first year at the festival with a smart phone. 

In the past I've always relied on a good old fashioned Nokia with buttons (how quaint!) just for emergencies really. I wanted something that had a good battery and didn't really matter if I lost it. 

However, I need to move with the times and for the first time I plan to possibly take my iPhone. 

My question is quite simple, how good is the 3G (or possibly 4G) network there? I'm specifically interested in the coverage of O2. 

I know in previous years, it's been bad enough just to get a text message sent or received so I'm not holding out for anything special. Am I wasting my time and should I leave my iPhone at home?

Thanks

I've always taken my iPhone, never had a problem with 3G or 4G. I don't use it whilst there apart from taking photos and as a way of staying safe. It's only my boyfriend and I who go so if one of us is lost/separated we can see where the other one is! 

[scaryclaireyfairy]

I'm on O2 and  in daytime the 3g coverage is on par with most city centres I'd imagine.  It can be a little slow but it's reliably there.  Texts and stuff take longer* round about headliner starting and finishing time as you'd expect but, apart from that, no issues.

*by longer I mean maybe 15 mins, not the several hours/days of the past!

[johnny-yen]

Thanks everyone. The outlook sounds much better than expected and I'll definitely take my phone now. 

[WS_Jack_III]

I'm with EE. Had coverage probably 90% of the times i wanted it.

[sully1311]

Yea EE's coverage is going to be unbeatable this year. They are using 3 times more bandwidth than last year (2x55mhz for you techies) and adding a 6th mast on the site. I'm not even sure other operators are allowed temp. masts on site as EE and Glastonbury have a long-standing partnership.

More info: http://ee.co.uk/our-company/newsroom/2016/ee-predicts-this-years-glastonbury-goers-will-use-15-terabytes-o/ee-predicts-this-year-s-glastonbury-goers-will-use-15-terabytes-

Edited June 6, 2016 by sully1311

[nowyouregideon]

I'm on 3 and got barely anything. A message kept showing up sating "Restricted access changed: data service is blocked" or something along those lines, no idea why.

Edited June 6, 2016 by mf_2005

[mikeydredlox]

I've had 4g the last couple of years, on O2 - even managed to upload videos to youtube during the festival without too much difficulty

[cheesey_toastie]

Don't the other networks just stick up temporary masts near the site but just not in it? 

 

I'm on Three - it worked fine last time but if you get issues try cycling Flight mode on and off again. 

[Pbird81]

I'm on Giffgaff, which uses O2 - I had 3G most of the time (maybe not in camsite - was in Bushey Ground) - but it was v-e-e-r-y slow (don't have 4G). You could use it, but wouldn't rely on it....

[Duncan Doughnuts]

In the past - wasn't there an agreement that all networks shared the coverage provided by Orange/EE?

[kaytee...]

I'm on three and only got data signal on the hill above the Park in the day. Back at the tent I was able to get a couple of bars in the morning and early hours. Only whilst lying down, mind. Absolutely terrible.

[filmguy]

I had mad quick 4G with EE all 5 days!

[sully1311]

1 hour ago, Duncan Doughnuts said:

In the past - wasn't there an agreement that all networks shared the coverage provided by Orange/EE?

You can't just "share" coverage as per say. For example o2 and EE use completely different frequencies to deliver their main coverage