Mobile phone question

[baggienick68]

I am at the end of my mobile phone contract and am currently with EE. I am looking for a cheap contract and considering 3 or O2. My first thought though is what is the signal like on the farm. Anyone help? 

[the wonderwhy]

I think i'm on Tesco which I think uses O2 and I've always had decent enough signal.

[Sidasta]

Not the two networks you're choosing from but I'm on EE and almost always have full 4G signal. The only exception is at Pyramid stage at peak times, where you still have full signal, but nothing actually works.

[henry bear]

I remember, on my first visit to the festival, queuing up to use the Eavis's telephone in the farmhouse. 

[Sidasta]

Just now, henry bear said:

I remember, on my first visit to the festival, queuing up to use the Eavis's telephone in the farmhouse. 

Did they have telephones back then? 

[nowyouregideon]

I'm on 3, though I get signal after a while I get a message that says "Restricted access changed: data service is blocked" and I can't get on anything. No idea what it means or why it happens, have only ever seen it on the farm. I have all you can eat data so it's not like I'm over my limit or anything.

[baggienick68]

I know orange/EE was the best at one time. I think they had a mast locally somewhere. Sounds like I will pass on 3. Anyone using O2?

[henry bear]

1 hour ago, Sidasta said:

Did they have telephones back then? 

Cheeky bugger! It was the year Vera Lynn was subbed by Al Jolson. The Black & White Minstrels went down a storm at WH.

[morph100]

I used giffgaff which I think is a cheap version of o2 and it works fine

[baggienick68]

Cheers Morph

 

[Hutchmaster]

I'm on o2 and last year it was very sporadic for me in terms of internet signal, but texts seem to go through fine after a while. For some strange reason by the barrier at West Holts was a sweet spot for signal for me!

[Mash011]

On o2 I remember it being near perfect in 2015 but total gash last year. So basically, who knows.

[Smeble]

I'm on 3 and had no issues at all last year, although I didn't use it much, 

[funkychick2007]

Im on vodafone and works well enuf although it is nice escaping from the phone at times! Never not had no signal! 

[Dave_c]

I wouldn't choose a network based on the signal strength at glastonbury. However, I'm on o2 and phone calls/texts are no issue. Data on the other hand is shite but that may be a common thing on the farm.

[grumpyhack]

9 hours ago, baggienick68 said:

I am at the end of my mobile phone contract and am currently with EE. I am looking for a cheap contract and considering 3 or O2. My first thought though is what is the signal like on the farm. Anyone help? 

My main consideration would be good battery life, so you don't have to worry about queuing to recharge.  Several of my friends leave their posh phone at home and have an old one with long battery life they take to Glasto.

My own approach is different. I keep my phone switched off while I'm at Glastonbury because the last things I want are e-mails and work troubling me when I'm on holiday.  I switch it on once a day just in case there is a problem at home.

But, all that said, I'm a mobile phone hater in normal times.  Where I live you can't get much of a signal as I live only 500 yards from the mobile phone mast and I think the signal goes over my head.  I only have a phone in the car in case I break down and need to call the RAC.

 

[Smeble]

I'm tempted to get a couple of the new 3310 to use on the farm this year. Although 2x £42 just to be able to text my wife where to meet may be a bit excessive

[The Red Telephone]

FWIW I use 3 and it worked perfectly fine last year.

[Deaf Nobby Burton]

I'm on 02, works fine but internet is slow/crap the majority of the time. Doesn't really matter as it will only be for uploading the odd picture.

I'm no techie, but I always thought the slow internet was nothing to do with the specific network, just the other tens of thousands of people in close proximity to you also trying to use the internet via 3/4g slowing it down? 

[morph100]

I think data might depend on time of day, I'm normally in campervan east and just use a bit of data first thing in the morning to read the news and check for secret set rumours and that's fine but I don't use data during the day or at night just early morning.

[mungo57]

I've personally been on EE for 1 fest and 3 for the rest - EE was before 4g existed so I can't remember whether they had a 3g booster but I don't remember any issues on EE nor do I remember it being overly great either. 

3 never had a problem apart from loading web pages. Took me an age to load up the news sites Friday last year to look at all the gumph about the EU referendum. Never had a problem making calls or sending text messages though. 

[paulshane]

EE have a mast on site during the festival, but the main issue is that there are 100k people trying to post pic on facebook at the same time, so the network is massivly over subscribed. voice will work, but data is always poor.

 

The network you're on doesn't really matter (up to a point) as all the traffic is going though the nearest masts, along with everyone else at the festival.

[42hamlet]

I'm on O2 and it's always been fine for me

In the campsites in the morning there is no noticeable difference in data speed whatsoever and then whilst walking about occasionally you might get a slight dip but nothing heartbreaking 

[baggienick68]

Thanks all. Not worried about data its just useful to have a signal if I have split from my mate and we need to meet up again. Sounds like any provider will be ok for that.

[The Nal]

FTW