Different result same service provider

It possible to get different results from the same service provider in the same location, I am using giffgaff, and a relative using O2, both use the O2 network, but I can only get Edge, the other person can get 4G, so if I switched to O2 am I likely to get a better service, a friend in the same location gets better results on Tesco. Am I being unlucky or is there another answer.

Is your giffgiff sim and handset 4G enabled?

Use Giffgaff myself.

As MrSaffron says you'll need a 4G handset and 4G SIM.

Giffgaff started issusing 4G SIMs in mid 2013 so if it's older than that you'll need to order a replacement and do a SIM swap which usually takes about 30 minutes.

One thing to know about GiffGaff is that they appear to only use O2's radio network, voice, text and data is taken off this and routed via their own separate connections.

What handset are you using? it needs to support 4G LTE at 800 Mhz to acces the O2 4G network

Edited by techguy (Fri 26-Dec-14 19:04:20)

Thanks for the replies, i did a sim swap earlier this year so it is a 4G giffgaff sim, and have tried both the Galaxy S4, and an iPhone 6, and both went to Edge, was wondering whether getting a Tesco mobile or O2 sim might help, as at the moment, the only option is either changing sims between locations or carrying two phones, either way its a pain. Not really concerned about 4G, 3G would be fine, but google maps and apple maps both fail to work on Edge.

Might be an idea to try the O2 SIM in your phone if the person will let you to see if it will connect to 4G.

Sorry folks seem to have put a red herring in there, the 4G reference is just to show how same network is giving such different results, the fact i can't get 4G isn't the issue, its the fact they can get 4G and i can't even get 3G, i use google and apple maps for navigation, and can be quite some distance from my start point before they have a strong enough signal to work, and pulling over to start the navigation can be tricky, its annoying as i can see o2 mast from start point, but am notches enough to be too close, as was suggested by Carphone warehouse.

Perfectly possible to get 4G and no 3G

4G tariff also needed!

In reply to a post by janitor:

Thanks for the replies, i did a sim swap earlier this year so it is a 4G giffgaff sim..

As far as I know, having a 4G GiffGaff sim only means that you are then able to buy a 4G bundle. Unless you actually get the bundle, no 4G will be available.

Really trying to find out if I use O2 or another of their mvno if I am likely to get better results, I don't know if it's a giffgaff problem or an O2 in general problem.