Interesting points outlined by EE, especially given that they’ll be the ones driving the rollout.

I do agree with your predictions, though do believe the Government will need to provide stronger incentives e.g. bringing back the super deductions to get anywhere near the ‘blanket 5G coverage.’

Reliability is definitely an area I hope is addressed. To add to your examples, in congested areas like London Bridge, one will have supposedly full coverage but not be able to load a thing.

The masts will only be dealt with if the Government cut intervene and cut the red tape.

In reply to a post by safwanm:

Interesting points outlined by EE, especially given that they’ll be the ones driving the rollout.

why is EE driving? They are one of 4 operators. Three are heavily invested in new street furniture for 5G, probably because of they only have capacity at a very high frequency, so they need to increase density. Vodafone said they planned to use their low freqency for 5G when 3G is fully shutdown. Each of these companies has different strategies.

I do agree with your predictions, though do believe the Government will need to provide stronger incentives e.g. bringing back the super deductions to get anywhere near the ‘blanket 5G coverage.’

Do we need blanket 5G yet? Today its pretty much the same a 4G, but offers more capacity. We don't have 6 lane motorways through Snowdonia, and so we probably don't need 5G there today, just good capacity 4G. The capacity will come in time.

In reply to a post by zyborg47:

It needs to be more reliable, going by people I know that have 5G phones, around here is no great and people I know that live in large cities like Birmingham., they complain that they lose signal if they go between buildings. the problem is getting masts built, we have had some refused permission around here

we've been through that on other threads, but today much of the 5G deployed is at high frequency, and the plan is to use 4G indoors. As the networks develop, lower frequencies will be moved from 3G and 4G to 5G for improved capacity. Think of 5G as adding lanes to a road, if its not congested adding lanes does nothing useful.

In large chucks of rural areas around here having "G" would be a start... never mind 3G/4G/5G. Just a signal capable of having a voice call or SMS successfully delivered.

To clarify, I meant EE will be the ones to roll this out fastest, not to discredit the work 3 and the others have done. Though, I suspect some slowdown with 3 as merger talks continue.

In regards to blanket coverage, this is what the government are targeting. Do agree it’s not necessary.

In reply to a post by hunnymonster:

In large chucks of rural areas around here having "G" would be a start... never mind 3G/4G/5G. Just a signal capable of having a voice call or SMS successfully delivered.

Interesting, if you are happy to share a postcode would be interested how rural.

In reply to a post by safwanm:

To clarify, I meant EE will be the ones to roll this out fastest, not to discredit the work 3 and the others have done. Though, I suspect some slowdown with 3 as merger talks continue.

Its possible one of the others will be first, given they all compete with each other over coverage. (and yes, if Three merges with someone else that could change things for those two).

In regards to blanket coverage, this is what the government are targeting. Do agree it’s not necessary.

2030 is a long way off... minds change.

As a geographical centre point try The Cheviot (not sure of the postcode of the summit of The Cheviot). The tops are covered but the valleys around not so much (talking about reality not predicted coverage) - exactly the sort of place that the ability to call the emergency services is needed...

Ofcom helpfully have it as "OK" to "Some problems" - quite the euphemism.

Thanks.

Have looked at that location with Cellmapper, and can see its remote with limited coverage. If I was walking there I’d take a phone with both O2 & EE SIMs active.

As its a national park, the planning restrictions will stop any masts being built, and if no residents then not enough people to campaign. Maybe the Shared Rural Network (SRN) project will get there?

Edited by jchamier (Wed 12-Apr-23 19:20:52)