In reply to a post by MHC:

Do you have a mobile with O2 ? If so, they have a Femtocell offering and will either sell you one or even give you one free

I believe ALL the networks are following Vodafone in no longer issuing Femtocells (aka "Sure Signal" on vodafone). My guess is that there is upcoming shut down of 3G on the macro network, and at this point all active Femto's will have to shut down.

WiFi calling is the future, and on PAYG the Three network offers this, on contract they all offer. Some android phones have issues, but iPhones since the 5s work fine.

In reply to a post by Robbob9:

I am with 02 but on enquiring , 02 have said that their Boostbox (femitocell) is for business customers only. It would of been an ideal solution so thank you MHC for the suggestion.

Not a surprise as the industry is pushing hard now to get rid of them from homes. Business systems are a lot more complex for covering office blocks, and as such these will be upgraded to 4G with 4G calling.

I knew about Vodafone but I have just had a new cell from O2 which has 4g capability, so there may be some life left.

If they’re issuing 4G femto’s that is surprising but anything is possible !

It is a Nokia SS2GEI https://www.nokia.com/networks/products/femtocell-mu...

In reply to a post by MHC:

It is a Nokia SS2GEI

Is that on a business or consumer contract by any chance?

Business

In reply to a post by MHC:

Business

Thanks, I think consumer deployment of femtos is ending, pushing home users to WiFi calling. Business allows for larger scale investment.

A pity as it does help those in some locations where coverage is awful ... and choosing a good location for the cell would often give coverage where WiFi failed.

In my case, we just happen to be in a small black spot - O2 is patchy and VF non-existent. I can actually see about 10 different antenna sets too - and speaking with O2 in detail, it seems that their antenna look angles take the signal over us to get coverage to a large estate where a mast is impossible.

In reply to a post by MHC:

In my case, we just happen to be in a small black spot - O2 is patchy and VF non-existent. I can actually see about 10 different antenna sets too - and speaking with O2 in detail, it seems that their antenna look angles take the signal over us to get coverage to a large estate where a mast is impossible.

My employer (building now closed) used to have a GSM solution in the roof with O2, but it was never upgraded for UMTS/WCDMA, and then we switched to Vodafone and it was turned off.

I know of what you speak, as I'm pretty much next door to an EE mast, if I walk down the road I get faster speeds than indoors.

O2 here is a joke, 6 Mbps on last test, but we are in a Vodafone controlled zone, so only 10 MHz of Band 20 has been deployed. Unlike Vodafone whom have 10 MHz of Band 20, plus 10 MHz of Band 1 in residential areas, and more in shopping centre. EE trounces both of them with 40 MHz of spectrum and speeds of 150 Mbps or more.

Shame that you're in a black spot, but for corporates in-building solutions are good ideas and often managed by the operator. However femto's for home users are a pain, most networks hate them and have wanted to get rid of for years due to the pain of managing interference with the macro network.

With modern build homes and flats having metallic insulation blocking all the licensed frequency bands, WiFi calling is becoming essential.