Poor signal coverage

[Buckman]

We down at Brean in Somerset for a couple of days and those who know the area know that is dead flat for miles around so there should be a good mobile signal.
Even the coverage map for Three shows it to be a good area for mobile signal, yet we struggle to get one or two bars. We have used other sites in the same area and same thing poor mobile signal.
Cannot understand the reason for the poor signal. BTW using phone and it is above the roof of the caravan! Also tried outside and signal increases by about one bar.
Any one else that has stayed in the area found the same?

 

[otherclive]

Most places that we visit seem to have a poor mobile signal. All the gumph about going ahead with 5G; I would settle for a decent 3G at times. I've had better signals along the eastern borders of Turkey, and even Facetimed the dogs from Bhutan using their mobile network.( Bhutan's not the dogs')

Comforting to know though that your drive on CC was a success

 

[Raywood]

It can vary from supplier to supplier. At Luss we had very little signal on O2 but my daughter with a different firm had a far better one.
Even in good areas you do get the odd dead spot particularly in amongst the hills. Troutbeck Head had no signal but at the cafe down the road it was fine.

 

[Jcloughie]

We deliberately use two different services which very much minimises the problem. But I do thing the dead spots are not the issue that they were a few years ago.

John

 

[Thingy]

On a number of sites that we use regularly, we have suffered with poor to none as signals go, been with Three, Orange and O2 over the years. We are now with BT which is really EE and we are finding things muchs better. Of course EE wont have the coverage everywhere but out of the biggies, we have found it to be the best. 5G absolutely rocks for speed, but as I understand it the signal range is very low and I think its going to be a very long time before its useable away from city centres.

 

[thedoog1]

We have a static in Brea n and the best signal we have found is O2. I use my phone as a hotspot and most of the time don't have a problem

 

[Beachball]

Another one for EE so far it has been great but not been to Brean in Somerset so cannot comment

 

[Woodentop]

A point I have raised before which many may not realise is about signal distribution.

EE (as was T-Mob) and 3 set up a joint venture years ago called MBNL to share distribution so you will very often find (especially in rural places) that 3 and EE transmit on the same sites. Similarly O2 and VF set up Project Cornerstone for their sharing of distribution and likewise they will thus often share sites.

We go to a farm CL near Frome which has O2 and VF on an electricity pylon about 650m west and EE/3 on a small 3 tower about 1Km in the opposite direction. All have good fast 4G except 3 who clearly didn't see any profit in it - which is strange that given most rural users and farms are lucky to get 2Mb round there.

 

[Gagakev]

I love sites with no signal
Work phone is stuck to my ear most of the day so when away I pray there is no signal.
OH gets really upset if no signal

 

[Beachball]

I love sites with no signal
Work phone is stuck to my ear most of the day so when away I pray there is no signal.
OH gets really upset if no signal

I hope you are successful in your aim and have a restful break

 

[Thingy]

Im the opposite. I like a site with a strong mobile signal. I find most sites wifi is pretty dire and I use my mobile tethered to get Netflix and Prime. If I get a strong 4g signal, I can happily run 30-40 mbps and with genuine unlimited data, its a breeze.

 

[audiorob]

I was staying near Holt in Norfolk and my 02 (Tesco Mobile) was inoperative, and using the data for driving directions on the phone also dropped out in several places. If you google '02 Network coverage' you can access a map and sure enough my destination coverage was in an area of 'none indoors or outdoors' and I have just checked and found a similar map on the EE website. Not sure it would influence my choice of destination but there are times when phone contact is more important than others. Fortunately we had wifi access so could mostly use messenger et al instead.

 

[Buckman]

Two people on another forum who live in the area confirmed that the signal in the area is hit and miss a lot of the time. Wonder why as the area is flat around here?

 

[GeorgeandAde]

We've had 2 statics in Brean.
1 at Unity Farm and 1 (the last static site before Brean Down).
We also use Channel View touring park just before Brean Down and have always had a very good signal with Vodaphone.

 

[RogerL]

I was staying near Holt in Norfolk and my 02 (Tesco Mobile) was inoperative, and using the data for driving directions on the phone also dropped out in several places. If you google '02 Network coverage' you can access a map and sure enough my destination coverage was in an area of 'none indoors or outdoors' and I have just checked and found a similar map on the EE website. Not sure it would influence my choice of destination but there are times when phone contact is more important than others. Fortunately we had wifi access so could mostly use messenger et al instead.

North Norfolk is infamous for poor mobile phone and terrestrial TV signals, despite the lack of hills to block the signals.

WiFi can be an issue on a small site if one caravanners starts streaming a film or TV programme and uses up all the bandwidth.

 

[Woodentop]

I would respectfully suggest Roger that next time you go driving around Norfolk you carry an altimeter with you. There are plenty of hills in north Norfolk - haven't you seen the cliffs at Cromer or down the eastern coast around Mundesley and Happisburgh?
TV can be an issue towards the western end of the coast but there are quite a few relays. Places low down and close to the sea can often get a signal from Belmont near Horncastle in Lincolnshire and of which the red aircraft lights can be seen at night across the Wash from Hunstanton.

 

[bertieboy1]

We down at Brean in Somerset for a couple of days and those who know the area know that is dead flat for miles around so there should be a good mobile signal.
Even the coverage map for Three shows it to be a good area for mobile signal, yet we struggle to get one or two bars. We have used other sites in the same area and same thing poor mobile signal.
Cannot understand the reason for the poor signal. BTW using phone and it is above the roof of the caravan! Also tried outside and signal increases by about one bar.
Any one else that has stayed in the area found the same?

The important bit is could you make a phone call,not that you can only get one or two bars on your phone.

 

[Buckman]

The important bit is could you make a phone call,not that you can only get one or two bars on your phone.

I think you are missing the point. Why is the signal so poor in an area that is relatively flat and where you should get excellent signal?

 

[Raywood]

I think you should ask the phone providers that. Presumably the population in the area does not warrant further improvement in the provision, but that is a guess.

 

[Buckman]

I think you should ask the phone providers that. Presumably the population in the area does not warrant further improvement in the provision, but that is a guess.

We are talking about Burnham on Sea, Weston Super Mare and many other large towns in the area so plenty of population in the area.

 

[Challenger]

Another one for EE so far it has been great but not been to Brean in Somerset so cannot comment

Around here (Norfolk Broads) EE should be mostly called NN - EE apparently stands for 'everything everywhere'. I changed because I was experiencing mostly 'nothing nowhere '!
Sky mobile (O2) works well for us.