ForHacSec

UPDATE AVAILABLE HERE

A pattern is being seen in Newcastle City Centre by Vodafone UK customers. More and more people are taking to Vodafone’s eforum to voice their upset at the fact that none business customers are unable to get a reliable 3G data connection, particularly during business hours.

Various customers of Vodafone with various handsets (Including HTC Android and Apple iPhones) are reporting a lack of coverage or more of an over subscription of users to the available, or more unavailable 3G coverage in the immediate NE1 area around Northumberland Street in the Northern area of Newcastle City Centre.

Customers have provided Vodafone with a lot of feedback regarding these issues, including providing speed tests (using the Android application speedtest.net) with ping results, pictures and even created and uploaded comparison videos to You-Tube comparing internet browsing between two identical handsets on two different mobile phone networks, in this instance, between Vodafone and T-Mobile. T-Mobile out performing Vodafone by some way on the very popular Android based handset HTC Desire.

Currently, Vodafone customers have received varied responses in the Vodafone eforum, some have had pay monthly contracts reduced as well as having some monthly payments partly refunded as well as the somewhat of a regular response which we are seeing more and more often from Vodafone UK, complete denial that a problem even exists!
It is clear that this is not a hardware fault or incorrectly configured handset configuration due to the sheer amount of customers being affected in the same area and the results of testing being posted by their customers.

Vodafone’s current responses via the eforum have included –

• Planned upgrades are planned at some stage, however no time scales can be provided due external third party factors, such as planning permission out side of their control.
• There are no issues as affected users have used x amount of bandwidth on their account in X time frame, yet, they have failed to provide information as to where this data bandwidth was used, as the idea of a mobile phone, it that it is mobile, hence not just restricted to Newcastle City Centre!
• That buildings in the city centre of Newcastle are affecting the signals, yet, this does not affect Vodafone users during ‘none business hours’ as well as ANY other mobile phone network.
• For customers to purchase their own Vodafone ‘Sure Signal’ boxes. Vodafone never seem to miss a trick, have customers pay for a monthly contract and have them buy one of their new products to provide a ‘guarantees’ 3G signal using the customers own home or workplace internet bandwidth!

Following one customer having their contract reduced, other customers have reportedly approached Vodafone for a similar compensation outcome, of which they have been told that a given Vodafone employee should not have offered a contract term reduction in the first place. Again with Vodafone, we are seeing one hand not talking to the other and a complete lack of acknowledgement and communication. Similar to that of the Vodafone HTC Desire Branded update forced out to user s back in August 2010.

• Vodafone HTC Desire Froyo Branded Update – FAIL!
• Update – Vodafone HTC Desire Froyo Branded Update – FAIL!

The lack of 3G coverage causes particular issues for smart phone users, such as those on the Google Android OS which is almost completely cloud dependant and Vodafone’s own 3G Mobile Internet Dongles which are reportedly also affected, requiring an adequate 3G internet connection.

Currently, Vodafone customers in the Newcastle area are starting to take to their feet contacting their local high street Vodafone store (Newcastle Haymarket) who have reportedly commented that they require a minimum of 10 customers to report the same issue to their store (Vodafone Haymarket, Northumberland Street, Newcastle upon Tyne) at which point the store/manager can put pressure on Vodafone further to have the issue assessed.

Possible solutions to this issue for customers currently include –

• Configuring their handset to use 2G, which is far inferior to 3G and shouldn’t have to be done.
• Purchasing a Vodafone Sure Signal Box – again, shouldn’t have to be done.
• Buying out of their existing Vodafone contracts and going else where – Which won’t be a cheap option by any means, again, shouldn’t have to be done.
• Changing jobs or moving home to an area outside of NE1.

All of which are not feasible and should not have to be considered for a mobile telecommunication service provider such as Vodafone UK. It is clear that this is an over subscription issue in the immediate City Centre, as simply by moving into the Gateshead area of the North East (across the river Tyne from Newcastle) or even to the West of the City Centre around Rye Hill, a perfectly acceptable 3G signal can be sourced.

An official statement from Vodafone is yet to be seen.

UPDATE AVAILABLE HERE