Lake District - which provider

For somebody going to the Lake District on holiday, which provider gives the
best mobile internet coverage: Vodafone, O2, Orange, or Three ...??

Any recommendations please?

--
Graham J

"Peter Crosland" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:G_KdneGi3-(E-Mail Removed)...
> "Graham J" <graham@invalid> wrote in message
> news:4c7e1a22$0$2531$(E-Mail Removed)...
>> For somebody going to the Lake District on holiday, which provider gives
>> the best mobile internet coverage: Vodafone, O2, Orange, or Three ...??
>>
>> Any recommendations please?
>
>
> Each of them should have a coverage map so take a look at that and compare
> them.

Ah, but I'm after the reality of personal experience, rather than marketing
hype ...

--
Graham J

"Graham J" <graham@invalid> wrote in message
news:4c7e252c$0$2524$(E-Mail Removed)...
>
> "Peter Crosland" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:G_KdneGi3-(E-Mail Removed)...
>> "Graham J" <graham@invalid> wrote in message
>> news:4c7e1a22$0$2531$(E-Mail Removed)...
>>> For somebody going to the Lake District on holiday, which provider gives
>>> the best mobile internet coverage: Vodafone, O2, Orange, or Three ...??
>>>
>>> Any recommendations please?
>>
>>
>> Each of them should have a coverage map so take a look at that and
>> compare them.
>
> Ah, but I'm after the reality of personal experience, rather than
> marketing hype ...
>

Plan for the worst.
A while since I was there but if a guide It was hard to to get FM radio and
impossible to get terrestrial TV.
Your right personal advise is needed on this one.
Regards
David

"Peter Crosland" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) o.uk...
> "Graham J" <graham@invalid> wrote in message
> news:4c7e252c$0$2524$(E-Mail Removed)...
>>
>> "Peter Crosland" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:G_KdneGi3-(E-Mail Removed)...
>>> "Graham J" <graham@invalid> wrote in message
>>> news:4c7e1a22$0$2531$(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>> For somebody going to the Lake District on holiday, which provider
>>>> gives the best mobile internet coverage: Vodafone, O2, Orange, or Three
>>>> ...??
>>>>
>>>> Any recommendations please?
>>>
>>>
>>> Each of them should have a coverage map so take a look at that and
>>> compare them.
>>
>> Ah, but I'm after the reality of personal experience, rather than
>> marketing hype ...
>
>
> However cynical you may be the likelihood of individuals having detailed
> comparative knowledge of the coverage of all the networks is slim. The
> overage maps are at least worth looking at.

That's true, and my brief summary is:

Vodafone
3G & Mobile broadband - some coverage around major towns
Voice - some outdoor coverage almost everywhere

T-Mobile
Good near M6, not near lakes

Three
Good near M6, Windemere, Keswick - nowhere else

Orange
Adequate 2G coverage in main towns (ok for voice calls & emails)
Some 3G+/HSPA coverage in Kendal (good for browsing)

O2
Map only updated September 2009
Some voice coverage - a prediction rather than a measurement!

Virgin media
Same mapping tool as T-Mobile, same coverage

--
Graham J

"Graham J" <graham@invalid> wrote in message
news:4c7e1a22$0$2531$(E-Mail Removed)...
> For somebody going to the Lake District on holiday, which provider gives
> the best mobile internet coverage: Vodafone, O2, Orange, or Three ...??
> Any recommendations please?
> Graham J
>
>
If you are relying on a single phone / dongle without dual sim capability
I would go for a Three phone as they will downgrade to Orange 2g
gprs if they can't find a Three 3g cell. Orange 2g gprs would be slow
at around only 50kpbs.

I'd take a selection of 3g payg sims and use them in a tethered
and unlocked 3g HSDPA phone.

A USB lead tethered phone will have better signal performance
than a USB 3g Dongle.
Also Nokia PC suite will give you one button connection,
so go for a recent HSDPA Nokia.

I use an unlocked Nokia 6120c with Nokia PC suite, when i swap
sims i only have to pull down the correct network in PC suite which
automatically loads the appropriate connection settings, and then press
the one button connection.

Steve Terry
--
"I would like to plead for my right to investigate natural phenomena
without having guns pointed at me.
I also ask for the right to be wrong without being hanged for it."
- Wilhelm Reich, November 1947

Meanwhile, at the uk.telecom.broadband Job Justification Hearings, Graham J
chose the tried and tested strategy of:

> O2
> Map only updated September 2009
> Some voice coverage - a prediction rather than a measurement!

O2 definitely had 2G coverage around Ullswater when I was there.

--
<http://ale.cx/> (AIM:troffasky) ((E-Mail Removed))
20:28:15 up 17 days, 23:16, 6 users, load average: 0.00, 0.03, 0.04
Qua illic est accuso, illic est a vindicatum

"bod43" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:7ab7fd56-b880-4fef-9142-(E-Mail Removed)...
> On 1 Sep, 14:46, "Steve Terry" <gfour...@tesco.net> wrote:
>> "Graham J" <graham@invalid> wrote in message
>> news:4c7e1a22$0$2531$(E-Mail Removed)...> For somebody going to
>> the Lake District on holiday, which provider gives
>> > the best mobile internet coverage: Vodafone, O2, Orange, or Three ...??
>> > Any recommendations please?
>> > Graham J
>>
>> If you are relying on a single phone / dongle without dual sim capability
>> I would go for a Three phone as they will downgrade to Orange 2g
>> gprs if they can't find a Three 3g cell. Orange 2g gprs would be slow
>> at around only 50kpbs.
>
> Oh I see, you get two networks for the price of one.
>
One fast, one slow, very slow
>
>> A USB lead tethered phone will have better signal performance
>> than a USB 3g Dongle.
>
> It will? Can you point to any further details/reviews on this?
>
Personal experience of using several USB dongles and tethered phones.

USB dongles simply don't have the physical space for as an effective
aerial and / or groundplane for it to work against.

Nokia PC Suite is free and can be downloaded from the Nokia website,
although it's slowly being phased out in favour of Nokias more extensive
OVI app.

Steve Terry
--
"I would like to plead for my right to investigate natural phenomena
without having guns pointed at me.
I also ask for the right to be wrong without being hanged for it."
- Wilhelm Reich, November 1947

On Wed, 01 Sep 2010 10:17:24 +0100, Graham J wrote:

> For somebody going to the Lake District on holiday, which provider gives
> the best mobile internet coverage: Vodafone, O2, Orange, or Three ...??
>
> Any recommendations please?

My wife just returned from a holiday there with the kids...ranged from
Lancaster all the way to the north end of Comiston, both at lake level
and up higher...in all cases coverage was fine. She's on Three.

--
Use the BIG mirror service in the UK:
http://www.mirrorservice.org

*lightning protection* - a w_tom conductor

On Wed, 01 Sep 2010 13:34:25 -0700, bod43 wrote:

>> I use an unlocked Nokia 6120c with Nokia PC suite, when i swap sims i
>> only have to pull down the correct network in PC suite which
>> automatically loads the appropriate connection settings, and then press
>> the one button connection.
>
> Is the Nokia PC Suite free?

New stuff is called Ovi, seems faster than PC Suite and I didn't have to
pay - just downloaded it (have an E63 on contract).



--
Use the BIG mirror service in the UK:
http://www.mirrorservice.org

*lightning protection* - a w_tom conductor

"Bob Eager" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> On Wed, 01 Sep 2010 10:17:24 +0100, Graham J wrote:
>
>> For somebody going to the Lake District on holiday, which provider gives
>> the best mobile internet coverage: Vodafone, O2, Orange, or Three ...??
>>
>> Any recommendations please?
>
> My wife just returned from a holiday there with the kids...ranged from
> Lancaster all the way to the north end of Comiston, both at lake level
> and up higher...in all cases coverage was fine. She's on Three.
>
>
also a Three 3pay PAYG sim with a fiver allocated to internet monthly
will give you a months use, and at least 2gb of fair use download
(i'm sure some months i've used at least 3gb or more)

Also if used in a HSDPA 3g phone, a tenner top up will also give you
5000 3 to 3 mins, 300 text and first 150mb inclusive for three months.

and you can call UK landlines for 2p per min through 3510200 callthrough

Steve Terry
--
"I would like to plead for my right to investigate natural phenomena
without having guns pointed at me.
I also ask for the right to be wrong without being hanged for it."
- Wilhelm Reich, November 1947