EE problems continue for Teddington
Many EE (Everything Everywhere) customers in the area have noticed increasing problems with their phone signal for several months now (particularly in recent weeks) and are none-the-wiser after calling the company to complain.
Different EE customer service representatives have given a variety of reasons that may be to blame – from the weather, phones ‘slipping off the network’, to a broken transmitter and faulty SIM cards that need to be re-ordered. It’s clear though that when you map all the issues locally, there aren’t any particular black-spots where the signal may be bad, it’s a wide-spread issue for the area.
Reported issues after EE enquired if any particular areas were affected (click to enlarge)
One customer has been offered a 20% discount off the rest of their contract and another heard that a faulty transmitter on Park House (Travelodge building) maybe the cause but access can’t be granted to fix this.
Some frustrated EE users particularly those that need to be on call for their jobs and are now looking for alternative providers, customers also have reported texts taking several hours to be received and in one extreme case, a text sent from Teddington took 19 days to arrive!
[Update 28/01/2014] Official word from EE – advice from customer services hasn’t been consistent because the reason for the disruption hasn’t been clear until now. An unidentified signal repeater in the area is believed to have been causing the issue – these boost signals in some spectrum ranges but can interfere with signals from other masts. They are sometimes sold online to consumers as a solution to poor mobile signals, but often users do not realise they aren’t licensed to use these and could face a fine or imprisonment.
Identifying, tracing and removing the interference is a difficult task and includes the involvement of Ofcom. EE would like to apologise for the issue that is outside of their control, and assure customers that there is a dedicated team trying to fix this as soon as possible.
[Update 07/02/2014] Update from EE: the illegal repeater was located and shut down by OFCOM, steps are being made to now seize this. The interference was checked & has stopped and the central Teddington mast performance is being monitored closely by the technical teams to check it’s working fully.
Also had mobile problems in Cambridge Crescent. We found changing the settings on our phones (Orange and T-Mobile PAYG) to ‘use 2G networks only’ fixed the problem.
The point about emergency calls is incorrect. when dialing 999 your phone will connect to any network to make the call not just the one your are subscribed to.
Thanks Tedders, that bit now removed.
I live in Hampton Wick, the company I work for in Barking had the same problem before Orange and T-mobile merged to form EE. It did not matter which area the phone was in texts and voicemail used to take days to come through, phone signal was dreadful. We have now moved all company phones to O2.
Its not just EE customers who are affected. Customers of 3 are too. Just been on their facebook page to complain about a loss of signal in Church Road and have been told that there is a problem with my local mast, which I assume is also on the Travelodge.
Please add Atbara Road to the list of addresses with EE phone problems.
I have lost count of how many times I have rung the EE call centre to report my phone frequently going straight to voicemail ( so I miss vital calls), my phone refusing to dial out from my home address, texts not sending or being received several hours after they have been sent etc. It is a long catalogue of problems.
The call centre response has been; Try new sim, try new phone, go to the EE shop (went to two EE shops in Kingston but they told me I had been misinformed by the call centre and they never diagnose problems in the shops), and problems caused by extension of the 4 G network in the local area, and nationwide.
In short EE either are completely disinterested in solving the problem or they really have no idea what the problem is!
Strangely I was with Orange for 2 years before I joined EE in August 2013 and Inever had any problems!
Hampton Court area towards Kingston from Lion Gate can be pretty bad
Anybody on Virgin having the same problem as my signal is dreadful in Church Grove. Virgin use the t-mobile and orange network of transmitters
Problems on Sydney Road too. In the last week I have had difficulty in making and receiving calls.
The ‘tech guys’ can dream on.
After having had no problems (on long term Orange numbers) during this fiasco – service vanished two hours ago. My desk faces the Travelodge roof antenna site and I haven’t seen anybody physically attend it. Orange customer service claimed they had been looking at it in another, technical manner. Which is quite possible if there isn’t a physical fault on the site..
Anyway, I am reassured as they have”escalated” the “issue”, are of course, “fully aware” and would I “monitor” my phone regularly.
(I now have a Samsung Galaxy Brick).
PAC codes required if it continues.
Update at 17.20pm.
On/off routine re-registers Samsung Galaxy Brick. Service restored.
A pretty quick fix for this particular outage, as far as I’m concerned.
Just received text telling how to reset internet settings. Seem to be OK so will leave alone.
Update: Service lost again this morning.
No incoming/outgoing calls and now causing business problems for us. Blaming this on another network operator’s “illegal” transmitter is viewed with great scepticism here.
Keep up the pressure on EE. Their network is failing.
Have just been ‘followed’ by EE and received this message by Twitter – “We urgently investigating a privately installed illegal equipment which we believe is the cause of our degraded signal in the area” (sic.) Why has it taken months and months for them to realise tho when we have been complaining for so long? I work from home and could not get through to a supplier for 2-hours.
Update: 35 minute call to helpful Orange support:
Problem is with local mast outage. It is flagging a red ‘connection’ alert on their system. 2G service (GSM) is OK but 3G is down.
Changed my phone settings to GSM only & can make calls now.
Was advised 24 hours before any fix and to reset to 3G again tomorrow…
I mentioned these EE tweets and they replied that they were not aware of any cross-network problems at their end.
We are baffled as to why anyone would ‘privately’ install a transmitter on 2100Mhz GSM frequencies. You can’t buy that stuff in Maplins.
PR staff passing the buck via Twitter?
Strange admission by EE on the rogue signal device. EE have just offered me a signal booster to assist with the network outages. I’ve taken the offer out of desperation… Delivery date of the item is yet to be confirmed
The EE device is different to what they claim is killing our local service. It looks the same as a Voda Sure Signal,which connects via a broadband router link, not a radio connection. They’ll need a lorry load of them for Teddington. If anyone believes that a low-power, illegal domestic signal booster is really wiping out a cell site on top of Travelodge, read the following link. We are not alone:
http://www.postdesk.com/ee-signal-problems-iphone-5-poor-3g
I had no service today on my iPhone ( I am on Station Road near to the travel lodge) – either to make or receive calls. Came alive again about 6pm but it’s now getting silly and will call EE again tomorrow if problem ensues to add to the list of those affected in the hopes they will get on it faster due to no of complaints. Every day of course that this happens one loses potential business. Have tried resetting network settings and also opting for a different carrier on my phone but no option to do that and so far the former has made no difference. That was the advise I was given last time I rang EE/Orange.
Thank you Teddington Town for the ability to share… it’s what community is all about.
I never once experienced problems with Orange. Since became EE coverage is appalling and as I mostly work from home this is a huge problem. Have spent hours on homephone to customer services over past year and to no avail – good to see other posts on here. I want to leave my contract but have 10 months left – why should I pay fir a service EE are not providing. Does anyone know legal situation re EE obligations? Am on Munster Road.
No reception on Broom Road, it has been terrible now for a couple of weeks, I am not sure best to complain.