Vodafone 3G to close

babelfish1990

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120578707#Comment_120578707

If you are using the same network for data & VoLTE, your network can set the QOS (Quality of Service) to give voice calls priority. If you are using a different network, the voice calls will be treated on a best-effort basis like other Internet traffic. You might still get away with working VoLTE voice-calls if your data network is high enough quality, but it will be hit-and-miss if the quality is not sufficient. The scenario you describe is possible if 3 Data Network is poor quality, but it prioritizes it's own voice calls over other Internet traffic, so those handover ok. On the other hand, the Vodafone network may be sufficiently reliable that it doesn't need to prioritize the 3 calls over other Internet traffic, they just work anyway. Apple have not approved 3's half-baked launch of WiFi calling - so it is surprising that anything works? Even Vodafone WiFi calling is not working properly (SMS doesn't work). The only WiFi calling implementation that appears to work properly in Ireland is Eir (& GoMo), but I haven't tried your scenario.

List of networks approved by Apple for WiFi Calling

https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT204040

KildareP

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120581466#Comment_120581466

It happens even in areas of full 4G coverage on Vodafone. If mobile data is not set to the Vodafone SIM then WiFi --> 4G calls fail every single time.

Whereas 3 will always go WiFi --> 4G regardless of whether it is set as the active mobile data SIM or not.

I've not tried Eir/GoMo in a dual SIM set up like this before either but as you say their WiFi calling is really the only proper implementation in this country that will do WiFi <--> 4G in both directions, works abroad, and can send SMS (mixed reports of whether receiving works), unlike Vodafone and 3 which can only do WiFi --> 4G but not the other way around, do not support SMS at all and have chosen to geo-block WiFi Calling outside of Ireland.

TheDriver

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120581748#Comment_120581748

Im the opposite with eir, I can receive SMS but not send them on wifi

Glaceon

I just got a text from Vodafone saying that Wi-Fi calling is now available. It took a little while after enabling but it's now working for me. I also tried VoLTE and that's working now too. So they're definitely messing with something. I'm on the old Red Connect SIM only plan so never had either.

Micky 32

Finally they are upgrading the panels on the main mast to 5G in Longford.

Cork981

The next phase will take place in Cork and Galway, starting September 2023. 

https://n.vodafone.ie/network/3G-upgrade.html

Micky 32

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120794075#Comment_120794075

At this rate it will be years before the network is upgraded. I went through Boyle in Roscommon today. A busy town with an old 3G only mast in 2023 ffs.

Glaceon

I was in Monasterboice, just north of Drogheda, over the weekend. 3G only there too.

Cork981

Vodafone are aggressively upgrading sites around Cork City and county the last few weeks. They also appear to be deploying NR 3.6Ghz on many of the sites upgrades similar to 3. Eir rarely deploy NR sites outside of very busy built up areas. But they do have the 60mhz TDD 2.3ghz that I hope they starting rolling out soon.

Micky 32

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120800005#Comment_120800005

I see that they updated the comreg site in the last few days. Looking at Limerick all the 3G sites turned off and they are all now upgraded to NR.

Cork981

I was in a shopping centre in Cork City that usually only has 3G inside but strong 5G once outside.

Today it dropped to Edge (2G) once inside and no sign of 3G. It flipped between 5G and 2G a few times. Not sure if it was a local issue or they’ve started to switch off 3G already.

Micky 32

Looking at the comreg site that’s been updated recently Vodafone have seriously been updating masts to 5G across the country recently . I’d say they are nearly on par with Eir for 5G now

GIMP

I checked it for an area im from and not one single 5g mast upgrade for 30km radius and two towns still only have 3g so their upgrade is snails pace!

Also as a previous poster reported no 3g indoor coverage just 2g in a shopping centre it will become an annoyance at best if this is the new normal

Micky 32

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120851570#Comment_120851570

Yeah granted there’s a few big towns that only have 3G which is a disgrace. But nationwide they have deployed a lot of 5G masts at a phenomenal rate lately.

Micky 32

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120800005#Comment_120800005

I have noticed that they have added band 1 in Longford.

Cork981

Vodafone have upgraded at least 90% of sites around Cork City at this stage, mix of NR and DSS sites. No sign of new spectrum yet.

I wonder what will they do with the 10mhz of bandwidth in the 900mhz range. Seems like a waste to reserve this for 2G calls. I think LTE B8/N8 with virtual 2G is the way they might do this.

Sunny!!

Big improvement in Cork today getting 800mb in my house now where I got 10mb before.

Cork981

Would you mind sharing your rough location ? It be interesting to see if a local site was upgraded. 800mb you must be pretty close to a NR site.

Sunny!!

I'm in Northside Blackpool

GIMP

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121082116#Comment_121082116

Is that on 4g or 5g? Is 3g still available at your location?

Cork981

Vodafone have a few NR sites around Blackpool. Up by the Kilbarry substation and recently built a new site on top of Neptune Stadium with all available spectrum deployed.

Pretty poor coverage inside Blackpool shopping centre, regularly dropping to E.

Cork981

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121082674#Comment_121082674

That’s almost certainly 5G with 100mhz in 3.6ghz NR.

Even with 4CA you’d struggle to hit 400mb on 4G.

Still seeing 3G around cork city but seeing more and more drops to E lately but also seeing lots more 5G.

Looks like they’re repurposing 5mhz n8 (900mhz) for LTE and leaving the other 5mhz for 2G.

GIMP

Do you think when 3g is turned off that 4/5g will be sufficient for indoor coverage in places where 3g was only available?

Cork981

I’m not sure to be honest, you can definitely expect to see more E/2G once 3G is switched off.

The only network I used with 3G switched off was KPN in the Netherlands and pretty much had 5G everywhere even within building but again it’s not hard to propagate signal well in the like of Amsterdam due to the landscape.

Vodafone can do a few things to optimise the network like increase the threshold at switch a fallback is trigged from LTE. Currently this is in the low -120dbm on Vodafone.

Some sites it might be possible to increase signal strength but then you increase the risk of interference at the cell edge.

Apparently it’ll be switched off in Cork City next Tuesday so I’ll have more info then.

Micky 32

On my travels i have noticed they are upgrading the existing 4G panels to larger ones. Possibly to increase signal strength and add more bands?

Sunny!!

Was around Blackpool Shopping centre today and the coverage is still shocking... hopefully it improves in next couple of weeks

Cork981

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121092297#Comment_121092297

Yeah coverage in the shopping centre on Vodafone and Eir is very poor. Vodafone had a site along with Three up behind Dominos pizza on a shared site owned by Irish rail. Three upgraded the mast to 5G NR but Vodafone completely removed all infrastructure.

Eir had a site just after the Centra in Blackpool on the apartments across from the tax office but had to remove the sector pointing towards the shopping centre to allow a new building alongside it.

Hopefully Vodafone and Eir plan on adding a site here some where (Ideally on top of the new apartment blocks behind the shopping centre.)

Cork981

Vodafone 3G has vanished from Cork City Northside. Pretty solid 5G around the area. I’m picking up a very weak 3G cell which is either coming from outside the city or they still have some 3G sites to switch off around the city.

No sign of a 5mhz n8 (900mhz) cell yet though.

Sunny!!

Still have 3g here. 5g has improved over last week but it gone hit and miss again.

Sunny!!

Can barely load a page here with 5g now. Can't see any sign of upgrades where I am though.