Indoor Mobile Reception

[securespark]

My Ma is thinking about changing her mobile provider, but I have no idea who has good reception where she lives: SK4.

I know 3 is no good. She is with Orange at the mo, which is OK, but their charges are steep.

3's charges are good, but the coverage indoors is rubbish.

She wants to stay PAYG.

She is also thinking about changing her old Nokia for a Doro 612. Apparently, they are well-thought of, especially by Which?. They are not a 3G phone, though, so cannot be used with a 3 SIM.

A smartphone would be nice from the POV of a large screen but she wouldn't use internet (but she would probably use email) so maybe that would be a poor choice.

I have a good knowledge of mobiles but despite research, I don't know a great deal about what is on offer for the elderly or about which providers have good indoor coverage in SK4.

I may have to resort to my own advice: get hold of a few SIM's and try them out inside the house....

Has anybody any ideas?

Thanks, guys!

 

[Brigadier]

SS,

IME, it is very much a lottery - not only your postcode, but also your provider, the actual handset itself, and the build of your house.

In sunny South Staffs, I am on 3, in an old and solid house. I get patchy internet in places downstairs, but good upstairs. HTC One X.
Wifey is on EE (Samsung something - brand-new), and can't get internet anywhere in the house (has to rely on the wifi).

And yet according to the coverage checkers, both should be sound where I am, indoors and out.

Trouble is with these things, you have to put both feet fully in, before finding out you got what you didn't want.

Just invite a load of mates around, turn off any wifi, and do a Pepsi Challenge

 

[longdogs]

I have been with Orange for years now and I remember when the signal was excellent. I once texted from a boat within the arctic circle and received a reply instantly. Nowadays, I have to stand in the kitchen, by the window, on one leg with my finger up my nose to even stand a chance of getting a signal.

Once I would have recommended Orange but since they were taken over by EE, the service is shyyte.

 

[enyam]

Has anybody any ideas?

Thanks, guys!

If it takes as long for her as it did you to sort something out,get a landline.

 

[EddieM]

Try again in the right thread this time !!

I guess that one is impossible to answer unfortunately indoor or even outdoor signal strength cannot really gauged by postcode. Where I am I get fairly good indoor reception, but walk a few yards down the road and nothing at all.

 

[bernardgreen]

With mobile phones newest is not always best.

The more functions squeezed into smaller cases the more difficult it is to achieve an efficient aerial. Older phones in larger cases often have more efficient aerials and as a result will work in areas where modern phones do not work.

 

[JBR]

I may have to resort to my own advice: get hold of a few SIM's and try them out inside the house....

I think that's the best course of action. Most are given away free, as far as I know.

Personally, I only use wi-fi in my house but I seem to have a good signal with 3G or H.

 

[securespark]

Nowadays, I have to stand in the kitchen, by the window, on one leg with my finger up my nose to even stand a chance of getting a signal.

I guess if you stand like that but with two fingers up your nose you get disconnected?

 

[securespark]

Has anybody any ideas?

Thanks, guys!

If it takes as long for her as it did you to sort something out,get a landline.

Nice one!

No, actually I am improving vastly! I have now chosen new mobs for my boys (Samsung SIII mini and 2 x Motorola Moto G, all £99)

The handset is her choice. It has to be something she is comfortable using.

A smartphone is at the bottom of the list at the moment (the Fujitsu one launched specially for the elderly in Japan in 2013 http://www.fujitsu.com/global/about/resources/news/press-releases/2013/0814-02.html has not come over to these shores) as she will not use the internet, is unlikely to use email and only rarely send SMS.

But, if there was one which was foolproof to operate (which most are not), I might consider it.

I may have to resort to my own advice: get hold of a few SIM's and try them out inside the house....

I think that's the best course of action. Most are given away free, as far as I know.

Personally, I only use wi-fi in my house but I seem to have a good signal with 3G or H.

Have thought about this and it seems a no brainer that if she is OK with the signal that EE provide in and around her house, if she ports to Asda (who have divorced from Vodafone and have now married EE) she can have calls for 8p and texts for 4p.

 

[saladdays]

Put the phone in a metal container downstairs near a brick wall and then use the "scan for new networks" function. This will tell which networks will work in your house.

Also look at this: http://sitefinder.ofcom.org.uk/search

 

[securespark]

Thanks for the website link.

As for the tip, does that really work?

 

[JBR]

I'm not sure about putting it in a metal container; that would screen out just about everything.

I do think it's a good idea to check for signals at various points within the house, though. Places where it is likely to be used: different rooms, different places within each room.