Latest news with #O2
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
'Lack of phone signal is all anyone talks about'
"Unforeseen technical issues" have been causing continuing mobile phone service issues in some rural areas of County Tyrone for almost a month. Local representatives say it has mostly been affecting Mid Ulster's Torrent electoral district in areas such as Coalisland and Clonoe. Members of the community say that areas, which already had poor reception, were in some cases, "complete blackspots with no signal". The problems have been linked to planned upgrade works on a service site that is hosted by O2, but is also used by a number of other mobile phone companies. O2 said the upgrade works in the area were to ensure "fast and reliable connectivity to customers". An O2 spokesperson said, due to "unforeseen technical issues" the work had taken longer than planned. In a statement on its website on Friday evening O2 said it had "completed some improvement work" in the area and that it would continue to "keep a close eye on the network to make sure everything's working as it should". SDLP councillor Malachy Quinn lives in the Washingbay area of County Tyrone. On Friday night he said that while he welcomed confirmation of improvement works, he still had reports of network problems in the area. He said: "It is clear from speaking to residents across my area that many people - particularly those living in more rural and isolated areas - are still experiencing persistent problems with poor or unreliable mobile signal. "In 2025, it should not be too much to ask for people to have consistent access to calls and data, no matter where they live." It is understood the issues were first reported at the end of May. It was raised at a meeting of Mid Ulster District Council last month by independent councillor Dan Kerr. He called for a meeting with the different major mobile networks. During the meeting council chief executive, Adrian McCreesh, stated: "I've [heard] from a number of members around this chamber in recent days about the behaviour of some of our companies, and the lack of ability for people to get connected." Mr McCreesh confirmed he would be organising a meeting with some of the mobile phone companies operating in the areas of Mid Ulster that had continuous reports of poor signal. Brian Kerr owns a barber shop in the Clonoe Village Business Park. He said: "It's all the customers who come into the shop this past while have been talking about, the fact that the phone signal has somehow managed to get worse, and it was already poor. "At my own house, you have to leave the house and go to the top of the driveway to get any signal at all and even then it's patchy." He added: "Something needs to be done about it long-term, because it's affecting a lot of people, not only socially, but they rely on decent phone signal for their businesses as well." Linda Dillon is a Sinn Fein MLA who lives in the Clonoe area and is calling for the issue to be resolved. She said: "Signal problems have lasted a month, and it's caused problems with parents looking to contact their children when they're out and things like that. "A big part of the problem is trying to get information from the phone companies, the communication to the people on the ground and elected representatives has been very poor, which is bad from communication companies." She added: "Unfortunately there are places in this area, like Derrylaughan, that always have had poor signal, but this time it has been more widespread. "At the end of the day it is an equality issue, rural areas should have access to phone signal the same as people living in urban areas." In 2021, three mobile phone networks agreed a deal to build and share masts to improve 4G in rural parts of Northern Ireland. The project was part of the UK government's £1bn Shared Rural Network (SRN) programme, external, aimed at improving rural internet access. The issue of phone signal has been in the news recently following a series of arson attacks on 5G masts in west Belfast. During a recent debate in the Northern Ireland Assembly about the attacks, DUP MLA Deborah Erskine condemned the incidents but also pointed to the phone signal issues that impact rural communities all year round. Speaking in the assembly, the Fermanagh and South Tyrone MLA said: "I would love to have 4G in my area, never mind 5G, and to see improvements made to masts and infrastructure. "Such improvements are needed, not just in west Belfast, but throughout Northern Ireland." In a statement about the connectivity issues in County Tyrone, O2 said: "While these upgrades will lead to improvements in the longer term, we apologise to customers who may have experienced intermittent service issues whilst the works are completed." Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Vodafone said: "We're sorry to our customers who are affected by issues with their services. "Our infrastructure partner is aware of the network issues due to planned work on a mast in the area and is working hard to restore services." Phone networks agree rural 4G coverage boost Frustration for residents as phone signal buckles after 5G mast arsons
BBC News
8 hours ago
- Business
- BBC News
County Tyrone: Rural phone signal issues impacting community
"Unforeseen technical issues" have been causing continuing mobile phone service issues in some rural areas of County Tyrone for almost a representatives say it has mostly been affecting Mid Ulster's Torrent electoral district in areas such as Coalisland and of the community say that areas, which already had poor reception, were in some cases, "complete blackspots with no signal".The problems have been linked to planned upgrade works on a service site that is hosted by O2, but is also used by a number of other mobile phone companies. O2 said the upgrade works in the area were to ensure "fast and reliable connectivity to customers". An O2 spokesperson said, due to "unforeseen technical issues" the work had taken longer than planned. In a statement on its website on Friday evening O2 said it had "completed some improvement work" in the area and that it would continue to "keep a close eye on the network to make sure everything's working as it should".SDLP councillor Malachy Quinn lives in the Washingbay area of County Friday night he said that while he welcomed confirmation of improvement works, he still had reports of network problems in the said: "It is clear from speaking to residents across my area that many people - particularly those living in more rural and isolated areas - are still experiencing persistent problems with poor or unreliable mobile signal."In 2025, it should not be too much to ask for people to have consistent access to calls and data, no matter where they live." It is understood the issues were first reported at the end of was raised at a meeting of Mid Ulster District Council last month by independent councillor Dan called for a meeting with the different major mobile the meeting council chief executive, Adrian McCreesh, stated: "I've [heard] from a number of members around this chamber in recent days about the behaviour of some of our companies, and the lack of ability for people to get connected."Mr McCreesh confirmed he would be organising a meeting with some of the mobile phone companies operating in the areas of Mid Ulster that had continuous reports of poor signal. 'Something needs done' Brian Kerr owns a barber shop in the Clonoe Village Business said: "It's all the customers who come into the shop this past while have been talking about, the fact that the phone signal has somehow managed to get worse, and it was already poor."At my own house, you have to leave the house and go to the top of the driveway to get any signal at all and even then it's patchy."He added: "Something needs to be done about it long-term, because it's affecting a lot of people, not only socially, but they rely on decent phone signal for their businesses as well." Linda Dillon is a Sinn Fein MLA who lives in the Clonoe area and is calling for the issue to be said: "Signal problems have lasted a month, and it's caused problems with parents looking to contact their children when they're out and things like that."A big part of the problem is trying to get information from the phone companies, the communication to the people on the ground and elected representatives has been very poor, which is bad from communication companies."She added: "Unfortunately there are places in this area, like Derrylaughan, that always have had poor signal, but this time it has been more widespread."At the end of the day it is an equality issue, rural areas should have access to phone signal the same as people living in urban areas."In 2021, three mobile phone networks agreed a deal to build and share masts to improve 4G in rural parts of Northern project was part of the UK government's £1bn Shared Rural Network (SRN) programme, external, aimed at improving rural internet access. The issue of phone signal has been in the news recently following a series of arson attacks on 5G masts in west a recent debate in the Northern Ireland Assembly about the attacks, DUP MLA Deborah Erskine condemned the incidents but also pointed to the phone signal issues that impact rural communities all year in the assembly, the Fermanagh and South Tyrone MLA said: "I would love to have 4G in my area, never mind 5G, and to see improvements made to masts and infrastructure."Such improvements are needed, not just in west Belfast, but throughout Northern Ireland."In a statement about the connectivity issues in County Tyrone, O2 said: "While these upgrades will lead to improvements in the longer term, we apologise to customers who may have experienced intermittent service issues whilst the works are completed."Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Vodafone said: "We're sorry to our customers who are affected by issues with their services."Our infrastructure partner is aware of the network issues due to planned work on a mast in the area and is working hard to restore services."
The Sun
9 hours ago
- Business
- The Sun
Major provider offering FREE smartwatch with Samsung Galaxy S24 FE – plans from £18p/m
Sky Mobile has unveiled an exciting deal that's caught my eye. You can now get the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE with plans starting from just £18 per month, complete with a free Galaxy Watch7 worth £289. Samsung Galaxy S24 FE, 50GB, £28/month (Claim free Galaxy Watch7 worth £289) BUY FROM SKY If you're in the market for a new phone, this is a seriously good way to get more for your money. Sky Mobile is no stranger to cutting prices on its handset plans, but this offer throws in some free tech too. The standout comes on the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE, with prices starting from just £18 a month (was £23), and no upfront cost. There's also half-price data on selected plans, and my top pick gets you a solid 50GB for £10 a month instead of £20. On top of that, Sky's throwing in a free Galaxy Watch7 worth £289, which makes this one of the best value deals we've seen from the provider in a while. It's not just about the price either, Sky runs on O2's network, so you're getting decent coverage and reliability. The Galaxy S24 FE itself is a great all-rounder if you want something that doesn't break the bank but still delivers on features. I haven't had hands-on time with it yet, but on paper, it's a strong Android handset for years to come. You get a large 6.4-inch Super AMOLED display with a smooth 120Hz refresh rate, perfect for watching videos or gaming on the go. There's the same Exynos 2400 chip you'll find in Samsung's pricier models, paired with 8GB of RAM, so it'll easily handle day-to-day tasks and multitasking. You're also getting a triple camera setup on the back, something any photography lover will appreciate. It includes a 50MP main lens, 12MP ultrawide, and 8MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom, ideal for everything from quick snaps to holiday pics. Battery life is decent too, with a 4,500mAh battery that's larger than the latest handset coming off the Apple production line. If your contract's nearly up or you're thinking of switching, this one's definitely worth a look. Best Sky Mobile deals Sky Mobile has plenty of top-brand handsets up for grabs right now. If you're happy with your current phone and want something low-fuss, check out the best SIM-only deals we've found from all major providers. We've also rounded up the best Sky deals out there right now to make life a bit easier.
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Furious Lana Del Rey fans have same complaint after singer brings tour to UK
Lana Del Rey is in the UK playing shows for her highly-anticipated tour. However, as the tour kicked off last night in Cardiff, many fans shared their disappointment Fans were bursting with excitement as singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey - who rarely performs in the UK - kicked off her UK and Ireland tour last night. The Born to Die singer, who headlined at Coachella last year, is performing in Glasgow tomorrow, Liverpool on Saturday, at Wembley Stadium in London on July 3 and 4, with tickets still available. She will also be performing in Dublin on June 30. Band London Grammar and singer Banks are supporting her on much of the tour. Plus, TikTok star turned recording artist, Addison Rae, will join her for the London shows. However, many were left confused by her performance at Cardiff's Principality Stadium last night (Tuesday, June 24). Following the highly-anticipated performance, they rushed to social media to share their thoughts. Many complained about the songs and length of her set list, while others noted her lateness, and some were unimpressed by the staging and "hologram performance". 'Very disappointing' One individual shared clips from the concert and asked: "Anyone else left the Lana Del Rey concert in Cardiff high key underwhelmed? The ticket cost way too much for how short her setlist was." Sharing their experience, one commented on the post and said: "Very disappointed indeed. £290 for two tickets to have her on for an hour ish... and 15 mins of that it was a hologram type video of her! Shocking." One other wrote: "100%. My fist time seeing her and it was meant to be the pinnacle of concerts for me and my partner. I felt underwhelmed and a bit dissatisfied. She is a ledge though so still think she's amazing." Another shared: "I saw her in a O2 academy in 2013 and it was one of the best concerts I've been to. Last night was so disappointing and 100% agree with you." Another viral video showed her performing and the concert goer said: "Lana Del Rey kicked her UK&Ireland Stadium Tour. Unfortunately she was not ready for a stadium tour and it became a disappointing concert.." 'No attention to detail' In another video, one individual said: "Lana came on at 8.53pm till 10.16pm. Snogged her husband. Sang Salvatore but read the lyrics from an iPhone!". Commenting on this post, one individual sarcastically wrote: "Our favourite part was when she performed three songs as a hologram in the window…" One other shared: "We paid nearly £500 for 2 tickets on the side 12 rows from front. Unfortunately the staging is not built for visibility, it's a box where you can only really see directly from the front and half the show she is way back in this box." They also noted: "The staging although atmospheric was just not visible. When you pay that much you expect to see. Also 3 songs not live just like watching a TV. The easing platform was a highlight but again saw all the mechanisms, no attention to detail." 'It was absolutely beautiful' However, there were many who enjoyed the show. One gushed: "I went, thought it was wonderful." Another supporter who had a great time added: "I don't know what you all saw but it was amazing. She was supposed to finish at 10 but kept the show going later because she was late on stage. "Her vocals were amazing and you all saying she wasn't good or it was disappointing are just sad she didn't sing Summertime Sadness 10 times." One other insisted the show was a "cinematic masterpiece". They added: "It is so rare for concerts to have a story for the show. The stage set was absolutely beautiful. She did perform most of her hits as well as some fan favourites." Another fan said: "I thought the stage was absolutely stunning I loved the house, lighting and use of green screen. I feel like not everyone understands what to expect at a Lana show. I found it super emotional and beautiful." And another agreed: "I also went last night and it was a dream come true for me, I don't know why everyone's being a negative Nancy."
Time Out
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Linkin Park at London's Wembley Stadium 2025: timings, set list, last-minute tickets and everything you need to know
Less than a year after the nu metal group last played London (which was at the O2 last September), Linkin Park are back in the capital this week at none other than Wembley Stadium. The band responsible for immortal noughties hits like 'Numb', 'In the End' and 'Burn It Down' will perform at London's biggest stadium on Saturday. The band's lineup features Mike Shinoda, Dave 'Phoenix' Farrell, Joe Hahn, Colin Brittain and still-somewhat-new vocalist Emily Armstrong. Linkin Park are touring in support of 2024 album From Zero. Heading to northwest London to see Linkin Park this weekend? Here's what you need to know about the show, from timings to remaining ticket availability. When are Linkin Park playing London's Wembley Stadium? The nu-metallers' show in London is on Saturday June 28 2025. What time will Linkin Park come on stage? Timings haven't yet been officially confirmed, but expect the band on stage at around 8.15pm-8.30pm. Doors are at 5pm, support acts will start at 6pm and Linkin Park will wrap things up by 10.30pm. Are there any tickets left? At time of writing, some tickets were left for Linkin Park at Wembley on Ticketmaster. How much do tickets cost? On Ticketmaster, tickets are available from around £79. Find those here. What's the full setlist? For an idea of what Linkin Park will play at Wembley, this was the band's recent setlist in Milan on the same tour (according to Somewhere I Belong Crawling Cut the Bridge Lying From You The Emptiness Machine The Catalyst Burn It Down Up From the Bottom Where'd You Go (Fort Minor cover) Waiting for the End Joe Hahn Solo When They Come for Me / Remember the Name Two Faced One Step Closer Break/Collapse Lost Stained What I've Done Kintsugi Overflow Numb In the End Faint Papercut A Place for My Head Heavy Is the Crown Bleed It Out Who will be supporting Linkin Park in London? Support comes from metal band Spiritbox and rapper JPEGMAFIA. Weather forecast Wembley is currently predicted to be pretty balmy on Saturday. The Met Office is predicting highs of 27C in the evening, with little chance of rain. Make sure you stay hydrated, and bring sun cream. Are there any banned items? Each ticketholder is to permitted to bring in one bag, and it must be smaller than A4 size. These items are banned: Wallet chains and jean chains Weapons of any sort Recording equipment (sound or video) Professional or semi-professional (4K/8K) cameras Bottles, cans or glass containers Fireworks Alcohol Laser pens and pointers Go Pro cameras, selfie sticks, iPads and tablets Drones Banners, posters and signs bigger A3 in size Metal bottles Find a full list of prohibited items at Wembley here. Those with standing tickets are not permitted to bring a bottle of any kind, though all other ticketholders can bring in empty plastic, crushable bottles under 500ml.
