Latest news with #mobilenetwork
ABC News
08-07-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Accusations that Telstra has exaggerated the reach of its mobile network
Telstra is Australia's largest mobile network and it's built a brand around being the most extensive. But the ACCC is now considering complaints about the true reach of its coverage. 7.30's Alysia Thomas-Sam reports.
The Sun
04-07-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Exact date millions of phones will stop working as UK's biggest network provider turns off 3G access in huge shake-up
THE EXACT date that millions of phones will stop working as the UK's biggest network provider set to turn off their 3G access in a huge shake-up. Some customers might be left with no data at all to access the internet or message friends on WhatsApp when they're away from home. The network provider details All of the UK's biggest mobile networks have been slowly turning off access to 3G and that means devices that can't connect to newer 4G and 5G signals could lose access to data and all-important services. O2 alerted its 23 million customers of the changes earlier this year. But now three more locations set to wave goodbye to the old network in just a few days. O2 is the last of the big networks to make the change, as part of an objective agreed with the Government in 2021. After more than 20 years, the company is stripping out 3G to make way for more faster 4G and 5G services. The shake-up will also impact Tesco Mobile, GiffGaff and Sky Mobile, which rely on O2's network technology. When it will happen 3 For most people, the demise of 3G shouldn't be a problem but for a small number of users it will result in a data blackout. Because some older handsets aren't able to handle 4G or 5G. They'll still be able to make calls and send texts, but without 3G they won't be able to get online when out and about. However, they can technically still go online when using Wi-Fi. O2's 3G Shutdown: Is Your Phone Ready? The next areas where O2's 3G will be switched off on July 16 are: Norwich Telford Guildford It's already ended in the city of Durham. Torquay will follow on August 4 and the whole of the UK should then lose access by the end of the year. How to save on your mobile phone bill NOT happy with your current mobile phone deal? If you're outside the minimum term of your contract then you won't need to pay a cancellation fee - and you might be able to find a cheaper deal elsewhere. But don't just switch contracts because the price is cheaper than what you're currently paying. Take a look at how many minutes and texts, as well as how much data you're using, to find out which deal is best for you. For example, if you're a heavy internet user it's worth finding a deal that accommodates this so you don't end up spending extra on bundles or add-ons each month. Also note that if you're still in your contract period, you might be charged an exit fee. Ready to look elsewhere? Pay-as-you-go deals are better for people who don't regularly use their phone, while monthly contracts usually work out cheaper for those who do. It's worth using comparison websites, such as MoneySupermarket and to compare tariffs and phone prices. Billmonitor also matches buyers to the best pay-monthly deal based on their previous three months of bills. It only works if you're a customer of EE, O2, Three, Vodafone or Tesco Mobile and you'll need to log in with your online account details. There's also MobilePhoneChecker, which has a bill monitoring feature that recommends a tariff based on your monthly usage. If you're happy with your provider then it might be worth using your research to haggle a better deal. Customer support 3 The closure is part of O2's longer-term plans to deliver faster and more reliable 4G and 5G connectivity for customers. Vodafone, Three and EE have already completed their 3G switch-off with customers no longer able to access this slower signal. Virgin Media O2 said: '3G services in those areas will be switched off in the coming weeks, and those who currently don't have a 4G or 5G device must upgrade to a compatible handset in order to retain access to mobile data services. "While we know that the vast majority of our customers already have a 4G or 5G device and will not have to take any action, our priority is to provide support to those who need it," said Jeanie York, Virgin Media O2's Chief Technology Officer, said steps.
Phone Arena
01-07-2025
- Business
- Phone Arena
Debate about whether T-Mobile or Verizon is the best may have finally been settled
T-Mobile and Verizon have been beefing over which company is the best overall and connectivity insights firm Opensignal appears to have settled the debate. Last month, T-Mobile asserted that tests conducted between Q4 2024 and Q1 2025 by Ookla had established that it had the best mobile network in the US. While T-Mobile has often boasted about being the leader in individual categories, this was the first time it claimed to be leading in most metrics. Verizon shot back a day later, claiming it had the fastest and most reliable network in the country. The company expanded on that by saying that RootMetrics, which it finds to be more reliable, says that it's ahead of T-Mobile . Customers don't necessarily care which company is the absolute best as long as the service is reliable in their area. But for anyone keeping score, T-Mobile may be slightly better. T-Mobile topped the majority of metrics. | Image Credit - Opensignal As first reported by Light Reading , Opensignal, which considers itself the "global standard for analyzing consumers' connectivity experiences", conducted a test between February 1 and May 1, and concluded that T-Mobile provides the best overall experience. T-Mobile dominated in most categories, including Reliability Experience, Consistent Quality, Download Speed Experience (177.5Mbps), and 5G Download Speed Experience (252.4Mbps). The company was the top performer in nine categories. Verizon ranked highest in five categories, including 5G Video Experience and Coverage Experience. AT&T came out ahead in just one category — Availability. This means that AT&T users were connected to mobile data more often throughout the day than T-Mobile and Verizon customers. It's not surprising to see T-Mobile outrank its biggest competitors, given its technological lead in foundational areas. When you look at individual scores for each category, there isn't a huge variation between AT&T , T-Mobile , and Verizon , except when it comes to overall download and upload speeds. So while it might not be wrong to say that T-Mobile is the current industry leader, it doesn't have a huge lead, which is why it should reconsider making network leadership a centerpiece of its communications. Secure your connection now at a bargain price! We may earn a commission if you make a purchase Check Out The Offer
Phone Arena
25-06-2025
- Business
- Phone Arena
T-Mobile has 'the best network in America', and America couldn't care less
Monday, June 23, 2025 was supposed to be a big day for T-Mobile. Five years after the official completion of a merger that transformed the US wireless industry as it was known in 2020, Magenta earned the nation's "best mobile network" prize from Ookla, celebrating its latest momentous achievement by adding even more value to its "most popular" plans and confirming the highly anticipated T-Satellite nationwide launch date. But what would have been a noisy and attention-grabbing "Un-carrier" event just a few years ago ended up looking like little more than another typical Monday at the office for CEO Mike Sievert, COO Srini Gopalan, and President of Marketing, Strategy, and Products Mike Katz (seen below trying their best to hype up an ultimately largely meaningless marketing label). Before I let you all answer that for yourselves, I'd like to try to guess some of the reasons why T-Mobile customers no longer seem as interested (and as impressed) as they used to be by such titles as the one bestowed by Ookla. By the way, I'm not just saying that, instead basing my assessment on the relatively poor views figures generated by our article detailing T-Mo's latest win over Verizon and AT&T and the general indifference with which the otherwise super-vocal Redditors on the "Un-official subreddit of the Re-carrier" received the big news at the beginning of the week. This almost looks like a parody of an Un-carrier event from back in the good old days. | Image Credit -- T-Mobile Let's not beat it around the bush, you're far more open to debating and commenting on things like new plans, revised plan features and conditions, as well as every little detail concerning the universally reviled T-Life app, than the results of hundreds of millions of network speed and reliability tests performed across the nation. And I feel like the simplest explanation could also be the most valid - no one cares about the other guy (or girl), let alone a theoretical user. That's obviously the problem with all these studies conducted by Ookla, Opensignal, RootMetrics, and any other such independent analytics firm. As vast and as scientific as their experiments may be, they're still theoretical and thus not representative of your individual user experience. And unfortunately for T-Mobile , all the network performance trophies collected in the last half a decade don't seem to have done much to silence the criticism from individual customers with specific coverage issues that simply won't go away and underwhelming speeds that look unable to get better. Several_Resolution92 on Reddit, June 23, 2025 While the number of T-Mo subscribers complaining of various problems every... single... time the "Un-carrier" wins a new gold ribbon is by no means large in the grand scheme of things, I can totally understand if your distrust in the real-world relevance of speed and network availability tests is fueled by these negative comments... or your own sub-par experience. After all, who cares if some people can (theoretically) squeeze 200+ Mbps download speed averages out of their T-Mobile phones when you barely hit 20 or 30 Mbps most of the time? As odd as it may sound, I feel like the completely opposite explanation can also work, as T-Mobile , Verizon , and AT&T have all improved both their speeds and coverage over the last few years to such a remarkable degree that the competition for first place in Ookla reports no longer matters to most people. After all, not everybody needs 200 Mbps downloads to be happy, and as long as you can typically hit 50 or 60 Mbps, you might not care if the weather is (slightly) warmer on the other side. No matter the reason for your indifference, it's pretty clear that Magenta has to give (most of) its customers something else than empty titles, generic achievements, and big numbers that may or may not coincide with a user's real network experience. Something better, something more palpable, and something with a clearer and bigger value for one's day-to-day life. What must worry T-Mo's powers that be the most is the positive attention Verizon has been generating for a little while now, culminating with a "Project 624" announcement that felt pretty underwhelming to me personally, but that was surprisingly well-received on Reddit and other places around the web. Of course, those gift cards helped, and so did a new T-Mobile-style promotion. That's right, Verizon is so very clearly taking pages, nay, entire chapters from the old "Un-carrier" playbook that T-Mobile absolutely needs to rethink its ways and go back to its roots before it becomes an underdog again. And that needs to happen yesterday! Switch to Total 5G+ Unlimited 3-Month plan or Total 5G Unlimited and get a free iPhone. We may earn a commission if you make a purchase Check Out The Offer
Zawya
24-06-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Nokia, e& and MediaTek achieve multi-gigabit speeds with six-component carrier aggregation
Enables e& UAE to maximize existing spectrum assets and strengthen its position as the world's fastest mobile network Powered by Nokia's Massive MIMO radios and baseband solutions, validated end-to-end with MediaTek's flagship 5G device Dubai, United Arab Emirates – Nokia, in collaboration with e& UAE, the flagship telecommunications arm of e& in the UAE, and MediaTek, today announced the Middle East's first successful demonstration of six-component carrier (6CC) aggregation in 5G Standalone (SA). The trial combined 400 MHz of e& UAE's 5G mid-band spectrum, unlocking multi-gigabit peak throughput rates that would allow subscribers to download UHD movies in seconds. For e& UAE, the milestone further solidifies its position as the world's fastest mobile network while future-proofing radio access network investments. The trial utilized e& UAE's commercial spectrum across 3.5 GHz, 2.6 GHz, 2.1 GHz and 1.8 GHz bands and delivered a throughput of 5.8 Gbps. Nokia supplied its latest high-capacity equipment from the AirScale portfolio, including Habrok 64 Massive MIMO radios, dual-band radios, baseband solutions and carrier aggregation software. MediaTek provided a prototype smartphone powered by its flagship 5G chipset, which supports 6CC carrier aggregation. Mark Atkinson, Senior Vice President and Head of Radio Access Networks at Nokia, said: 'Together with our long-standing partners, e& and MediaTek, Nokia is once again pushing the limits of technology by aggregating six mid-band component carriers. Our industry-leading carrier aggregation solutions help maximize 5G performance with existing spectrum assets, paving the path to Advanced 5G. Multi-gigabit speeds are a true game-changer for end-user experience in the UAE's competitive market for both consumers and enterprises.' Abdulrahman Al Humaidan - Vice President Access Network at e& UAE, said: 'Aggregating six mid-band carriers lets us squeeze every bit of performance out of the spectrum that we have available for 5G. This breakthrough shows that 5G Advanced isn't a distant vision, but a concrete enabler for multi-gigabit speeds across the UAE without waiting for new frequencies. Working with Nokia and MediaTek, we now have a clear blueprint for scaling this capability nationwide.' He added: '5G is redefining what's possible — from ultra-fast downloads to real-time connectivity that powers everything from mobile streaming to smart cities. At e&, we're pushing the boundaries of 5G performance to ensure people across the country experience the full potential of next-generation speed and reliability. This isn't just about faster connections — it's about enabling the UAE's digital future.' Nokia and e& UAE are paving the way for future enhancements to 5G networks by providing the critical technology foundation that supports the growing demand for data and digital services in the region. HC Hwang, General Manager of Wireless Communication System and Partnership at MediaTek said: 'Successfully completing the 6CC carrier aggregation trial in partnership with e& and Nokia marks a significant leap forward in 5G technology advancement. This achievement, conducted on our new M90 modem platform, underscores MediaTek's commitment to pushing download speeds, enhancing network performance, and delivering unparalleled connectivity.' About Nokia At Nokia, we create technology that helps the world act together. As a B2B technology innovation leader, we are pioneering networks that sense, think and act by leveraging our work across mobile, fixed and cloud networks. In addition, we create value with intellectual property and long-term research, led by the award-winning Nokia Bell Labs, which is celebrating 100 years of innovation. With truly open architectures that seamlessly integrate into any ecosystem, our high-performance networks create new opportunities for monetization and scale. Service providers, enterprises and partners worldwide trust Nokia to deliver secure, reliable and sustainable networks today – and work with us to create the digital services and applications of the future. Media Inquiries Nokia Communications, Corporate Email: Follow us on social media LinkedIn X Instagram Facebook YouTube About e& e& is a global technology group committed to advancing the digital future across markets in the Middle East, Asia, Africa and Europe. With the group's financial performance in 2023 showing a consolidated net revenue of AED 53.8 billion and a net profit of AED 10.3 billion, e& continues to maintain its position as a financial powerhouse, reflected by its strong credit rating and solid balance sheet. Founded in Abu Dhabi over 48 years ago, e& has evolved from a telecom pioneer into a technology group. Its footprint now spans 38 countries, offering a comprehensive portfolio of innovative digital services ranging from advanced connectivity, entertainment, streaming and financial services to AI-powered solutions, cloud computing, ICT, cybersecurity and IoT platforms. The Group is structured around five core business pillars: e& UAE, e& international, e& life, e& enterprise and e& capital, each catering to distinct customer and market needs. These pillars empower e& to lead in various sectors, from telecom and digital lifestyle to enterprise services and venture investments. The ongoing strategic investments in AI, IoT, 5G and cloud services reinforce its leadership in the global technology landscape, driving the future of smart connectivity and innovation. Driven by innovation, sustainability and a commitment to digital empowerment, e& is set on creating a smarter, more connected future for individuals, businesses and communities. To learn more about e&, visit About e& UAE e& UAE embodies the telecom arm of e& in the UAE, with a mission to maximise stakeholder value, deliver an unparalleled customer experience and optimise business performance for sustainable growth and success. Leveraging the latest world-class technologies, e& UAE will grow core and digital services, enriching consumer value propositions with digital services catering to new consumer lifestyles and emerging demands beyond core telecom services, including health, insurance and gaming. e& UAE will continue to act as a trusted partner to enterprises in meeting their connectivity needs and beyond. Bolstering its leadership position as a digital telco that champions customers in a hyper-connected digital world, e& UAE will pivot the new sustainable demand into future spaces such as private networks, autonomous vehicles, and AI. To learn more about e& UAE, please visit:
