T-Mobile switch off their network in N. Ireland

lawhec

This seems to have quietly passed without much fanfare, but Everything Everywhere have pulled the plug on T-Mobile's network in Northern Ireland, both 2G & 3G. Any customers up here now have to fall back on Orange's network coverage which won't cost them any more than they do now, though they may have to on Android handsets and maybe some others active data roaming for it to work (in Android's case, activating "National Roaming" if you have Cyanogen should be enough). Generally Orange's coverage was significantly better than T-Mobile's though there would have been the few odd spots where T-Mobile had a signal where Orange didn't, and I'd say any T-Mobile customers in such places that has now lost coverage won't be pleased - probably not many though, T-Mobile's market share in NI has always been very small.

I don't think this will have much effect on mobile users in the Republic roaming north of the border, I know in the past Meteor used to have preferential rates for roaming on T-Mobile compared to the other UK networks but I don't think there's much difference any more if any.

ardmacha

Surely Orange would avail of any T-mobile masts and infrastructure in areas where their signal was poor?
One such place is Gortin, Co Tyrone, where topography makes other signals poor, but T-mobile had a mast.

bd250110

Interesting, T-Mobile (and now EverythingEverywhere) and 3-UK have a joint venture to operate their 3G networks in many areas, anectodatal evidence suggest that not very many NI sites were shared, for whatever reason. As a T-Mobile-UK customer, I can say that the switch between T-Mobile and Orange is pretty seamless, after some early teething problems getting "stuck" on Orange 2G, GPRS, not EDGE, generally!

Richard

lawhec wrote: »

This seems to have quietly passed without much fanfare, but Everything Everywhere have pulled the plug on T-Mobile's network in Northern Ireland, both 2G & 3G. Any customers up here now have to fall back on Orange's network coverage which won't cost them any more than they do now, though they may have to on Android handsets and maybe some others active data roaming for it to work (in Android's case, activating "National Roaming" if you have Cyanogen should be enough). Generally Orange's coverage was significantly better than T-Mobile's though there would have been the few odd spots where T-Mobile had a signal where Orange didn't, and I'd say any T-Mobile customers in such places that has now lost coverage won't be pleased - probably not many though, T-Mobile's market share in NI has always been very small.

I don't think this will have much effect on mobile users in the Republic roaming north of the border, I know in the past Meteor used to have preferential rates for roaming on T-Mobile compared to the other UK networks but I don't think there's much difference any more if any.

I know they were going to be switching off some masts, but this is on a wider scale - do you have any links?

lawhec

Richard wrote: »

I know they were going to be switching off some masts, but this is on a wider scale - do you have any links?

http://www.t-mobile.co.uk/services/coverage/street-check/

ardmacha

Some people are pissed off about this.
There is a broad point here. If a regulated company deliberately switches off a mast should they not be obliged to inform those customers who it knows predominantly use that mast, if they will lose signal?

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A leading mobile phone company has been accused of putting lives at risk after it withdrew its network services without warning its customers.

Scores of people — including the vulnerable and elderly — cannot use their mobiles after a Co Antrim radio mast was suddenly switched off.

Mountain rescue teams, farmers, carers and tourists in the Glenariff Forest Park area have all been affected by the decision.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/fury-after-sudden-shutdown-of-glens-mobile-network-16150950.html

irishgeo

ardmacha wrote: »

Some people are pissed off about this.
There is a broad point here. If a regulated company deliberately switches off a mast should they not be obliged to inform those customers who it knows predominantly use that mast, if they will lose signal?

---

A leading mobile phone company has been accused of putting lives at risk after it withdrew its network services without warning its customers.

Scores of people — including the vulnerable and elderly — cannot use their mobiles after a Co Antrim radio mast was suddenly switched off.

Mountain rescue teams, farmers, carers and tourists in the Glenariff Forest Park area have all been affected by the decision.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/fury-after-sudden-shutdown-of-glens-mobile-network-16150950.html

surely if the customers had a contract with t-mobile and they didnt inform them , its a breach of contract.

most contracts have a clause which states that the company have to inform you of a change of the terms and conditions of the contract. this is a serious change to the terms and conditions.

if this was america a class action lawsuit would have already been lodged.