Vodafone 3G to close

Apologies for the late reply here but that is most likely how Vodafone have designed it.

WIFI Calling and VoLTE reside in the networks IMS core, moving out of WiFi coverage the IMS core will try hand the call off to the VoLTE network or failing that to the circuit switch network (2/3G), so it's looking for you on their network to hand off the call not on the 3 Ireland network, without an active 4G data session it won't go to VoLTE, next then the CS network if you are reachable, anyway there not internet calls but encrypted like a VPN IPSec tunnel, given its GEO blocked they more than don't allow IMS calls to leave the Vodafone network.

3 on the other hand seem a bit looser in this regard it sounds but again all down to the design engineers and what network security / fraud departments demand, Vodafone are rigid in those areas.

This 3g shutdown is mad. One city covered in 10 months 😂. They are probably expanding 5g countrywide now as a priority. Nothing happening in Cork.

For a few days back in September all my connections were going 5G/4G to E but 3G was still available if forced. This was all reverted after a few days and back on 3G.

Most Vodafone masts around Cork and now upgraded to 5G (NR and DSS) behind Eir but ahead of 3 at this stage.

Apparently it was delayed at least around Ringaskiddy in Cork due to some factory using 3G repeaters for coverage around the factory. It was switched back on Apparently they were giving until the end of December to migrate.

Getting that 5mhz block in the 900mhz range broadcasting 4G will be a nice improvement.

They have abandoned it I'd say. They seem to be upgrading rural areas instead. Sky mobile was meant to launch on the Vodafone network and that hasn't happened either.

That would be my thinking as well. They’ve sold off Vodafone Spain. Vodafone Ireland is way smaller is comparison and requires a huge investment to upgrade all those legacy wooden pole 3G sites.

Same with Vodafone UK merging with 3.

I can’t see the regulator allowing a Vodafone and 3 merger here in Ireland from a competition point of view that would leave Eir dead in the water without a huge amount of spectrum and site transfers.

Maybe an Eir and Vodafone merger could make sense but I don’t think that’s Xaviers modus operandi.

Perhaps an EE takeover to break into the Irish market….

I'd say they will pull out of Ireland soon. Vodafone network isn't what it used to be. Three have far passed them for stability and reliability

Denis O'Brien labels Google and Meta as ‘greedy f**ks’ and says telecoms operators are ‘b****xed’ | Independent.ie

Denis O'Brien on competition in the telecoms market

Appears to be a bit pissed-off atm, he's about to exit his his mobile business in the Caribbean

It's true that vodafone lost their magic by a lot. Eir coverage is so much better now, especially in rural conditions. Eir has blown up new mast sites everywhere nationwide recently. Complete speculation, but maybe an eir an vodafone merger if anything?

Thats just SDCC. Another 10 under Cellnex instead of Cignal.

sky mobile launch delayed because of this I'd say maybe until the end of the year. In reality I would say Vodafone are planning of leaving Ireland.

I noticed Vodafone have being adding 4G to some of their old 3G poles. I didn’t think that was possible. The one I encountered is transmitting on Band 8 (5mhz).

Vodafone 5G really ramping up around Cork City. Travelled around the City today and had 5G pretty much everywhere.

Previously in Ballincollig I got around 30mb download on 4G. Today I got 1300mb download and almost 200mb up. That’s faster than my FTTH connection.

3G was still broadcasting everywhere I checked.

Good to hear your experience in Kildare, in my own area North Dublin 5g has popped up for the first time today but the signal is low 1bar and speeds are slow. We live very close to a 4g enabled mast so interesting to see if they upgraded the mast or not!

Perhaps the wrong place to post this, but ill try anyway. Is there still any incompatibility of 5G phones with Vodafone? For example, I'm looking to buy an OPPO Find X3 Pro 5G, would this work with Vodafone on the 5G network? Currently have a OnePlus 7T, which is 4G only, and even VoLTE does not work on this phone with Vodafone, making phonecalls a bit of a pain.

They are taking the piss. They have been adding 4G to those old 3G monopoles. They are transmitting on band 8 from them. The ones i tested for speed are horrendous. 1-2mbs download.

I travelled Dublin to near Fermoy recently, streaming two kids tables was flawless tbf on motorway anyways. Once off motor way it was poor coverage mainly 3g in North Cork county rural area. So 4g isn't deployed in that area!

Yes lots of E1 or ADSL2+ circuits feeding the very rural sites from the Eircell days - great in the days of 2G and 3G and often meant Vodafone reached many areas others couldn't (or wouldn't).

The problem for Vodafone now is Cignal have been closely following the OpenEir and NBI fibre to the premises rollout nationally and once full fibre rolls into a given area, one or more of their monopoles appear soon after, and you'll see an Eir or Three (often both) cell site spring up on it soon again after that. Whereas Vodafone appear to avoid using Cignal, probably seeing them as a competitor to their own sister tower company, Vantage.

I'm surprised they're putting 4G onto such sites though without upgrading the backhaul first - traditionally as I understand it they kept sites tied to 3G only because people naturally expected 3G to be slow anyway, and bandwidth starved 4G/5G cells would skew their respective rankings on Ookla and nPerf and the likes (which is how they've managed to stay ranking so highly despite 3 and Eir long outpacing them in coverage terms).

Newer update, First time Dublin has been mentioned,........

Following the successful switch off in Limerick city we will continue to upgrade the network on a phased basis, starting with the cities of Cork, Galway and Dublin in June 2024. 

I wouldn't hold my breath on even that date being met! The network is a mess in Kildare for the last number of months with little sign of improvement happening.

They have put a number of planning applications into SDCC, Fingal and KCC (under their tower division "Vantage Towers") around areas that are now left largely to 2G only due to having no 4G and where the nearest mast infrastructure is too far to provide 4G and 5G denisty - but are sticking with large, bulky lattice towers for the most part, which are having a very hard time getting past the local authorities and many attracting significant volumes of objections.

Compare this to Cignal/On Tower who have seen Eir and Three add hundreds of new sites to their respective networks using monopoles with near-zero rumblings or pushback.

Looks like 3g has been switched off in north country Dublin, a network search only brings up 2,4,5g

No app just a network scan on the phone, Eir and 3 3g visable, Vodafone absent

What device are you using? Mine just shows the networks, not the technology. (2G,3G,4G,5G)