XT Network Coverage Experiences

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#227556 22-Jun-2009 22:23

My XT coverage is good overall having just come back from Auckland and doing a lot of travel recently. XT is better than CDMA at home which is promising as CDMA was variable at best.

jaidevp

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#227826 23-Jun-2009 23:36

We are working on coverage issues everyday, new network takes time for ideal optimisation especially now that we getting loading.

HybridE506r

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#227829 24-Jun-2009 00:19

Waitarere Beach coverage:

Vodafone : Nokia 6288 and Nokia 1208
no bars on 2g, got to walk around property to get weak 2g and sometimes intermittant 3g, unreliably weak signal can only receive a txt if lucky, a bit hit and miss, no voice calling

Telecom XT: R6 phone. 3g 4 bars good reception. Only bought it because vodafone has too weak coverage, but slowly liking the R6 EXCEPT for the up softkey Tcom function.

andrewcnz

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#227840 24-Jun-2009 06:43

jjnz1:
sbiddle:
jjnz1: From this I take it that Telecom will suffer for not having a fall back 2G network, I also assume that vodafone's 3G wouldn't work there either although untested.

Why do people assume no GSM fallback is a bad thing?

GSM and WCDMA offer virtually identical coverage off the same mast if they use the same frequency. If there is no WCMA coverage then there wouldn't be GSM coverage either.

I'm also interested that there is poor Telecom coverage there. There are both Telecom and Vodafone sites sitting on the hillside next to SH2 by the Tui brewery. Vodafone coverage around that area is typically good and I know Telecom CDMA is also very good.

The fact there is Vodafone GSM would indicate there is more than likely good Vodafone 3G coverage.

There is definately no coverage there- Mangatainoka Valley Road. On the vodafone map, it shows coverage as 2 bars GSM 1 bar 3G.. So what your saying is that 3G should be the same as a 2G signal?

Do not expect 900 3G coverage from vodafone where 2G exists. Coverage is not the same. Some sites have no 3G radio installed.

johnr

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#227844 24-Jun-2009 07:38

andrewcnz:
jjnz1:
sbiddle:
jjnz1: From this I take it that Telecom will suffer for not having a fall back 2G network, I also assume that vodafone's 3G wouldn't work there either although untested.

Why do people assume no GSM fallback is a bad thing?

GSM and WCDMA offer virtually identical coverage off the same mast if they use the same frequency. If there is no WCMA coverage then there wouldn't be GSM coverage either.

I'm also interested that there is poor Telecom coverage there. There are both Telecom and Vodafone sites sitting on the hillside next to SH2 by the Tui brewery. Vodafone coverage around that area is typically good and I know Telecom CDMA is also very good.

The fact there is Vodafone GSM would indicate there is more than likely good Vodafone 3G coverage.

There is definately no coverage there- Mangatainoka Valley Road. On the vodafone map, it shows coverage as 2 bars GSM 1 bar 3G.. So what your saying is that 3G should be the same as a 2G signal?

Do not expect 900 3G coverage from vodafone where 2G exists. Coverage is not the same. Some sites have no 3G radio installed.

Andrew maybe you should tell the full story like i advised you. where Andrew lives in welcome bay tauranga the 2G site is been relocated and when this happens 3G will be put on. There are many places around NZ that have 3G only sites most in the south island.

John

andrewcnz

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#228037 24-Jun-2009 17:33

Come on John what about the other side of Tauranga, over The TePuna/ minden area of town got no 3G there either that site high on the hill has no 3G. That site covers area's of Pyes pa road ain't no 3G there either. Am aware of my situation, but I tell the truth about " Coverage is not the same" even Paul B told me the same story.

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exportgoldman

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#228061 24-Jun-2009 18:55

I'm really happy with XT and glad I moved. I live in Parnell and work around 2 Kilometres down the road in Newmarket/Epson.

I can see the city skyline from my apartment, and parnell shops from my apartment in Parnell, but consistantly dropped calls and had poor data speeds which measured around 1-2x dialup speeds on Vodafone.

I now get full coverage everywhere I usually travel to, and apart from some echoy calls a week or so ago which XT fixed I have great speeds (20x dialup) and perfect voice calling in my apartment.

The guy below me which has a 3G phone can't send TXT messages unless he goes outside and most voice calls drop... He's still stuck on Vodafone and is waiting for 2 degress to come out

Tyler - Parnell Geek - iPhone 3G - Lenovo X301 - Kaseya - Great Western Steak House, these are some of my favourite things.

Kyanar

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#228063 24-Jun-2009 18:59

I get good reception (perfect even) except in my office at work, where the XT network disappears entirely (no calls, no texts, no internet).

This is fine by me, considering the ONLY reason we have Vodafone coverage is the unholy amount of signal boosters we have scattered across our building.

Probably something to do with the building being made of brick and lead.

choccers

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#228533 26-Jun-2009 13:13

Well I am near Riverhead Forest

Vodafone: No coverage irrespective of what version of G you are using or phone model. Nada nothing zip.
Telecom: CDMA only if I lean the phone at the correct angle and the moon is in a waxing phase and I hover around the back door. Currently on a Samsung W531 however it has a dodgy battery so I am going to have to look at a new one.

If I get an XT sim and stuff it in my phone (if compatible) and take it home and its the same coverage as Vodafone, do you think I will get a refund?

ex cat herder

olmec

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#228992 28-Jun-2009 18:36

This does not relate directly to the previous posts but does fit under the description of this thread.

I have been testing a telecom mobile broadband usb device (sierra compass 885) at a rural location in north canterbury. The speeds I was getting were pretty poor (round .2 mega bits) and then I had the idea to try to boost the signal. I held the device at the end of a USB extension cable at the focal point of a disused sky dish. Even though the dish was not pointed toward the tower I saw the speed jump to 1.3 mega bits.

Anyone else have any tips on how to get better performance? I would like to try and connect the device but not sure how to connect the external aerial or mybe I should just strap the device onto the dish?

Another point someone may be able to provide some thought on... I was contacted by the sales rep shortly after purchasing this device and told not to use it for a few hours as a technician was 'tweaking' something on my account. The made it sound like this fiddling might improve my performance... is this something they can do at an individual account level? Is it realistic that I could connect and get slow speeds (as I did before trying the dish) and that they could adjust something on my account to result in higher speeds?
I never saw the result of this tinkering on my account as I have returned my device for a refund while I research my options further.

Oh, one other thing... :) has anyone noticed rain or fog / mist impacting on network speeds?

quickymart

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#229015 28-Jun-2009 20:15

I visit a rather remote part of the West Coast quite often. In this location, Vodafone has a full signal, CDMA has one bar, and XT appears to have absolutely nothing, despite all three cellsites being physically located next to each other. Vodafone 3G extended appears to be available there now, so I might give it a test next time I'm down there.

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johnr

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#229018 28-Jun-2009 20:25

quickymart: I visit a rather remote part of the West Coast quite often. In this location, Vodafone has a full signal, CDMA has one bar, and XT appears to have absolutely nothing, despite all three cellsites being physically located next to each other. Vodafone 3G extended appears to be available there now, so I might give it a test next time I'm down there.

Would be good to provide the area name West Coast is a large area

John

Indio

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#229026 28-Jun-2009 20:45

olmec: This does not relate directly to the previous posts but does fit under the description of this thread.
I have been testing a telecom mobile broadband usb device (sierra compass 885) at a rural location in north canterbury. The speeds I was getting were pretty poor (round .2 mega bits) and then I had the idea to try to boost the signal. I held the device at the end of a USB extension cable at the focal point of a disused sky dish. Even though the dish was not pointed toward the tower I saw the speed jump to 1.3 mega bits.
Anyone else have any tips on how to get better performance? I would like to try and connect the device but not sure how to connect the external aerial or mybe I should just strap the device onto the dish?
Another point someone may be able to provide some thought on... I was contacted by the sales rep shortly after purchasing this device and told not to use it for a few hours as a technician was 'tweaking' something on my account. The made it sound like this fiddling might improve my performance... is this something they can do at an individual account level? Is it realistic that I could connect and get slow speeds (as I did before trying the dish) and that they could adjust something on my account to result in higher speeds?
I never saw the result of this tinkering on my account as I have returned my device for a refund while I research my options further.
Oh, one other thing... :) has anyone noticed rain or fog / mist impacting on network speeds?

You will want to have a squiz at this website http://www.usbwifi.orconhosting.net.nz/

a bit dated but has lots of fun stuff..

quickymart

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#229050 28-Jun-2009 22:31

johnr: Would be good to provide the area name West Coast is a large area
John

The Grey Valley mostly. Doesn't seem to be any XT coverage past Blackball, until you get up near Reefton.

r0bbie

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#230593 3-Jul-2009 09:36

The traveling Ive done with my Nokia e71 is good but when it gets into any hilly areas - I have to use my cdma Nokia 6265 because my XT phone has no coverage

The call quality between XT phones is great nice and clear

We have a few Nokia e75s also but we are finding that we are getting lots of dropped calls in the office with full coverage?! weird

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