It seems to be much better now (bar the usual problem areas I deal with on a daily basis...), but I've come up with a long-term solution...'Telecom (3G)' is showing up on a Carrier search on my iPhone :D
simon14: What is half rate and how does it being turned to full rate affect me and my family?
Cheers.
Well, for one, you will be able to hear your family clearly. Mobile phones use codecs, which are basically the same as the codecs you use on your computers for music files. For example you can rip CDROM's at different qualitys, which create different file sizes.
The half rate GSM codec uses half the bandwidth of the normal GSM codec, so it's harder to make out what people are saying when on a call using a half rate codec, think about spelling your name over a mobile and landline. This is the different, call clarity.
Also the half rate codec has other problems, such as simply crashing if it gets bad data, so thats why when your talking on the phone in bad coverage you end up with a call with silence, but the call remains connected. This is the codec giving up. The full rate codec deals with this a lot better.
The reason mobile providers use half rate codecs is it effectively allows them to carry twice the voice traffic, if your network is overloaded and you can't afford to put in more cell sites and backhaul, or don't have enough spectrum, you can double your call loading by halving the quality of calls. :-)
I suspect Vodafone had problems with network overloading, freaked out and turned on half rate codecs, took a breath, did some engineering to get more bandwidth etc in their network, and (after probably many compaints about call quality hehe :-) turned it back off.
This, of course is all speculation as I neither work for Vodafone, or are a radio engineer. :-)
Tyler - Parnell Geek - iPhone 3G - Lenovo X301 - Kaseya - Great Western Steak House, these are some of my favourite things.
Vodafone must have installed many more cell sites to offer this now, plus with all the new services such as family, best mate and athome... must be using a lot more resources relative to 2 years ago.
simon14: I see, so now all calls are on full rate?
Vodafone must have installed many more cell sites to offer this now, plus with all the new services such as family, best mate and athome... must be using a lot more resources relative to 2 years ago.
I'm not sure how to tell on my iPhone if calls are full or half rate, freitasm said that calls were now full rate, and he knows people :-) I The way I tell if when I phone 777, it sounds a lot better, before it was too loud, and was popping the speaker, and the sound was all out of wack.
I don't know if they needed to install more cell sites, or if the backhaul between the cell sites was overloaded because of too many vodems, or it was something else.
I would love to know, if we get lucky, some Vodafone geek will give us some insights :-)
Tyler - Parnell Geek - iPhone 3G - Lenovo X301 - Kaseya - Great Western Steak House, these are some of my favourite things.
simon14: I see, so now all calls are on full rate?
Vodafone must have installed many more cell sites to offer this now, plus with all the new services such as family, best mate and athome... must be using?a lot more resources relative to 2 years ago.
I'm not sure how to tell on my iPhone if calls are full or half rate, freitasm said that calls were now full rate, and he knows people :-) I The way I tell if when I phone 777, it sounds a lot better, before it was too loud, and was popping the speaker, and the sound was all out of wack.
I don't know if they needed to install more cell sites, or if the backhaul between the cell sites was overloaded because of too many vodems, or it was something else.
I would love to know, if we get lucky, some Vodafone geek will give us some insights :-)
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