Bad coverage inside Westfield Queensgate in Lower Hutt

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robsonde

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Topic # 29237 30-Dec-2008 11:13

I have found a black spot, no coverage at all.
this spot is one end of the westfield mall in lower hutt.

there are three vodafone sellers in the mall, none of them seem to care, they have good service in the shop.

we are not talking about lack of 3G we are talking "NO SERVICE"

the mall managment told me to talk to vodafone.
vodafone tell me that its in a building so nothing they can do.

I like to shop a the mall, I need to have cellphone coverage for my work.

your thoughts??

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Reply # 186650 30-Dec-2008 11:25

How often do you go stand in this spot with no coverage

sbiddle

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Reply # 186655 30-Dec-2008 11:57

This is well known..

Coverage inside the mall has been terrible since Vodafone changed the sectorisation of the site when they installed their 3G gear a few years ago. Now none of the 3 sectors of the site (which is located above Noel Leeming across the road) actually face the mall. Coverage in the bottom floor at the Woolworths end (incl Woolworths) is either non existant or 1 signal bar. It's not just 3G coverage - there is no GSM either.

It was rather ironic that when Vodafone launched their 3G network they had a promo stand where you could play with the phones. They had to relocate this from it's original location to upstairs since none of the phones worked!

andrewcnz

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Reply # 186664 30-Dec-2008 12:59

Surly issues like this can be easily fixed as there is a site across the road. Can you not adjust the panels on the site or add one to provide a stronger signal. Why are malls and shopping centres not well covered by vodafone? Lots of people go there to shop should be important to them provide a good service. Bet the voda shops have micro cells.

robsonde

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Reply # 186665 30-Dec-2008 13:07

johnr: How often do you go stand in this spot with no coverage

its not a spot so much as 10% of the mall.

BrentR

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Reply # 186698 30-Dec-2008 17:05

Really.... 10% you say...... That seems odd, the only place I get NO coverage is in Woolworths, while everywhere else downstairs at that end of the mall is marginal, its still enough to hold and receive a call.

ajw

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Reply # 186700 30-Dec-2008 17:27

Have advised Vodafone on numerous occasions concerning bad coverage in Queensgate. Including spotty GSM 900 coverage.
Due to the high amount of pedestrian traffic that goes through this mall you would have thought Vodafone would have done something to improve it.

robsonde

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Reply # 186722 30-Dec-2008 19:02

Jeffthechef: Really.... 10% you say...... That seems odd, the only place I get NO coverage is in Woolworths, while everywhere else downstairs at that end of the mall is marginal, its still enough to hold and receive a call.

from national bank draw a line accross to the wendys.
and up one level , in much of that food court, nandos.

maddygp

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Reply # 186750 30-Dec-2008 22:07

johnr: How often do you go stand in this spot with no coverage

It's definitely not just a "spot" but a significant part of the shopping mall, and has been like this for ages. Zero coverage we're talking (or not!). Vodafone please sort this out soon for your customers and get some coverage in there - either with or without involvement from the mall owner.

johnr

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Reply # 186753 30-Dec-2008 22:27

maddygp:
johnr: How often do you go stand in this spot with no coverage

It's definitely not just a "spot" but a significant part of the shopping mall, and has been like this for ages. Zero coverage we're talking (or not!). Vodafone please sort this out soon for your customers and get some coverage in there - either with or without involvement from the mall owner.

its not quite that simple hardware would have to be installed in the mall and you think any carrier can do this without permission from the building owner. How many cell sites have you deployed?

johnr

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Reply # 186754 30-Dec-2008 22:32

Im not going to be drawn into a debate about this its not as simple as moving panels on excisting hardware alot of work and money would need to be done. Its a blackspot in the area of the mall this is where section 3 comes into the t &c's.

robsonde

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Reply # 186805 31-Dec-2008 11:59

johnr: Im not going to be drawn into a debate about this its not as simple as moving panels on excisting hardware alot of work and money would need to be done. Its a blackspot in the area of the mall this is where section 3 comes into the t &c's.

I am not trying to say that Vodafone have a legal requirment to give me service any place i ask.
if there was a dead spot in the barthroom of the lower basemenet then i dont expect anyone to care.

my point is that this is a good chunk of the largest mall in lower north island.

I am sure that there is a way a "filler" (or what ever they are called) site can be setup.

brentbart

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Reply # 186808 31-Dec-2008 12:39

Just one of many reasons to steer clear of the Hutt

robsonde

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Reply # 186850 31-Dec-2008 17:57

brentbart: Just one of many reasons to steer clear of the Hutt

nothing wrong with the hutt......

richms

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Reply # 186959 2-Jan-2009 01:30

Downstairs at the glenfield mall has being dire for vodafone for years - step into countdown - no signal, half of the foodtown has no signal, step into any of the shops downstairs - no signal.

Funnily enough when shopping at countdown last time I saw that no service has being replaced with sos calls only - same as I get in the middle of the road up at highbury often, and thats on a GSM handset to totally ignoring telecoms hopeful coverage in the area too.

Really its inexcusable for such a large public area to have no service from the company that likes to advertise falsely about their massive coverage.

Funilly enough there is supurb 3g coverage in the vodafone shop, and as you go away from it, it gets worse and worse...

Richard rich.ms

Loftus

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Reply # 186967 2-Jan-2009 08:36

I understand that Voda have installed mini-repeaters at Voda-affiliated shops in several malls, as without cellular coverage it is understandably harder to sell the service to the punters.
I don't believe TNZ has as many "shop-level" repeaters, as they prefer to try to cover as much of a shopping mall as possible, albeit at greater expense.
I would keep complaining to the mall management, rather than Voda directly - as Voda will probably take much more notice of an eventual request from the mall business, and it makes the installation of a system easier if the owner is already on board.
Good luck.

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