This is a question we find more and more customers asking as we move through 2024, and no doubt will continue to be asked in 2025. Let’s start by looking at some of the main reasons your Vodafone signal might be bad;
- Vodafone’s 3G network is being switched off
- A 5G handset is needed to take advantage of their 5G rollout
- Suresignal has been discontinued
Vodafone Switching Off 3G & Merging with Three
One of the main reasons people ask us why their Vodafone signal is so poor lately is because Vodafone are switching off one of their three main channels. So with such a large area of their network being turned off, it’s not surprising Vodafone customers have been complaining about poorer network coverage, this 3G switch off will continue to affect customers until they fully replace it with 5G in all areas.
Traditionally Vodafone uses one channel for voice, one channel for 4G and one channel for 3G. The voice channel will only carry voice and works across the 900MHz frequency, the 4G channel will carry voice and data across the 800MHz frequency, as it is a low frequency it will not carry heavy loads of data, but does have faster upload and download speeds. The main Vodafone channel for the last two decades, for data and voice, has been the 2100MHz, 3G channel.
This Vodafone 3G channel has been switched off in many areas and may be causing the deterioration of Vodafone signal for many customers. The 3G network will be fully switched off by all UK networks by 2033, with Vodafone expected to have fully 3G switched off by the end of 2025. This move to 5G has the effect of reducing coverage across the UK for Vodafone customers in general.
The second reason your Vodafone signal may be poor over the last 3 months is that the merger with Three means that the overall organisation will now share towers and base stations across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Where once a Vodafone tower on the south of a village was the closest tower feeding your signal at home, that may be switched off and a Three tower 2 miles away in the north of the base station may now be the preferred location for the Vodafone cell, this increase of distance between the old Vodafone cell and the new one is enough to reduce Vodafone signal and may cause you to experience a weaker Vodafone signal then previous.
5G Compatible Devices
If you are using a traditional handset with 3G and 4G as the main networks being used by the software, you may need to upgrade the software or the handset itself to a 5G compatible handset. The 5G network is still being rolled out, but you will need a 5G compatible handset and in some cases a 5G data subscription to be able to avail of 5G in your area.
Sure Signal Is No Longer Available
Suresignal has been switched off. The small Vodafone only boosters that were sold or given away free by Vodafone have now been discontinued, any apartment or small homes that had these plugged in may now see a dramatic reduction in the signal and will need to replace the Sure Signal Booster with a new Vodafone signal booster, ideally one covering not just Vodafone but all UK networks.
The number of complaints about Vodafone has seen an increase in the last year, and the network, while having improved for some customers, has definitely seen a negative effect for others that previously had good Vodafone signal. If you have been affected you can contact Mobile Signal Solutions to find a way to improve Vodafone signal.
Please feel free to contact our Mobile Signal Solutions team of engineers with all enquiries, we are happy to help.
