Using Vodafone's network

[TonyR1]

My Three phone signal strength has been getting worse and worse to the point it is unusable.   With Three I get zero or a maximum one bar (-120dBm).    The same mast runs Vodafone with which I get a full five bars.    Vodafone/Three keep saying we can use each other's networks but I've singularly failed to be able to use the Vodafone network on my Three phone.   I switched the phone to manual network select and selected Vodafone.   For a brief minute I had five bars of signal and a fast internet connection and then it died with no signal at all showing.   I guess Vodafone cut me off.   Does anyone know a way I can use the Vodafone signal on my Three SIMs (iPhone, iPad and home broadband router?)

[PeteG · Accepted solution]

Hello there. 

The ability to use Vodafone masts is a feature that's rolling out gradually. Those masts won't work any differently from Three masts when you're using it in an area where the feature has been enabled. You phone would simply pick the mast that is positioned to provide the best service. Since yours isn't doing that, I would assume the area isn't set up for it yet. 

Pete.

[TonyR1]

Thanks.   That was the understanding I was coming to too.   But what Three can’t tell me is when they expect to roll it out to my local mast.   They are very coy about it suggesting that it’s not going to be a fast roll out and probably not very extensive either.   I could switch to Vodafone but they want to charge 2.5x the Three price for the same service.  I’ll do it if I need to but would rather not pay the extra unnecessarily.

[JonathanB]

Hi @TonyR1,

We won't be able to confirm when a particular area is going to be covered, and it will take some time to complete this project of enabling all Three and Vodafone masts to share signal, but I'm not sure about any claim that this won't be extensive. The plan is to get every mast active for everyone regardless of which of our brands they use.

You can read more about this here.

Thanks,
Jonathan