on 17-04-2023 01:15 PM
I have a relatively new Samsung phone on 3 network. Whenever I call a business phone number there is a lag in the phone/network responding so that the first few sounds that I make (first few letters or numbers) are not heard by the person at the other end of the call. Everything works fine when calling other mobile numbers.
I had wondered if it was a characteristic of my phone. But today I was talking with a British Gas agent and he said that the same thing happens to him, also on 3, with a different model of phone.
It is very frustrating to have to keep repeating myself because the network can't keep up.
Does anyone have an explanation and solution for this please?
2 weeks ago
I'm getting this lag - 3 or 4 seconds, when on some calls. Infuriating. Like calling Australia 40 years ago. Conversations have long gaps then we both speak at once. Happened multiple times now with different people. Never used to get it on EE but Three is so much more affordable. I'm using iPhone 16E fully up-to-date. Seems like signal is being "least-cost routed" circuitously and end user experience is suffering. Anybody else??
2 weeks ago
Hi there.
I'm not sure if these are the same issues based on the descriptions.
Maybe I'm wrong but it sounds like the original post describes an issue where the first part of certain things that are said are simply lost. It doesn't make it to the other side.
What I'm getting from your description is that you're experiencing long latency, where the audio is getting through but taking a long time, is that right?
Pete.
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2 weeks ago
Hi Pete,
Yes you are right but this thread seemed to be the only one where lag was discussed so I tagged along.
Any suggestions?
Steve
2 weeks ago
That's quite strange. Can you try testing some calls with different configurations? Some calls over Wifi calling (Use airplane mode and turn Wifi back on to force the Wifi call). Some calls over 4G with Wifi calling disabled in the settings, or Wifi turned off so there's no wifi connection. Some calls where you have Wifi calling on, but make the call normally, allowing the phone to choose how the call is made (I guess this would be the default set up).
Pete.
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2 weeks ago - last edited 2 weeks ago
No disrespect, Pete but this would be an impossible test-because it is an intermittent problem-I never know when I will have this issue and from what others have said (either here or on the Apple community forums), this happens mainly when phoning/receiving a call from someone with a VoIP. I never know if the person I am phoning or the person who phones me has a VoIP and so I can't test this out. When you carry out a test like this, you have to be in control of as many variables as possible. I can turn my wifi on and off, and my mobile data on/off, but I certainly can't control or predict what phone system the people I phone or who phone me, have.
2 weeks ago
I understand.
Instead then, it might need some longer term testing. If you could keep a log of calls where you notice the issue, the date time of the call, inbound or outbound, details of the issue (lag, degradation, etc). Once you have around 5 examples or so, come back with an update here. It would be a good idea to keep a log of the phone numbers for each impacted call you've made or received as well, as this might be useful down the line, please don't share the phone numbers here though, I'll reach out directly if I need those later.
Pete.
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2 weeks ago
Thanks, Pete. I'm more than happy to keep a log, as you suggest, with the required info. but in truth, I have had the same response from Three, as @Shah955 has had. On my last call with them, they also offered me a "get out of contract" free. The people who took my calls at Three had absolutely no idea that this was a "thing"-that *many* customers have been having this issue. My experience with Three has been so very different to my experience when I phone Apple, for example, who are able to say "we've had a number of customers experiencing this issue". However, when I speak to Three on the phone, they *never* make any reference to, or put me on hold to look into, whether other customers face the same issue. They seem to lack the technical knowledge and/or access to information that you would expect a "front line" team to have.
2 weeks ago
Three were absolutely useless with this. They couldn't help. In the end they agreed to terminate my contract at a heavily reduced rate. Moved over to 1p network, uses EE which is fantastic for me and roaming included. £10 a month for 50gb rolling contract. Works a treat!
2 weeks ago
Thanks for contributing, Shah! I, too, had the same offer from Three on my last call with them-to cancel my contract without penalty. I'm still with them, however, as I am not entirely certain which network provider I want to move to. Also, if the issue *is* with VoIP-would this mean that the same issue will occur with other networks? I simply can't understand why this is a problem for Three customers, but not for others, or is it for others, and we just don't know? I honestly don't know-but what I do know, is that either on this forum, or the Apple forum-*many* customers were reporting similar issues and a few said it tends to be when they speak to larger organisations who have VoIP phone systems. 🤔
