No network ever

[Stepheng1968]

I’ve been with smarty for 3 months now and I get zero service or 1 bar which is no good to me. Today I have a satellite sign and an sos as my signal has any one any idea what that’s about. I’ve never had such a poor service as I have with smarty. 

[Chalkychap]

Has this been the case since you joined SMARTY 3-months ago, @Stepheng1968? 

Is this happening everywhere you use the SMARTY SIM?

[MSF]

@Stepheng1968  First things you need to check are Coverage in your area and also Network Status. This will show if a) you can reasonably expect a signal in your area generally and b) whether a local mast is down.

[Stepheng1968]

I doubt a mast had been down for 3 months. How do I check that 

[Chalkychap]

I had a 12+ month issue that affected the cell tower in my area, @Stepheng1968. 

Potentially, local work related to the Three UK 3G network infrastructure switch-off project might last for 3-4 months, in some places.

[Stepheng1968]

According to smarty I should have 4g and 5g in my area. 

[Chalkychap · Accepted solution]

Okay @Stepheng1968, if SMARTY say you got 4G and 5G, but you don't - perhaps it's time to switch to another service provider.

[Stepheng1968]

That’s exactly what I’m going to do. I’ve got 150gb and I’m 14 days I’ve only used 2gb. That should have been a warning that I’m not getting data or it would have been more than that. I average 50gb a month. 

[MSF]

@Stepheng1968  Try https://smarty.co.uk/network-status-checker

[Stepheng1968]

Done thanks and all good according to them. 

[JJP2RidesAgain]

Good advice from @MSF & @Chalkychap 

If you do switch networks @Stepheng1968 Don’t switch to Three, as that’s the parent network of Smarty, so you would be in exactly the same boat you are in now. 

Not that it should make a difference, but what phone are you using ?

BTW, the satellite SOS signal means no signal & connectivity with the exception of emergency calls.

[Stepheng1968]

Hi JJ thanks. That’s how bad it has been that I’m getting sos only. It’s an iPhone 15pro max. 

[JJP2RidesAgain]

Did you check the network status checker, as mentioned by @MSF ?

Are you experiencing this problem everywhere you go, or only in one location or certain locations ?

Network Status Checker :

https://smarty.co.uk/network-status-checker 

[onthwagon]

the network status checker sucks!

it said all good but i only get no network not even 2G and none of 4G and 5G as promoted.

[MSF]

@onthwagon That is a general indication for your postcode and not specific for exactly where you are.

[JJP2RidesAgain]

You definitely won’t get 2G, as THREE, the parent company of Smarty, was the first 3G network in the UK, hence the name, and has never ever had a 2G network. You can’t get what’s never existed on THREE. 

It looks like you need to move networks. Try Voxi, which is an MVNO on Vodafone. Or GiffGaff, an MVNO on O2.

If you decide to try Voxi, send me a private message and I can give you my referral code, which gets us both a gift voucher of our choosing.

[MSF]

@JJP2RidesAgain  So nice that Voxi changed their original policy of only selling to the under-30's!🤡🤡 Not as if it was a discriminatory act!!!

[JJP2RidesAgain]

If I Recall Correctly, originally you had to be 24 or younger 🤨

Phones with a Voxi SIM in do not even say “Voxi” as the network, it’s always “Vodafone”

Voxi is basically a rebranded Vodafone PAYG service, with monthly payments with no long term contract.

[MSF]

@JJP2RidesAgain  They very graciously opened up to the over 30's in April 2019.

Equally graciously, I declined to join them on a point of principle.

[JJP2RidesAgain]

I use them on a point of principle too :

With me here in the UK, and Linda in the USA until I move over within the next twelve months, if ever I ring Linda when in the car etc, it’s only 1p per minute for a transatlantic call to mobiles and landlines, the two can’t be differentiated anyway, as mobile numbers have the same pool of area codes as landlines.

Only network I know that beats 1p per minute for a transatlantic call is “Tello”, my American MVNO, which offers free calls to 60 countries, including the UK and various Hispanic countries.

Their plans are cheap too - I pay $6 a month for 100 minutes, unlimited text and 1 GB data when in the UK, and change the plan as required when in the USA. This allowance rolls over each month too.

With minutes (if you have a plan that does not have unlimited minutes), and data rollover, this 4 year old network offers some great deals. If they ever came to the UK, they could shake up the market, if they offered the same packages they do in the USA.