Poor download speed in rural Suffolk

[DavidEl_2652456]

Fast broadband access in rural Suffolk remains a struggle. We switched from Three to Smarty because of the lack of a contract and cheaper price, and expected roughly the same performance as they use the same network. However, the download speed has dropped to below 5 Mbps and the signal strength on the router has gone from 5 to 1 or 2 bars. I've tried to get an answer for this drop in performance from Smarty support, but they seem to fail to understand the issue and make pointless suggestions. 

[RovingRaspberry]

This is the Smarty community forum, we are just customers, like you.

Have you checked the network status, to see if mast(s) near you have faults or are being repaired / upgraded ?

[MSF]

@DavidEl_2652456  My best guess is that Three customers get a better service for the simple reasons that a) Three owns the network and b) they pay more.

You say you moved for lack of tie-in to a contract and for price; the compromise may be that you get slower speeds and have a service that won't meet your needs.

What can you expect Smarty to say really? Something like: "Oh yes guv'nor, we have to tweak it down a bit for the money. Yer know mate, yer pays yer money, yer takes yer choice"  Wouldn't that be even more irritating?

[DavidEl_2652456]

Thanks for your comment. If Three had actually delivered a fast/reliable service, I'd have remained with them despite the contract and the price. The service delivered by Smarty is much worse than I'd expected given just the small reduction in the monthly price, and I think Smarty should be more transparent about the variability of their service, particularly in rural areas like ours. I'm now vaguely thinking about Musk's Starlink, although that will probably open an even bigger can of worms, and at a much bigger cost. 

[MSF]

@DavidEl_2652456  Hang on a minute!!!! If Three service wasn't that great, I can't see why you would expect Smarty to be any better; surely, at the very best, it could only equal it !

How can Smarty be 'transparent'? They don't know what service you get in your precise location and inside your home - that would be an impossible calculation. Don't forget that some people have signal reduction due to metal beams etc in theirproperpty.

The Coverage Checker is only  an approximate guide for given areas.

I do feel your pain, but this is a problem for rural areas, as you say. On the plus side, think of the benefits of living there! Also, I'm assuming that you can get reliable broadband - wouldn't that be better?

[DavidEl_2652456]

I wasn't expecting Smarty to be better, just much the same as Three (i.e., pretty bad) without the contract and at marginally less cost - and as a stop-gap until I could find a broadband solution that's better. Sadly, I haven't found it, hence I'm considering Starlink - or I suppose we could just wait until our tiny bit of Suffolk does get a solution at less exorbitant cost. And yes, living in Suffolk in all other respects is great! 

[MSF]

@DavidEl_2652456  I just had a look at Starlink and then had to go and grab the smelling salts !!! £299 for the hardware?!?!?! £75 per month for the service?!?!?!

Does Musk come and fit it all up for that price!!

I cn see that speeds for business are 40 - 220 Mbps (not exactly phenomenal), but they don't make it clear what speed residential service gets.

[DavidEl_2652456]

Yes, the price is a tad eye-watering. There was a £99 offer for rural users last year, but that was just for the hardware, so still £75 per month. Starlink are pushing their service to all & sundry, including airlines, and American Airlines are fitting it to all their fleet, so it's going to get very congested. 

[RovingRaspberry]

Why stay with a network, Three, and its wholly owned sub brand, Smarty, if, in your words, they are "pretty bad" ?

Surely, you should be trying EE, O2, Vodafone and their sub brands and MVNO's ?