Orange bundles mobile broadband with Eee PC

[Gary]

Looks like Orange are really getting desperate these days.
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/communications/0,1000000085,39452062,00.htm

[Inactive]

Orange lost it's way a long time ago, it should never have got involved with broadband IMO.

It's turned in to a lemon..

[Rik]

No way does anyone get me to sign up to a 2-year contract. 

[Gary]

No way does anyone get me to sign up to a 2-year contract. 

Let alone with a lemon like Orange  I looked on the orange problems web site last night, even their LLU service seems to only offer speeds of 800kbs down and maybe 200mbs up for many, the system is so over subscribed its untrue, leaving their mobile and ISP offerings was the best thing I ever did, which is sad as a mobile user I was with them from the beginning and they were the major innovators at the time, first to have caller ID etc, things we take for granted now.

[Rik]

I'm still with Orange for my mobile, and to be fair, they have provided me with a good service. As you say, they were the company that really shaped the market into what it is now (though their best period was when they were Hutchinson). ADSL, otoh, is another story entirely.

[Gary]

I'm still with Orange for my mobile, and to be fair, they have provided me with a good service. As you say, they were the company that really shaped the market into what it is now (though their best period was when they were Hutchinson). ADSL, otoh, is another story entirely.

I agree the hutchinson years were the best, for me there tarrifs were not competitive enough, and when they launced the BB scheme it took me two weeks to get through to them once, at that time I lost confidence sadly, and when I went to a sim only contract with them I was shoved to a offshore help centre, who knew nothing about what tariffs I was on or could be on, let alone understand me, yet I was still paying them £25 a month for a rolling one month contract, obviously not good enough, they want you for 18mths with a new handset every time, then they take more interest

[Inactive]

(though their best period was when they were Hutchinson).

Agreed Rik, that was when they lost their way, anyway they still cannot provide a useable signal around here, nor can O2, so neither are any good for me.

Only T Mobile ( Virgin ) gives a good signal at my location, with Vodaphone giving a reasonable signal.

[Gary]

I love the way they all say yes we provide coverage in your area, until you actually get indoors and your mobile is useless, Vodafone and O2 signals actually penetrate walls better, as long as you have a reasonable signal of course, compared with Orange and T-mobile, its because the latter run at 1800mhz its like bass and treble, you only here the lower tones from a car going buy, or neighbours music inside your home because lower frequencies pass through dense material better, O2 and Vodafone both operate at 900mhz.

[Rik]

I thought that Vodafone and O² now worked at both frequencies, Gary?

[talos2]

I have an Orange phone, been using it for years without problems, thats why I didn't mind when my Freeserve went to Orange, but that was the start of the rot, I had 3 years of internet hell, I was lied to ,made to feel an idiot and charged a lot of money for a service I didn't get.  I wouldn't go to Orange if they paid me now.

[Rik]

They've probably got a deal which claims to do just that, Bob.

[Gary]

I thought that Vodafone and O² now worked at both frequencies, Gary?

If they use 3G and in some places like London they do to help boost coverage, but all normal transmitters and non 3g phones use the lower frequency, Rik. O2 have plans to operate 3g at 900mhz for better coverage as do Vodafone

[Rik]

Thanks for that, Gary. 

[Inactive]

O2 have plans to operate 3g at 900mhz for better coverage as do Vodafone

Tell them not to hurry themselves, I have never got a signal with them, going back to BT Cellnet days.

[Rik]

But the maps all look the same... 

[Inactive]

Indeed Rik...fibbing buggers.

[Rik]

It's plain ridiculous that, in an island the size of Britain, you really need a couple of telcos if you want coverage over a wide area. Last time I was in Norfolk, Orange was useless, only Vodafone got a signal. In parts of Scotland, Orange is fine and Vodafone rubbish. They really should get their acts together.

[Inactive]

Totally agree Rik, I have never knowingly been anywhere in Spain and not got a good signal on my Moviestar Mobile, even with the rugged terrain, another case of " Rip Off Britain ".

[Noreen]

My cousin who lives in a village near Shrewsbury in Wiltshire can seldom get a mobile signal at home. She can't get "Five" on TV and any digital radio or TV either.

[Gary]

Tell them not to hurry themselves, I have never got a signal with them, going back to BT Cellnet days.

Well I have a great signal In and do all where my limited travel takes me, around here T-mobile is the one you cant get a signal with, that's geography for you  but t mobile say you can get great coverage, its all the same, just a different name giving you the runaround

[Rik]

My cousin who lives in a village near Shrewsbury in Wiltshire can seldom get a mobile signal at home. She can't get "Five" on TV and any digital radio or TV either.

It's daft, isn't it, Noreen. We can't get digital terrestrial TV where we are, and are limited in the number of DAB channels, yet we live in a reasonably large conurbation. Ofcom fails again.

[Gary]

My cousin who lives in a village near Shrewsbury in Wiltshire can seldom get a mobile signal at home. She can't get "Five" on TV and any digital radio or TV either.

We cant get "Five" here as it interferes with french TV so We get it through sky, freeview is ok but 10 miles down the road where we aim to move back to, its awful

[Noreen]

Well, presumably all the digital radio and TV broadcast problems will have to be sorted out soon, meanwhile there is "Freesat". http://www.freesat.co.uk/index.php?page=features.Main

[Rik]

With us Noreen, they say that DTT will become available when analogue is turned off. Great planning guys! 

[Sebby]

This is like AOL and the free laptop all over again.

[Simon]

With us Noreen, they say that DTT will become available when analogue is turned off. Great planning guys! 

It's the same here, but parts of the town can get DTT, and others can't.  Luckily, the bit I'm in can get it, otherwise I wouldn't have bought the place!

[Gary]

This is like AOL and the free laptop all over again.

Its a shame AOL cant post you laptops, like that monumental cd advertising campaign of a few years back

[Rik]

Ain't no such thing as a free notebook.

[Gary]

Ain't no such thing as a free notebook.

or a free pizza with pastrami as a treat either

[Rik]

Cruel, Gary, cruel.

[Sebby]

Ain't no such thing as a free notebook.

You're right there.

[Inactive]

I am in a " No Freeview " location, yet I can get it from 2 different transmitters.

[Sebby]

Show off.

[Rik]

I am in a " No Freeview " location, yet I can get it from 2 different transmitters.

Ah, the map must have been drawn by Vodafone then.

[Inactive]

  or O2 in my case. .. 

This is the best predictor of Freeview Reception, for anyone needing information;

http://www.wolfbane.com/cgi-bin/tvd.exe?

Note the transmitter that is used for analogue reception, may not be the most suitable one for Freeview at your location.

[Rik]

Nice link, In. 

[Gary]

or O2 in my case. .. 

This is the best predictor of Freeview Reception, for anyone needing information;

http://www.wolfbane.com/cgi-bin/tvd.exe?

Note the transmitter that is used for analogue reception, may not be the most suitable one for Freeview at your location.

Are not Analogue transmitters being shut down, and also since they are analogue they don't transmit digital freeview signals, or am I missing something

[Gary]

Ah, the map must have been drawn by Vodafone then.

T-mobile in my case drew the map, shame as they have great plans but really bad reception  around here, the type you get 1 bar on a window sill if you are lucky, but they are second smallest of the providers with 3 coming last *shudders* so I am sure they will get there, T-mobile have the best mobile net packages around, I still remember them being one2one

[Inactive]

Are not Analogue transmitters being shut down, and also since they are analogue they don't transmit digital freeview signals, or am I missing something

Yes they are being closed down, one in the NE has already closed.

They .. at present ..are used for analogue and digital, albeit the digital is on reduced power, this will be upped to full power on close down of analogue.

The last area to close analogue is due in 2012.

[Gary]

Our area is a 2012 area In, hope they get the freeview sorted, its very patchy around here, hence sky, freesat does not offer that much yet as far as HD, or a pvr but I'll be keeping an eye on it, anything to ditch murdoch, but I do like my sky movies and History channel, nat geo etc in HD, sky have quiet a lot of HD channels now, its just its sky though

[Inactive]

I agree with you there Gary, I despise Murdoch and will never pay the man a penny piece, fortunately " Freesat " is now with us, so HD for free at last, albeit a limited amount.

So.. to Murdoch.

[Gary]

I agree with you there Gary, I despise Murdoch and will never pay the man a penny piece, fortunately " Freesat " is now with us, so HD for free at last, albeit a limited amount.

So.. to Murdoch.

Only reason I have Sky, In is I can't get out much, been out once in last six weeks and that was agony as well, its better than having normal freeview for me, for now