Vodafone does deal with EMT to improve onboard mobile coverage

[jon0844]

http://www.mobiletoday.co.uk/News/22998/Vodafone_inks_deal_with_East_Midland_Trains.aspx

Vodafone has signed a partnership deal with East Midland Trains which will see the operator provide mobile phone signal boosters on a fleet of 27 trains to strengthen mobile phone coverage for passengers.

 

[fgwrich]

Off topic rant (Shame Vodafone can't be bothered to provide me with a decent deal for a such a lack of signal here in Basingstoke then! )

By on a 'fleet of 27 trains', i presume this is only being fitted to the 222s then?

 

[Yew]

By on a 'fleet of 27 trains', i presume this is only being fitted to the 222s then?

I imagine, they have a coating on the windows that reduces signal, so the chances are these boosters will increase signal to a level comparable with their HST's

 

[MCR247]

Yes, mobile phone signal is shocking on 222s

 

[fgwrich]

I imagine, they have a coating on the windows that reduces signal, so the chances are these boosters will increase signal to a level comparable with their HST's

Mind you, they are steel bodies too. So essentially they are the farady cage of trains, with film on the window and steel bodies.

 

[brianthegiant]

thats very good news,
you were lucky to get a data connection anywhere from NOT-STP in a 222.

 

[ommerson]

EMT's wifi is clearly backhauled *only* onto GSM/Edge/3G Data - the availability of an internet connection on their (paid for) Wifi service is roughly the same as with using a mobile phone in the carriage - only you're not sharing the connection with the rest of the train when using your own phone. That is to say that it's really, really patchy anywhere outside of major conurbations.

 

[Rick1984]

When I was in a pendelino the other day it said it had improved mobile reception but I still couldn't get a signal?

 

[Goatboy]

Have XC done something similar with the 22x's? I noticed about 6 months ago that suddenly my phone was actually useable where in the past it was a black hole of coverage.

 

[Tomonthetrain]

Have XC done something similar with the 22x's? I noticed about 6 months ago that suddenly my phone was actually useable where in the past it was a black hole of coverage.

Either that or your POC has improved signal coverage on route

POC being phone operating company

 

[Goatboy]

It was definately Voyager specific because the same trip on an HST was never an issue.

 

[fgwrich]

It was definately Voyager specific because the same trip on an HST was never an issue.

As i said, it's down to the Steel body producing a faraday cage effect on the signals - had the same problem yesterday on a 220 heading up to Reading - in the end, i found the best solution was to press my andriod to the window when sending texts.

 

[Goatboy]

My point is that this no longer seems to be a problem on XC 22x's. I was just wondering what they did to fix it.

I get excellent coverage irrespective of network anywhere on a Voyager now. Previously I got virtually none - even in the middle of Temple Meads.