O2 Problem Leaves Users On 2G Service

O2 customers across the whole of the UK have been left unable to make calls, send texts or use mobile data services since yesterday afternoon, following a major outage.

O2 engineers have worked through the night to identify and fix the problem, which affects some O2 customers but not all of them. So far they have said was caused by a “fault with one of our network systems, which has meant some mobile phone numbers are not registering correctly with our network.”

However the issue appears not to have been resolved, with many customers voicing their frustration at the O2 problem on social networks such as Twitter.

Fully functioning 2G network

As of 8:00 this morning, O2 said that 2G services had now been resolved, with many users saying that turning 3G support on and off on their device allowed them to receive a signal.

“We can confirm that our 2G network service has now been restored. Customers who were affected should now be able to make and receive calls,” said O2 this morning. “Our 3G service is starting to restore and customers should expect to see a gradual return of data services as the day progresses.”

“Customers affected may wish to try switching their mobile phones off and on as service returns,” it added. ““We are sorry again for the inconvenience this has caused some customers and can provide reassurance that we continue to deploy all possible resources, and will do so until full service is restored.”

Fellow O2 customers, mine is working if you turn off 3G. Here to help

— OC (@OC) July 12, 2012

Day two without phone reception. The quiet is disconcerting now. What if there’s an emergency? I haven’t used a phone box since 1998. #O2
— Gareth Malone OBE (@GarethMalone) July 12, 2012

The problem, which has also affected MVNOs such as Tesco Mobile which use O2’s network, appears not to discriminate by location, with users across the country being affected. Others have reported no problems at all with their service.

The problem was first identified yesterday afternoon with O2 reporting, “We’re currently seeing a problem on our network affecting some of our customers. As a result, you may have difficulty making or receiving calls, sending texts or using data. Our engineers are dealing with the problem as a priority and we hope to restore full service as soon as possible.”

O2 problem still going

No timeframe has been given for the full restoration of service, but O2 says it has “deployed all possible resources” to fix the problem.

In May last year O2’s network was affected by outages in East London, North London, Kent and Sussex following theft and vandalism, with the operator adding it would not be compensating users for the inconvinenence, but working with the police instead.

Just one month later, another outage occurred, leaving users in parts of East London and Esssex without coverage for a period, although the problem was fixed within an hour.

O2’s parent company Telefonica announced earlier this month it had agreed a deal with Vodafone to pool together basic network infrastructure to create a national grid of 18,500 sites to provide wider coverage of 4G when it arrives. The two partners will create a joint-venture company, assuming responsibility for one half of the country each.

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