Does anyone else experience phone problems in GF lounge?
Dec 10, 2017, 5:29 am
#16
Join Date: Dec 2013
Programs: QRPC Platinum, KFEG
Posts: 999
You need to be next to a mobile phone tower to actually use it, useless in doors. Friends visiting using roaming network bandwidth have better reception.
Dec 10, 2017, 5:33 am
#17
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Usually LAX or SFO but sometimes MIA in the winter or LCY or PVK in the summer and every now and then SIN or SGN
Programs: in ASM, APL & C++ but never Java
Posts: 159
Ditto. I've been in GF twice this week (including right now) and my iPhone on EE doesn't work. Just get fast busy when trying to make a call.
Dec 10, 2017, 6:54 am
#18
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Canary Wharf, London
Programs: MyWaitrose, IC Spire Ambassador, Hilton Diamond & BAEC Gold
Posts: 2,685
Your phone may be showing 4G reception but if you aren't using VoLTE it will switch to 3G for calls which may not be as good.
Anyway, fewer calls in the lounge sounds like an enhancement to me.
Don't you miss 4G data when roaming? You should check out EE or Vodafone.
Anyway, fewer calls in the lounge sounds like an enhancement to me.
Don't you miss 4G data when roaming? You should check out EE or Vodafone.
Dec 10, 2017, 7:30 am
#19
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: North East
Programs: Hilton HHonors, BAEC Silver
Posts: 1,204
I've noticed this busy network problem on many occasions, but I haven't found it specific to areas in T5. I have always put it down to shear volume of people using mobile networks in a specific surface area. Often data and call features drop out at football matches, the end of the GNR, and NYE events in city centres. With the amount of people descending at LHR at any one time wanting to make use of technology, it doesn't surprise me in the least.
Dec 10, 2017, 10:12 am
#20
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: From ORK, live LCY
Programs: BA Silver, EI Silver, HH Gold, BW Gold, ABP, Seigneur des Horaires des Mucci
Posts: 14,209
I just use the WiFi – most networks will route voice calls over an available WiFi network nowadays in the absence of cellular coverage, if you have a compatible smartphone.
Dec 10, 2017, 4:11 pm
#21
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Edinburgh
Programs: BA Gold, Accor Silver, Flying Blue Zilch, East Coast Rewards Lots&lots, Miles & More nada
Posts: 288
Experienced just this today, with my 3 Mifi device. I also overheard others complain of inability to make calls, and I struggled to make a call using an EE sim today. I had put it down to the load on the networks at T5 due to today's weather problems but others posts in this thread are making me wonder if there's another cause.
Dec 11, 2017, 12:39 am
#22
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Dorset, UK
Programs: BA GGL
Posts: 635
I've had a fair deal of problems in T5 in general, not just in the lounge complex, on Vodafone. Nowhere near as bad as trying to use my phone at HKG, that seems near impossible the moment you step out of the building on/off an aircraft...
Dec 11, 2017, 1:29 am
#23
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: West Sussex
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 897
I'm with Three and have no issues whatsoever at T5. In fact I often defer back to my data as the wifi is so poor at times in the lounges.
Maybe it's the handset. FWIW I have an iPhone X (previously iPhone 7 Plus)
Dec 11, 2017, 2:00 am
#24
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: GLA
Programs: BAEC: Silver. Nothing else as TopCashBack trumps all hotel programs
Posts: 801
It's down to volume of people in a given area. Happens at music fesivals, concerts, and even Manhatten / Tokyo. There is no "problem" other than our phone network technology can't handle that may phones in a given cell.
Dec 11, 2017, 2:41 am
#25
Fontaine d'honneur du Flyertalk
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Morbihan, France
Programs: Reine des Muccis de Pucci; Foreign Elitist (according to others)
Posts: 19,174
Thats exactly right. I was in London when the bombs went off on 7/7. The police appealed for people to stay off their phones to leave the system free for the rescue services.
Dec 11, 2017, 3:00 am
#26
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: London
Programs: Mucci. Nothing else matters.
Posts: 38,644
On 7/7, I think that something else was also in play. AIUI, the phone networks have the ability to degrade the service selectively, so that ordinary subscribers may for example lose the ability to do some things (eg call) but may be allowed to keep the ability to text. This keeps the network capacity available for emergency services and the like to use. IIRC, that was brought into use on 7/7, which was the kind of event for which it was designed.
Dec 11, 2017, 3:10 am
#27
Join Date: May 2003
Location: TLL
Programs: OZ Diamond, BA Gold, Bonvoy Ambassador, HH Gold
Posts: 4,412
I am on Vodafone (roaming from Greece) and always find in GF I have to actually put the phope in airplane mode to get the wifi to work. Always happens to me. iPhone 6 plus, if that makes a difference.
Dec 11, 2017, 6:02 am
#28
Fontaine d'honneur du Flyertalk
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Morbihan, France
Programs: Reine des Muccis de Pucci; Foreign Elitist (according to others)
Posts: 19,174
My biggest problem with telephone usage in this Lounge in particular is not the network but the asses braying on their phones. They may think that the world should be in awe of their power and majesty when blathering to their secretaries or whomever. I am just grateful that I do not have to work with or for them. I was present when one gentleman clearly irritated with Ms BusinessWoman seated some way away but with a voice that would warn shipping in fog. I will never know whether it was him going over to her while she cackled at her own wit, and apologised for stumbling into her office or boudoir, or my laughing out loud. She rewarded us both with a glare more baleful than I can muste, and stormed off forgetting that she was charging and her phone flew out of her hand. You couldn't have made it up. Instant Karma had struck.
Dec 11, 2017, 9:44 am
#29
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold, Avis Presidents Club
Posts: 357
FWIW - there's a big difference between capacity and coverage for mobile networks.
You can have a great signal (4 bars etc) but still not be able to use data or make calls, if the cell (or the "backhaul" connection to the core network) is saturated. Further complicated by whatever antenna system Heathrow uses for its indoor coverage, which is (a) probably hooked back to a single base-station for each network, with limited capacity, and (b) may not work with all the frequency bands your phone uses.
I'd agree with people suggesting trying to use WiFi + Skype/SkypeOut, WhatsApp voice and also FaceTime Audio on iPhones (plus a cast of 100s of other apps like Wire, Viber, FB Messenger & more). You might also get some luck by switching on WiFi Calling if your phone supports it
You can have a great signal (4 bars etc) but still not be able to use data or make calls, if the cell (or the "backhaul" connection to the core network) is saturated. Further complicated by whatever antenna system Heathrow uses for its indoor coverage, which is (a) probably hooked back to a single base-station for each network, with limited capacity, and (b) may not work with all the frequency bands your phone uses.
I'd agree with people suggesting trying to use WiFi + Skype/SkypeOut, WhatsApp voice and also FaceTime Audio on iPhones (plus a cast of 100s of other apps like Wire, Viber, FB Messenger & more). You might also get some luck by switching on WiFi Calling if your phone supports it
Dec 13, 2017, 4:21 pm
#30
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: UK
Programs: BAEC GGL, HHonors Diamond, IHG Uninspired, Marriott Bonvoy Titanium, UK AMEX Plat
Posts: 2,152
I find EE to be really bad for this, but mostly just in the lounge area. I'll be in T5 checkin area and have no problems, head through to T5 GF and suddenly texts won't send and I can't make calls. Leave, walk out towards the B/C shuttles, and suddenly get loads of texts and missed calls through. The other half is on O2, and has no issues in T5 GF.