Frequently asked questions
- Why can't I get a signal on my phone? Even when other people in the same place can?
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It might be because of where you are at the time. You could be in a building that blocks off the signal or you might be too far from the nearest mast. Another reason might be a problem (or fault) with your mobile.
If your friends are on a different network, their network might be using a mast that's closer than our masts. - Why does my voice sound muffled, like I'm talking underwater?
- From time to time your phone can pick up a faulty line in the network. So your voice sounds distorted. If this happens, cancel your call and start again. If that doesn't solve the problem, call our customer service team.
- Why does my phone sometimes disconnect itself during a call? And why is everything usually okay once I phone back?
- Sometimes when you're talking and moving you'll leave the range of one mast and switch to another. This is normal and it usually happens smoothly. But sometimes, the signal gets lost during the switch, so the call gets disconnected. When you call back you'll be connected to the mast that's in your range and the signal will be working again.
- Why do I sometimes drop a call or have difficulty sending emails on the train? I know people on other networks can.
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Getting signal everywhere on trains is difficult for all mobile networks. Putting up masts along the entire route is a challenge as we have to work around tunnels and cuttings. Signal depends entirely on your network and your route. Sometimes it'll seem like other networks give better signal, sometimes it'll seem like we do.
We asked an independent company to test our network. They found that the quality and coverage of our network matches that our competitors (on routes tested). - Why can't I pick up my voicemail messages? And why does my phone go straight to voicemail instead of ringing, even when I don't have a missed call or any other problems.
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It's likely that your signal isn't very strong. Wait until your signal gets stronger and try again. Sometimes it'll be because the mast you're connected to is so busy with other callers that your call can't be connected. So it goes straight to voicemail.
If your phone goes straight to voicemail without ringing, check your phone settings and make sure that you don't have the 'divert all calls' setting on.
If the problems carry on, check your voicemail's set up properly. Or call our customer service team. - What should I do if I've got a network problem?
- Call our customer service team from your O2 mobile on 202. Pay & Go customers call 0844 809 0222. Pay monthly customers call 0844 809 0202. Or go into one of our shops and talk to one of our team.
- What does 'network busy' mean?
- It might be because too many people are trying to use the network at the same time. Wait a few minutes then try again.
- Do some phones have a better signal than others?
- Yes. Some mobiles are more sensitive than others. It's all down to the phone's antenna or the quality of the electronic circuits inside them.
Pssst… 37,000 texts uses the same network space as one music track
Pssst… 01.01.10: we delivered the most texts ever sent in the UK
Pssst… 500,000 texts is the same as one YouTube clip on our network
Pssst… We're out there 24/7 to keep the network working, always
Pssst… We have 200 engineers dedicated to network performance
Pssst… We invest the equivalent of £1 million a day in our network
Pssst… We work hard to reduce the carbon footprint of our network
