02 Data Tarbet/Portavardie

[Caraway]

For boating in Scotland carrying two phones, one on EE network and one on Vodafone, would be my recommendation - and practice (or a foreign phone on free roaming even better).
Phone networks chosen for cheapest city calls may not be ideal.

That makes no sense unless you know which service your provider is piggybacking on. There is only EE, Vodafone,Three and O2.

 

[Sgeir]

Incidentally, the terrain on the west coast of Norway is not dissimilar, but we had 4G coverage at all times between Stad and Marstein. Very impressed.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

That makes no sense unless you know which service your provider is piggybacking on. There is only EE, Vodafone,Three and O2.

Which bit doesn't make sense? Foreign SIMs seem to give the user a choice which network to use. Are there any foreign SIMs with free roaming in the UK now?

 

[AngusMcDoon]

Incidentally, the terrain on the west coast of Norway is not dissimilar, but we had 4G coverage at all times between Stad and Marstein. Very impressed.

I don't have much trouble using a virtual network on EE. Works pretty much everywhere, with the exception of Tobermory, some bits of Sound of Jura & Loch Moidart. I could watch cat videos with ease in Loch Torridon.

 

[Caraway]

Which bit doesn't make sense? Foreign SIMs seem to give the user a choice which network to use. Are there any foreign SIMs with free roaming in the UK now?

If they give you a choice, that does make more sesne. However not being psychic I didn't know that was what Dunedin meant, if that is what he meant.

 

[dutyhog]

My 20 mile car route along Loch Sween and along the canal to Lochgilphead needs all three of O2, EE and Vodafone for coverage and there are still not spots. I do have one newish on O2 and old mobiles on the others (on cheap PAYG) and take all of them on the few occasions that may be crucial (eg in dire winter weather in an unreliable car). The signals are better once out on the water as the hills don’t get in the way so much.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

If they give you a choice, that does make more sesne. However not being psychic I didn't know that was what Dunedin meant, if that is what he meant.

I don't know if foreign SIMs in the UK do give the user a choice, but my SIM abroad does. It's usually hidden in the network settings & you have to kick off a search first. Free roaming might not be available in the UK with EU SIMs any more as it was an EU requirement.

 

[JNKScot]

You could always get one of these: probably bloody expensive, though, both to purchase & operate!

GLOBETrekker : Satellite System in a backpack (newatlas.com)

I saw an article which, when BT (EE) retire their 3G system in a couple of years time, probably to be followed by the rest of their competitors, mentioned them to fill in the gaps of the supposed 98% UK coverage planned for 4G/5G in the UK by then.

 

[dunedin]

That makes no sense unless you know which service your provider is piggybacking on. There is only EE, Vodafone,Three and O2.

Eh ?? Why did my post not make sense?

My post said - “For boating in Scotland carrying two phones, one on EE network and one on Vodafone, would be my recommendation - and practice”. So i made explicitly clear it is knowing the network was important. No need to be psychic when that is what the text said. And that 2 of the 4 networks are better for reception in Scotland (as it happens, I also carry an iPad on Three, so know it is much worse).

And “(or a foreign phone on free roaming even better)“ as before the B thing, with free roaming, some did use the foreign phone SIM technique to get roaming across all the networks.