Just slightly pre-emptively, I know this is a very very complicated topic and the technical issues around spectrum usage are sometimes hard to unpack. (I’ve spent days talking to people who have been very generous with their time on this one.)
So please do get stuck in to the comments but bear in mind this is aimed at a general audience full of people (like me) who might be surprised that were promised one thing and are perhaps getting a very different thing.
What frustrates me further is checking the network providers’ coverage maps to see a solid 5G painting which, in my experience, is entirely untrue. I’m willing to pay more for the service but I can’t even find an honest description of a service offering among major providers in the U.K. I’ve resigned myself to accept that leaving the house means I’ll be lucky to have access to the service I pay for. Oh wait, I don’t get signal in my neighbourhood, that’s my WiFi doing the job.
As someone in a road that only has mobile broadband I knew that my nearest mast is not 4G. I currently fork out nearly £200 a month for comms. Separate mobile broadband for upstairs and downstairs and BT Landline broadband (2MB!) No date for fibre in sight😩
On the funds being generated by festivals. Royal Parks! Wow. Wish Lambeth would just tell people what the festivals are bringing in. Lack of transparency is what bothers a lot of people.
A line in my previous reporting that got slightly lost is that Lambeth’s “we get £700k towards the country show” argument is actually “we pay the promoter £330k to host the country show and it’d cost us £700k extra if they didn’t leave the stages up for us”.
They get payment for the use of the park for the series of festivals, like other councils do with their parks — Lambeth just haven’t disclosed how much since 2023, when events in Brockwell Park brought in £510k
I’d never heard of the FTM dashboard before this article, but I found a useful shortcut to add to your IPhone home screen should you wish to access it without the long code
It looks like a significant benefit we will get when the proper 5G-SA rolls out more widely is the improved latency (responsiveness) we were promised would come with 5G, though I'd be happy just to have a usable data connection at all in the West End.
Cannot stop thinking about the Nimby-ism part and how related it is to the nightclub scene - clubs receiving complaints in the centre, east, traditionally clubbing areas, being pushed more to the east side and then only being able to be open for a few months until some neighbours, who actually moved to zone4 or zone5 to avoid the noise from nightclubs, complain about them being present in the area. I think this is what happened to Set Vault in Woolwich.
I often wonder if some of this could be solved by good design. If someone could design a phone mast with an “iconic” look rather than a drably functional appearance, then we might see an uptick in acceptance of new masts. London has plenty of examples of street furniture enhancing the streetscape (witness the queues to have a photo taken at a Westminster red phone box, or the stately reassurance of a classic postbox). If someone could make a characterful phone mast, it might cost more to manufacture and install, but would pay for itself in reduced planning battles.
When you say "Haringey Council earned £1.34m from events in Finsbury Park", I'm curious what that number means in context. Is that good value for money? What is that as a percentage of the Council's overall income - is it worth it? What is the expense of maintaining the park during the festivals?
I don't mind the festivals at Finsbury Park, because the kids' playground stays open and my five-year-old daughter enjoys the extra crowds and people-watching. On the other hand, I don't live close enough to the Park to worry about noise (I'm up the hill near Harringay station).
I want to (lightly!) note that it's not "straight-laced" to be concerned about noise. Think about someone with kids, who works a 9 to 8 job, and wants some peace and quiet on their weekend. Or children and adults with hyperacusis or tinnitus. Or the frustration of seeing how noise has affected your mental health, just to be told you "hate fun". Or the anxiety of knowing you have to move house, but can't afford to move. Etc. Disliking noise ≠ nimbyism.
Just slightly pre-emptively, I know this is a very very complicated topic and the technical issues around spectrum usage are sometimes hard to unpack. (I’ve spent days talking to people who have been very generous with their time on this one.)
So please do get stuck in to the comments but bear in mind this is aimed at a general audience full of people (like me) who might be surprised that were promised one thing and are perhaps getting a very different thing.
Promising people one thing whilst giving them something very different seems to be the new British disease.
What frustrates me further is checking the network providers’ coverage maps to see a solid 5G painting which, in my experience, is entirely untrue. I’m willing to pay more for the service but I can’t even find an honest description of a service offering among major providers in the U.K. I’ve resigned myself to accept that leaving the house means I’ll be lucky to have access to the service I pay for. Oh wait, I don’t get signal in my neighbourhood, that’s my WiFi doing the job.
Appreciating the nominative determinism.
It’s situations like this that make me think we’re living in a simulation. It’s too perfect, if a little on the nose
Reading this on a Thameslink train with 5G-NSA. Why I oughta
Moment of appreciation for the mobile phone expert being called Mr. SIMS!
As someone in a road that only has mobile broadband I knew that my nearest mast is not 4G. I currently fork out nearly £200 a month for comms. Separate mobile broadband for upstairs and downstairs and BT Landline broadband (2MB!) No date for fibre in sight😩
On the funds being generated by festivals. Royal Parks! Wow. Wish Lambeth would just tell people what the festivals are bringing in. Lack of transparency is what bothers a lot of people.
A line in my previous reporting that got slightly lost is that Lambeth’s “we get £700k towards the country show” argument is actually “we pay the promoter £330k to host the country show and it’d cost us £700k extra if they didn’t leave the stages up for us”.
So they don't get any money from all the other festivals? I did not know this.
They get payment for the use of the park for the series of festivals, like other councils do with their parks — Lambeth just haven’t disclosed how much since 2023, when events in Brockwell Park brought in £510k
Interesting to see the strength of feeling on this. Loads of money already pledged in a couple of days for the new legal appeal.
It's the other way round - the old crowdfunding page was £50k (all spent) for teh original JR. The new one has £7600 so far.
Thanks, need to contribute to that one!
So much good stuff in this edition again Jim! Also, it’s just too good that SIM man’s name is Sims.
He (and Peter) were also very generous with their time, especially when I'd phone up for the seventeenth time to be like "EXPLAIN THIS AGAIN, PLEASE."
I’d never heard of the FTM dashboard before this article, but I found a useful shortcut to add to your IPhone home screen should you wish to access it without the long code
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/heres-a-way-to-access-field-test-mode-on-ipad-cellular.2378557/
It looks like a significant benefit we will get when the proper 5G-SA rolls out more widely is the improved latency (responsiveness) we were promised would come with 5G, though I'd be happy just to have a usable data connection at all in the West End.
Cannot stop thinking about the Nimby-ism part and how related it is to the nightclub scene - clubs receiving complaints in the centre, east, traditionally clubbing areas, being pushed more to the east side and then only being able to be open for a few months until some neighbours, who actually moved to zone4 or zone5 to avoid the noise from nightclubs, complain about them being present in the area. I think this is what happened to Set Vault in Woolwich.
Hi i would love a 5g discussion on my radio show with a freedom of information expert we support your cause email Andy freedomtalkradio2013@gmail.com
I often wonder if some of this could be solved by good design. If someone could design a phone mast with an “iconic” look rather than a drably functional appearance, then we might see an uptick in acceptance of new masts. London has plenty of examples of street furniture enhancing the streetscape (witness the queues to have a photo taken at a Westminster red phone box, or the stately reassurance of a classic postbox). If someone could make a characterful phone mast, it might cost more to manufacture and install, but would pay for itself in reduced planning battles.
When you say "Haringey Council earned £1.34m from events in Finsbury Park", I'm curious what that number means in context. Is that good value for money? What is that as a percentage of the Council's overall income - is it worth it? What is the expense of maintaining the park during the festivals?
I don't mind the festivals at Finsbury Park, because the kids' playground stays open and my five-year-old daughter enjoys the extra crowds and people-watching. On the other hand, I don't live close enough to the Park to worry about noise (I'm up the hill near Harringay station).
I want to (lightly!) note that it's not "straight-laced" to be concerned about noise. Think about someone with kids, who works a 9 to 8 job, and wants some peace and quiet on their weekend. Or children and adults with hyperacusis or tinnitus. Or the frustration of seeing how noise has affected your mental health, just to be told you "hate fun". Or the anxiety of knowing you have to move house, but can't afford to move. Etc. Disliking noise ≠ nimbyism.
except in reality it does = nimbyism, because London is a major city in which it should be fun to live
I'd be happy with a stable 3G signal around Ealing Broadway, but apparently Vodafone and O2 are content that the data service in the area is abysmal.
Ha! I thought it was just me and my oldish iPhone!
So little coverage through leafy SE London suburbs I can’t do the Sainsbury’s shop on my commute. Vexing!
I’ve just discovered I’m on 5G-SA and I already feel a bit more special and privileged.