Eurostar e320 - mobile phone reception

[BahrainLad]

Travelled back from Paris to London this afternoon and was happy to try out one of the the new e320 trains.

Very impressed - comfortable, smooth, bright and spacious inside and the table of four (with only two of us) in Standard was great, especially the power points at each seat.

What I did notice, however, was that mobile phone reception was rubbish! I am on 3 in the UK and on regular Eurostar journeys to/from Paris it has never been a problem using data on the train either via Bouyges 3G or Free 3G. Admittedly it's difficult to stream video (!) but checking email, WhatsApp, reading the Gruniard and so on is fine. On the new e320 set, almost impossible - reception and data transfer only really worked stationary at Paris Nord and next, ironically, in the tunnel...and then when stationary at Ebbsfleet.

Has anyone else noticed this? A friend suggested they might have used solar coating on the windows to reduce internal cooling requirement, which is notorious for mucking about with RF signals for mobiles.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

A friend suggested they might have used solar coating on the windows to reduce internal cooling requirement, which is notorious for mucking about with RF signals for mobiles.

Well, the ICE does and the 374 is basically an ICE isn't it...?

 

[user15681]

I noticed exactly the same, poor signal for 3G on the e320's. Like yourself the only place I got it was at Ebbsfleet and in the tunnel.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Have you tried the vestibules? On a Voyager where the same problem exists, the vestibules usually don't give the same issues. Worth a try?

 

[farci]

If the new sets are based on the ICE - don't they have 3G repeaters on certain coaches like I believe they do on DB? Apart from the ICE quiet coaches reception is not dependent on the window coating AFAIK

 

[BahrainLad]

Have you tried the vestibules? On a Voyager where the same problem exists, the vestibules usually don't give the same issues. Worth a try?

I didn't, but that's a good tip for next time, thanks.

If the new sets are based on the ICE - don't they have 3G repeaters on certain coaches like I believe they do on DB? Apart from the ICE quiet coaches reception is not dependent on the window coating AFAIK

I thought about this, but I couldn't see any signs on the coach I was in (5) saying it was a quiet coach, or I should make any calls in the vestibule or anything.

Interested to find out others have had issues, I have tweeted Eurostar customer services and they are investigating but claim to have heard nothing.

 

[flash]

Currently sat on a e320 - have no problems with data or calls..... Have 3 out of 5 signal strength and 4g.

 

[radamfi]

Currently sat on a e320 - have no problems with data or calls..... Have 3 out of 5 signal strength and 4g.

Is that in both the UK and France? What mobile network are you on?

I wonder if there is a particular issue with Three? On Pendolinos, Three don't appear to have the repeaters like the other networks do. Or maybe simply some e320s haven't yet got them installed, or maybe some are faulty.

It sounds like it will be more difficult to measure speed on the e320s if the windows block satellite navigation signals.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

It sounds like it will be more difficult to measure speed on the e320s if the windows block satellite navigation signals.

At least if you're on the right hand side of the train it's fairly easy to read the km posts and do the maths.

 

[edwin_m]

I have tweeted Eurostar customer services and they are investigating but claim to have heard nothing.

Maybe that's because nobody can phone them

 

[jon0844]

You can't stream most video on Three because they limit most services on Feel at Home. YouTube, Netflix etc.

Also, Three has no agreement to work in the tunnel itself either.

 

[radamfi]

Three say "You'll be able to stream and connect to Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) while in a Feel At Home destination but both of these will be slower than they are in the UK"

http://www.three.co.uk/Discover/Phones/Feel_At_Home

I personally found Feel at Home to be disappointing in France, and really slow in Switzerland and in Florida where it was only good enough for browsing. But Orange Spain streams fine when roaming in France and only costs 1 euro for 100 MB with no scary charges for going out of bundle.

 

[33Hz]

Currently sat on a e320 - have no problems with data or calls..... Have 3 out of 5 signal strength and 4g.

3G is typically high frequency (around 2100 MHz) and is affected by that coating. 4G is typically around 800 MHz and is much less so.

 

[jon0844]

But the power level of 4G at the moment is far too low because it must fall within the coverage of 2G or 3G. Until VoLTE is widespread, voice can't be carried over 4G and that means no 2G or 3G, no 4G.

Three has launched VoLTE but the others are still testing. When that comes, especially from EE, you should be amazed at the improvement. EE's 800, like Three, will only be available when you're using VoLTE. So you'll need a compatible phone, or will find a lot of coverage is restricted and effectively invisible.