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back to article Golly 4G whizz: Vodafone caught using Three UK's spectrum

UK mobile network Vodafone has fingered a subcontractor after evidence showed it was broadcasting on network rival Three UK's piece of the 1,800MHz band at a cell site at London's Gatwick airport. Its Brit competitor Three, the UK arm of Hong Kong giant CK Hutchison, has said it is investigating whether other sites were …

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  1. Aladdin Sane
    Gimp

    Maybe the users liked being choked?

    16 3 Reply
    1. Rameses Niblick the Third Kerplunk Kerplunk Whoops Where's My Thribble?
      Reply Icon

      Lets face it, they are fairly used to being screwed, so why not?

      17 1 Reply
    2. J. R. Hartley
      Reply Icon

      Never mind fingering contractors, they've been shafting customers for years.

      3 1 Reply
  2. adam payne

    And they couldn't resist a dig, it seems, adding: "In the meantime, we will be offering them support and training on mobile mast configuration."

    Nice one Three, that made me laugh.

    The spokesperson added: "It was a genuine mistake and we are looking into it as a matter of urgency."

    You shouldn't use the word 'genuine' in a statement, it makes you look guilty of something.

    5 1 Reply
    1. Alister
      Reply Icon

      "genuine mistake"

      One wonders what the alternative would be?

      An inadvertent mistake, perhaps, or just a deliberate one?

      3 0 Reply
      1. Paul
        Reply Icon

        Re: "genuine mistake"

        a mistake due to carelessness, or even being knowingly careless?

        0 1 Reply
  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Yes, Honest mistake - as opposed to Dishonest mistake, or incompetent and got caught.

    No point holding our breath for the useless regulator to slap a £10k fine on Voda - with a 'try harder to QA your work next time, as *you* are responsible for your contractor's work.'

    4 1 Reply
    1. aks
      Reply Icon

      If the fine was £10m the regulator would probably go for it. Many fines seem to be designed to fill the coffers rather than achieve the declared purpose, certainly not recompense Three.

      0 4 Reply
      1. John Brown (no body) Silver badge
        Reply Icon

        "certainly not recompense Three."

        But Three didn't actually lose anything of monetary value. Some users *may* have noticed some slightly lower connectivity (but that happens all the time anyway), but not in a way that Three had to pay out compensation.

        1 1 Reply
        1. Anonymous Coward Silver badge
          Reply Icon
          Pirate

          "But Three didn't actually lose anything of monetary value"

          Remind me again how much they paid to be able to use that spectrum?

          0 1 Reply
      2. Knoydart
        Reply Icon

        Those fines usually go into the central government pot, and your poor spectrum regulator won't see a penny of it.

        0 1 Reply
  4. Sgt_Oddball
    Holmes

    In other news...

    Regulator caught looking other way.

    Scatological efforts of Ursidae in forest areas confirmed.

    World still, despite best efforts, continues to turn.

    Sounds like a cockup by a poorly trained engineer than anything else (poorly written note perhaps?). Occams razor and all that.

    4 1 Reply
  5. Anonymous Coward
    Joke

    Subcrontactor error

    > "As part of routine monitoring, we noticed that a subcontractor had inadvertently configured the site to work on the 10MHz bandwidth rather than the correct one.

    I wonder if that same subcontractor used a drone to inspect the mast?

    20 0 Reply
    1. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Subcrontactor error

      Yeah, must be some connection with the “drones”.

      Things happen in threes. What will be the third thing to happen at Gatwick???

      0 1 Reply
      1. Anonymous Coward
        Reply Icon
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Subcrontactor error

        Third thing? Bought by the French while people were reading about drones.

        "Hard Brexit? Get off our airport while you say that. And while you're at it stop using our electricity, drinking our water and travelling in our trains."

        4 0 Reply
      2. Mr Neutron
        Reply Icon

        Re: Subcrontactor error

        This IS the third thing!

        https://www.theregister.co.uk/2018/08/20/gatwick_fail/

        0 1 Reply
  6. LateAgain

    Engineer says

    "It's installed and tested. Looks OK from here."

    2 0 Reply
  7. Fruit and Nutcase Silver badge
    Joke

    Welcome to the UK

    From Vodafone - The network that gives you more (bandwidth)

    2 0 Reply
  8. StuntMisanthrope

    Another black mark, it's a privilege.

    And a burden of responsibility. Everything is off by default and now in the wrong place. The correlation continues. I have never encountered a system so badly designed as Vodafone's almost as if it was intended to lose customer share by antagonism and text message and increase payroll in all the wrong places. Then it goes wrong and costs even more in money and fines. We cannot now invest in technology and technical resources, that doesn't have a invoice number.

    Far behind NTT and they even had a short monopoly. A text book example of decline. #5G #allroadsleadnorth #8barsinthecity

    1 0 Reply
  9. Simon Rockman

    It's not about the Vodafone or Three customers

    All airports are battle-grounds between the operators. They fight to give coverage because they want the revenue from off-network customers roaming as soon as they arrive and switch their phones on.

    3 0 Reply
  10. Mr Neutron

    Remember that Voda cloud VDU failure?

    Vodafone just don't seem to be able to get a good press at Gatwick, do they? This from just 17 months ago:

    https://www.theregister.co.uk/2018/08/20/gatwick_fail/

    0 1 Reply
  11. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Three look like dicks here.

    0 0 Reply

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