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Poor Data Speed and Signal for months now

  • April 12, 2026
  • 8 replies
  • 57 views

I’ve increased my plan to allow me to access the internet on my Google TV.  With hindsight this was a very foolish thing to do as the phone signal is so poor the connection is unreliable at the best of times - eg having to walk about the flat to get even one bar, then calls dropping when finally made, which usually results in me asking the people I want to call to instead call me!!

But I’m now on this 200gb plan using very little data.

When I put the SIM card in my wife’s iPhone it behaved the same as when it’s in my phone.  Frustratingly, she does have a tolerable signal and it is strong enough to watch the Google TV when on her Giffgaff Sim.

 

Advice please


Advice from website:  

Can I improve my signal?

A lot of things can affect the strength of your signal. Your distance from the nearest phone mast can make a huge difference. Large obstructions like trees and buildings (especially ones with lots of metal) can make your signal worse too.

If you're having signal problems here's a few tips to try and make it better:

  • First of all, go for the tried and trusted method of turning your phone off and on again. Yes, it's obvious - but sometimes it really does work.
  • If you're using your phone indoors, try going into different rooms to see if it makes any difference. Some rooms can get a stronger signal than others.
  • If you want to get a little more technical, put your SIM card into another phone and test your network coverage. This will help you to work out if there's a problem with your phone or the network.
  • Doing a factory reset can sometimes make a difference. Backup your phone's data first of all, then go into system settings and carry out a reset.

 

Best answer by Owethu M

Hi ​@whitnellid
 

I’m really sorry to hear about the signal issues you’ve been experiencing completely understand how frustrating this must be, especially when it’s affecting both your calls and your ability to use data reliably.

 

From what you’ve described, you’ve already done some great troubleshooting particularly testing your SIM in another device, which helps confirm that this is likely coverage-related rather than a handset fault.

 

What this means:

If your iD Mobile SIM is struggling in multiple devices in your home, but another network (like your wife’s giffgaff SIM) works well in the same location, this does suggest that coverage in your area may be limited on our network.

 

Things you can still try:

  • Restart your phone regularly to refresh the connection
  • Try using your phone in different areas of your home (near windows can sometimes help)
  • Ensure Wi-Fi Calling is enabled (if your handset supports it) — this can allow you to make and receive calls over Wi-Fi instead of relying on signal
  • Manually switch network mode (e.g. try 3G/4G instead of 5G if available)


Important to consider:

iD Mobile uses the Three network, so signal strength will depend on coverage in your specific area. While we aim to provide reliable service, coverage can vary due to buildings, layout, and network availability.

 

Next steps:

I’d recommend contacting our Live Chat team so they can:

  • Check coverage in your exact postcode
  • See if there are any known issues or mast work in your area
  • Advise on any possible solutions available on your account

 

You can reach them here: https://www.idmobile.co.uk/live-chat

 

Owethu

 

8 replies

Owethu M
iD Mobile Employee
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  • iD Mobile Employee
  • Answer
  • April 14, 2026

Hi ​@whitnellid
 

I’m really sorry to hear about the signal issues you’ve been experiencing completely understand how frustrating this must be, especially when it’s affecting both your calls and your ability to use data reliably.

 

From what you’ve described, you’ve already done some great troubleshooting particularly testing your SIM in another device, which helps confirm that this is likely coverage-related rather than a handset fault.

 

What this means:

If your iD Mobile SIM is struggling in multiple devices in your home, but another network (like your wife’s giffgaff SIM) works well in the same location, this does suggest that coverage in your area may be limited on our network.

 

Things you can still try:

  • Restart your phone regularly to refresh the connection
  • Try using your phone in different areas of your home (near windows can sometimes help)
  • Ensure Wi-Fi Calling is enabled (if your handset supports it) — this can allow you to make and receive calls over Wi-Fi instead of relying on signal
  • Manually switch network mode (e.g. try 3G/4G instead of 5G if available)


Important to consider:

iD Mobile uses the Three network, so signal strength will depend on coverage in your specific area. While we aim to provide reliable service, coverage can vary due to buildings, layout, and network availability.

 

Next steps:

I’d recommend contacting our Live Chat team so they can:

  • Check coverage in your exact postcode
  • See if there are any known issues or mast work in your area
  • Advise on any possible solutions available on your account

 

You can reach them here: https://www.idmobile.co.uk/live-chat

 

Owethu

 


  • Author
  • New Contributor
  • April 18, 2026

Tried contacting the LiveChat but only got same info as previously. I'd hoped for more personalised help but havent got this yet, eg the service checker was the standard post-code checker that tells me everythi g should work well. IT DOESNT! HELP WANTED ASAP


Gemma M
iD Mobile Employee
Forum|alt.badge.img+8
  • iD Mobile Employee
  • April 19, 2026

Hi ​@whitnellid,

 

I’m really sorry to hear about your experience so far, I can understand how frustrating it must be when you’re not getting the help you need and the service still isn’t working as expected.

 

If you’re happy to, please send over your full postcode and we can take a closer look from our side. This allows us to check for any more specific issues (like localised faults or capacity problems) that the general coverage checker might not show.

 

Once we’ve got that, we can dig into things properly and guide you through the next steps to get this resolved as quickly as possible.

 

Regards,

 

Gemma M

The iD Mobile Social Media Team


  • Author
  • New Contributor
  • April 19, 2026

Many thanks for your continuing interest.  I’m impressed.

Full post code:  TD15 1RG

Here’s an example of the sort of problem we’re experiencing:  I posted a couple of emails at about 20.00 last night, copied to my wife.  She got these at 01.30 this morning so I assume they’d been loading for all that time!!

 

Looking forward to making some progress, if possible, with this. (I’m sharing my wife’s Giffgaff connection at present - which is a bit better than my one - so hopefully this email will send ok!!)

 

Cheers

 

Brian


  • Author
  • New Contributor
  • April 22, 2026

update requested please

 


Gemma M
iD Mobile Employee
Forum|alt.badge.img+8
  • iD Mobile Employee
  • April 27, 2026

Hi ​@whitnellid,

 

I have checked the coverage for your postcode area, TD15 1RG, and can see that there is some reported issues in the area. 

 

This is expected to be resolved tonight, if you are still facing issues after that, please let us know so that we can have a better look into this. 

 

Regards,

 

Gemma M

The iD Mobile Social Media Team


  • Author
  • New Contributor
  • April 27, 2026

Thanks


Forum|alt.badge.img+4
  • iD Mobile Employee
  • April 27, 2026

Hi ​@whitnellid.

 

You’re welcome.
If you experience any further issues after tonight, please let us know and we’ll be happy to take another look for you.

 

Thanks,

Marquerita

The iD Mobile Team