Mobile Data usage increased 10x since 1st April?!

[AJ1305]

I'm on a SIM only 1GB data rolling plan that has always been completely adequate for my usage, max 30-40MB per day with frequent Merlin, Waze and Map my Walk app usage and a little bit of streaming, monthly data usage between 150MB and 300MB.

The signal has been poor on my mobile and home computer for a few weeks, buffering on both and not being able to use my mobile for calls with certain people at all because they can't hear me.

On 08 April I got a text from BT telling me I'd used 821MB of my monthly allowance already and had to buy extra data to get me through the month, which is rapidly being chewed up.  Frequently I'm allegedly using around 300MB of data a day when I'm home all day and not using data at all.  

I was told that BT had swapped over to EE which is the reason for poor signal so it looks like I have to swap over to them which I don't have a problem with, but it looks like I will have to buy an unlimited plan so I don't get caught out again with this kind of problem.

I don't understand why I'm apparently using 10 times the data I was in March, which usually doesn't marry with the phone use anyway.

Can anyone explain this to me please?

Thanks

[Kimberlin]

@AJ1305  Just checking before I mention anything at all about WiFi calling. You haven’t mentioned it, but I assume you don’t have broadband into the home then, FTTC or FTTP? Just mobile broadband?

[iniltous]

TBH , BT use EE as a MVNO (mobile virtual network operator) so there should be no difference between them , so if your move to EE resulted in poorer connectivity it’s a coincidence not the cause .
Recently the FTTC ‘cabinet’ I’m connected to was demolished in a RTC , it took about a week to replace , I don’t have unlimited data on my EE mobile (I think it’s 4Gb a month ) and normally I get no where near that on my phone , during the FTTC outage I used the mobile as a hot spot for my tablet , no movies or anything intensive, browsing, YouTube , that type of thing , the data lasted less than 2 days before the ‘ out of data’ message, so 1Gb if it’s the only data you have, it isn’t going to last very long at all

[AJ1305]

Hi Kimberlin,

I have had broadband into the home with BT for many years.  I have to use a cable to connect as the signal has never been strong enough to reach my computer from the router, although it's only 10' away.  My hub is about 5 years old.

It's only recently that my computer and mobile have started buffering, although I don't stream on my phone very much.

I'm a very light user of both my computer and mobile as I'm not very techy.

Hope that helps?

Thanks

AJ

[AJ1305]

Hi there

I haven't moved to EE yet.  My usage of my phone and computer haven't changed, but the amount of data being chewed up daily has increased enormously on my phone since 1st April, which doesn't correspond to what I'm actually doing with my phone, ie the data usage onlinein myBT account tells me I use approx 300MB of data regularly when I'm at home and not using data at all.

I feel forced into changing to EE and spending more money per month because I'm not getting the service I was before.

BT told me they have stopped "supporting?" the BT signal now and that's the reason why the signal has dropped off, fair enough, but I'm having to pay for addon data just to use my phone normally.

I'm on social tariffs for both BB and mobile because I live on disability benefits, so I don't really want to have to spend more money when it's not my fault this has happened.  I don't believe I was ever notified that this would be happening either, which would've been nice.

So I've got 2 problems really, the signal dropping off and the data usage increase.

If anyone can shed any light on either of those two things I'd be grateful.

Thanks

AJ

[Kimberlin]

@AJ1305  Concerning your actual broadband connection, you mentioned buffering issues. I’m making an assumption here that you are possibly still on copper line into the home and not connected via Fibre to the Premises (FTTP).

Many mobile phone customers choose not to use a landline at home because a lot of people now have smartphones that can connect through their router using VoiP known as WiFi calling. It means you don’t even need a mobile phone signal to make calls, but it does depend on what phone you have, your mobile phone carrier, and it involves toggling a setting in your phone settings. I use a EE based MVNO myself and all of my calls at home are made through my iPhone via WiFi calling. Of course none of that may apply if you don’t have a compatible mobile handset.

Have you inadvertently altered any settings within your phone which might have caused it to increase data usage? What mobile phone are you using?

There’s literally a whole load of technical stuff we could ask you here about your whole set up, but if perhaps your technical knowledge isn’t within your know how to resolve, it’s pointless delving deeper.