EE and Vodafone users struggle to make or receive calls across different networks

EE, one of the biggest network providers in the UK, is experiencing a fault across the network which is stopping connections being made with Vodafone – a competing network.

EE

The disruption started on Monday, when users registered with other networks were unable to make or receive calls from EE numbers. However, it is unclear how severely this issue has affected other networks.

Customers raised their concerns on Down Detector, a tracking website. EE claimed that the problem came from Vodafone network issues, while Vodafone stated the issues were caused by EE.

While the networks were trying to resolve the issue, many users took to social media such as X (previously known as Twitter) to write their complaints. Some said that they were still able to make calls and text to those registered with the same network, but the issue presented itself when users attempted to make calls to other networks, one of those being Vodafone.

Sarah Hopkins complained about the network problems, writing on X: "@EE what is happening with sorting out your network issues? I'm still having trouble getting a signal and getting cut off on calls."

@EE what is happening with sorting out your network issues? I'm still having trouble getting a signal and getting cut off on calls.

— Sarah Hopkins (@SarahHopkinsUK) September 5, 2023

Jack Baldridge also wrote on X, saying: "I missed a big sales call which would've given me a huge bonus and I hope it's reflected in my bill."

Vodafone said that its network was not having issues and that the problem came from EE.

In a statement, a spokesperson for EE said: "We're aware that some of our mobile customers are unable to make or receive calls from a Vodafone number."

"We're working quickly to resolve this and we're very sorry for any inconvenience caused," the spokesperson continued.

It was found that this issue was also prevalent for users who have previously transferred their number from EE to Vodafone or other networks such as O2 and Three. This is because even though these users are no longer registered with EE, their phone calls are briefly routed through EE's infrastructure.

Vodafone also advised customers to use Vodafone's network status checker, where you can enter your postcode to check for the network status and issues within your area.

Vodafone has also previously faced a broadband outage in April this year, causing thousands of users in the UK to be unable to connect to the internet.

The outage caused major disruptions, particularly to those working from home, and many customers were frustrated that the Vodafone customer service team were advising people to follow diagnostics while the problem was nationwide.

Another user commented on the phenomenon, writing on X: "Looks like it's a national outage that they are failing to tell people about and instead have them waste time on useless diagnostics and rebooting of routers. Useless."

The outage came as Vodafone customers faced a 14.4 per cent increase in the cost of their telecoms packages.

EE and Vodafone are one of the UK's four most popular mobile networks, along with O2 and Three. As they supply the most customers and have widespread coverage, when one network experiences a technical issue, this may affect the other networks which can cause disruption for customers registered with any of these networks.

Vodafone continues to be a popular network through reports of 4iG profits being boosted by its acquisition of Vodafone Hungary earlier this year, enabling it to play a key role in the digital transformation of the Hungarian economy.

By Kaja Traczyk

Kaja Traczyk is a reporter for the International Business Times UK and a Journalism Undergraduate with experience in news writing, reporting, and researching.