A little while ago there was a lengthy list bleat (in which I
cheerfully baa'd myself...) about Vodafone 3G coverage. I wanted to
know whether the problems were as bad as folklore had it, particularly
down here in Sunny Fuk.
So: for the record, and for people this end of Japan (north Kyushu) I
will post my experiences of a 702NK handset.
It is pretty good in Fukuoka City - mostly all bars. (For some reason
it does fall off rather in my centrally located apartment - one bar but
is quite usable. Curiously, it is all bars at my apartment door.)
Here are various places I have tried it, intended to give a "feel" for
coverage:
Keya Beach: no problems (30k outside city)
Shima/Itoshima : fine (countryside)
Karatsu and coast road to Karatsu: fine
Amagi and rail-line to Amagi (wends through countryside): no problems.
Koishiwara: small mountain village deep in countryside two hours south
of city: 1 bar - but fully functional.
It did lose signal once, high on a desolate mountain road on the way to
Koishiwara - but picked it up again quickly enough.
I have not tried it on any of the outlying islands - but for ordinary,
everyday usage in and around the city - no problems to date.
So - don't let coverage put you off unless you have specialised needs -
but DO check it works in your apartment.
Nick
Fukuoka City Guide
http://kyushu.com/fukuoka/
Received on Sat May 14 15:15:33 2005