Mobile Networks

Occasionally we get asked about using ViewRanger with the different mobile networks available in the UK. ViewRanger does not use the network at all to generate the panorama view and display the labels identifying features of interest. The network is only used if you ask ViewRanger to see if there are Images or Notes associated with that feature (and you get asked for confirmation before ViewRanger actually connects to the network anyway).

With Orange, you need an Orange World Access pack in order to access the internet from your Orange handset. This will work over GPRS and 3G, and with Pay-as-you-go and monthly tariffs. We use Orange ourselves. Currently, Orange World Access packs are around £4 for 4MB of data. That's approximately 120 images being downloaded to ViewRanger!

O2 provide 1MB of data automatically with many of their monthly tariffs.

We've found coverage on both O2 and Orange to be very good.

We haven't tested Vodafone extensively for its coverage within the National Parks (let us know your experiences!). Again, you'll need a package that lets you access the general internet if you want ViewRanger to connect to the database server.

3, as far as we know, don't allow their handsets to access the general internet. This means that you won't be able to download or upload images and notes to the ViewRanger server from a 3 handset. However, you will still be able to use the panorama mapping to identify features of interest within your vista. Come on 3! Provide your consumers with general internet access.

The data sizes that ViewRanger uses when communicating to the server are quite small - so it can be comfortably used on a GPRS connection. You don't have to use 3G to get the most from ViewRanger.