Why do I get no coverage, yet my friend also on 1pMobile next to me gets some?

Sorry to hear you are having coverage issues. The difference between you friend's coverage and yours, is not due to the network as you will have exactly the same coverage and access. The likely reason could be one of the following:

• Different phones - the receivers and transmitters (transceivers) are part of the phone and not the SIM. Some phones have much better transceivers than others, as well as better aerials, case materials and shielding from interference.
• Battery condition - this can make a real difference to the phones performance
• The type of case you have on your phone (if any). A quick test is to remove your phone from its case, restart it and see if the coverage improves.
• Your physical position in the building, office, home. Coverage can be affected by the building structure and any electrical interference, mainly from older PCs, refrigerators etc. Also your distance from windows, or if your are in a steel framed building or in a high location.

A quick test would be to try your SIM in your friends/colleagues phone (or visa versa) if they are willing to see if there are differences in phone performance.