I dont think it suggests that you cant get the 4gee extra plan everywhere, just that you wont always get double speed.
EE's plans are nuts really, the non extra packages are truly dire, vodafone level dire.
I am a sim only user and it appears that a 20gb plan for me is £63, significantly higher than if I got a free phone. Thats £45 more than my 1 month sim only with three. Its all nuts.
Anyone can buy a double speed 4GEE package as customers may not have it at home but have it at work or vice versa.
3 connected lots of customers for years in areas where they had no 3G coverage. As a National operator they had to provide roaming and many bought their deals in rural areas as they offered better value.
EE'S 4G has benefits beyond raw speed so it's highly likely some outwith 4G coverage will choose them. Will EE refuse to sell a package to someone outwith their 4G coverage, no chance!
To get that, you need to be in a "4Gee Extra" enabled area-what part of that don't you understand?]
I don't think that is the case at all.
I think it is more like any other contract where you can sign up for it, but what speeds / service you get depends on where you live.
Indeed nothing stops someone from living in the middle of nowhere signing up for a EE 4G contract. But they probably won't get 4G (and maybe not 3G).
I dont think it suggests that you cant get the 4gee extra plan everywhere, just that you wont always get double speed.
The 4GEE Extra plan is the double speed and there's no "won't always get double speed", if you're in an enabled area, you'll get it and if you're not, you won't.
EE's plans are nuts really, the non extra packages are truly dire, vodafone level dire.
I am a sim only user and it appears that a 20gb plan for me is £63, significantly higher than if I got a free phone. Thats £45 more than my 1 month sim only with three. Its all nuts.
I agree, but I also remember Orange's 'Animal' plans, which confused the hell out of most people!
I personally think that Three is still very attractive compared to the rest, you can clearly see they have their own market. For me Three is the best because they offer unlimited data at a pretty low cost. EE might be faster, but with Three I don't have to worry about how much data I am using day to day.
I don't think that is the case at all.
I think it is more like any other contract where you can sign up for it, but what speeds / service you get depends on where you live.
Indeed nothing stops someone from living in the middle of nowhere signing up for a EE 4G contract. But they probably won't get 4G (and maybe not 3G).
Understood, but it still makes for a pretty poor comparison tool.
The 4GEE Extra plan is the double speed and there's no "won't always get double speed", if you're in an enabled area, you'll get it and if you're not, you won't.
!
Thats what I said!!! Double speed is not always available! and my statement stating you wont always get double speed is perfectly valid.
Initial thoughts ? They look expensive to me and certainly looks like they are trying to reduce data. Interestingly I don't think these price increases are good for the uk mobile market as a whole. A competitive three pushes down prices across the board.
Well so far the only prices I've seen are a handful of specific "indicative" deals, so it's hard to judge until the Three website comes back online to show the prices across the board.
Taking the iPhone 5S 16GB indicative price though, on 3 you will now be able to get:
AYCE Minutes, texts and data for £44 / month with a £29.99 upfront cost - so that's £1085.99 over the course of the 24 months.
The equivalent EE deal is the 20GB which comes in at £47.99 / month with a £9.99 upfront, which comes in at £1161.75 for the 24 months. There are a couple of variations on the deal too based on higher upfront vs lower monthly but one is the same overall price and the other just £20 cheaper.
So £75 difference there, which would be reversed if you did get the quidco cashback. I suppose it comes down to whether the "extras" included in either deal and/or heavy use of tethering are of interest to you or not.
Using the same scenario, it is still considerably cheaper to get the iPhone 5S SIM free (£549) and just get a Three SIM-only plan. Assuming those haven't changed (which is what seems to be suggested), that would be £20 for Three's One Plan (assuming the 12 month minimum version), which would cost £1029 over the same 24 month period - some £62 cheaper than the new Three plan, and £132 cheaper than the EE 20G example. For those fortunate to have caught the £15 SIM free One plan, it's a mere £909 over the 24 months (a massive £250+ cheaper than EE). It isn't even worth considering going SIM free with EE by the way as their SIM-only 20GB offering is an eye-watering £61 for a 12 month contract, or £63 for rolling 1 month?!?!?! Their lower data allowance tariffs are a bit less extreme for SIM only, but still far higher than Three's.
Of course the other major benefit of being SIM-free is that you can change your phone at any time too, rather than being locked in for 24 months.
Interestingly Apple are offering 0% finance over 10 months at the moment which makes the buy upfront / SIM only option a bit more accessible.
Single speed EE4G is the same as three 4G. FYI I have nothing against Three. I am a three customer as I have a data plan with iPad. I pay £37.99 with my loyalty discount with EE for iphone on 20Gb plan. My thread was not about a comparison of EE and three. It was about the fact that over the past 6 months three have really put their prices up.
Looks like the SIM only 12 month One Plan is back at £15 (rolling at £18) - and no mention (as far as I can see) of the 2GB tethering cap being applicable to it. Mind you it is still linking through to the old version of the Three Price Guide - maybe the new one hasn't made its way onto the website yet.
Three's moderator said in the blog that they aren't sure if the price will stay the same for existing One Plan customers at the end of the contract period. Do prices typically stay the same at the end of a contract if you don't upgrade?
Thx, I dont really tether that much so Im not bothered about the 2Gb tethering cap. I'll stick with my One Plan for £15 pm for as long as I can.
Thanks
Baz
When did you take it out Baz?
The tethering cap is new and will apply to new contracts only, so if you (like me) locked in your contract last month (or anytime before now for that matter), you will still have unlimited tethering.
• Free 0800, 0808 and 0500 numbers
• 84* and 087* numbers just 5p per minute
• Texts alerts when you’re nearing your limit
• The ability to place spending caps
• Personal Hotspot functionality for all, but limited to 2GB if your plan includes All-You-Can-Eat data
• All-You-Can-Eat text messages
• A range of data allowances up to All-You-Can-Eat
• A range of minute allowances up to All-You-Can-Eat
With all of the above as well as Feel at Home, 4G at no extra cost (when you have a 4G ready device) and free device unlocking, choosing Three seems like a darn good option!
The tethering cap is new and will apply to new contracts only, so if you (like me) locked in your contract last month (or anytime before now for that matter), you will still have unlimited tethering.
Hi
I took out the One Plan last October. I plan to carry on with the tarrif for as long as I can. Even when the new iPhone comes out, I'll buy the handset sim free and use my current sim. Come October this year when my 12 month contract ends. Will Three force me to transfer onto one of these new contracts?
Am I right in thinking The One Plan for an iPhone 5S 64GB was £99 upfront and £51 a month before?
Either way, they have rolled out 4G at no extra cost, include free phone numbers now... So prices will have to rise, unfortunately, to accommodate such costs to drive the business forward...
And to maintain reasonable speeds for everyone they also need to introduce data caps to stop the top few percent who slow down the network to make it accessible to all of their customers.
Comments
EE's plans are nuts really, the non extra packages are truly dire, vodafone level dire.
I am a sim only user and it appears that a 20gb plan for me is £63, significantly higher than if I got a free phone. Thats £45 more than my 1 month sim only with three. Its all nuts.
3 connected lots of customers for years in areas where they had no 3G coverage. As a National operator they had to provide roaming and many bought their deals in rural areas as they offered better value.
EE'S 4G has benefits beyond raw speed so it's highly likely some outwith 4G coverage will choose them. Will EE refuse to sell a package to someone outwith their 4G coverage, no chance!
Indeed I really don't understand EE's sim only pricing.
Every other network prices sim only contracts cheaper than those that have inclusive handsets.
I don't think that is the case at all.
I think it is more like any other contract where you can sign up for it, but what speeds / service you get depends on where you live.
Indeed nothing stops someone from living in the middle of nowhere signing up for a EE 4G contract. But they probably won't get 4G (and maybe not 3G).
Well considering the fact the tarrifs are still on their site for someone to sign up to.
The 4GEE Extra plan is the double speed and there's no "won't always get double speed", if you're in an enabled area, you'll get it and if you're not, you won't.
I agree, but I also remember Orange's 'Animal' plans, which confused the hell out of most people!
Understood, but it still makes for a pretty poor comparison tool.
Is there an end to that sentence coming!?
Thats what I said!!! Double speed is not always available! and my statement stating you wont always get double speed is perfectly valid.
Taking the iPhone 5S 16GB indicative price though, on 3 you will now be able to get:
AYCE Minutes, texts and data for £44 / month with a £29.99 upfront cost - so that's £1085.99 over the course of the 24 months.
The equivalent EE deal is the 20GB which comes in at £47.99 / month with a £9.99 upfront, which comes in at £1161.75 for the 24 months. There are a couple of variations on the deal too based on higher upfront vs lower monthly but one is the same overall price and the other just £20 cheaper.
So £75 difference there, which would be reversed if you did get the quidco cashback. I suppose it comes down to whether the "extras" included in either deal and/or heavy use of tethering are of interest to you or not.
Using the same scenario, it is still considerably cheaper to get the iPhone 5S SIM free (£549) and just get a Three SIM-only plan. Assuming those haven't changed (which is what seems to be suggested), that would be £20 for Three's One Plan (assuming the 12 month minimum version), which would cost £1029 over the same 24 month period - some £62 cheaper than the new Three plan, and £132 cheaper than the EE 20G example. For those fortunate to have caught the £15 SIM free One plan, it's a mere £909 over the 24 months (a massive £250+ cheaper than EE). It isn't even worth considering going SIM free with EE by the way as their SIM-only 20GB offering is an eye-watering £61 for a 12 month contract, or £63 for rolling 1 month?!?!?! Their lower data allowance tariffs are a bit less extreme for SIM only, but still far higher than Three's.
Of course the other major benefit of being SIM-free is that you can change your phone at any time too, rather than being locked in for 24 months.
Interestingly Apple are offering 0% finance over 10 months at the moment which makes the buy upfront / SIM only option a bit more accessible.
You don't have to be in an EE extra area to have that plan
But you do to get the speeds.
I give up and am really bored of you
Single speed EE4G is the same as three 4G. FYI I have nothing against Three. I am a three customer as I have a data plan with iPad. I pay £37.99 with my loyalty discount with EE for iphone on 20Gb plan. My thread was not about a comparison of EE and three. It was about the fact that over the past 6 months three have really put their prices up.
On these new tarrifs, the 2GB limit. Is that just for tethering or is it a 2GB limit on all data?
Thanks
Baz
It's just for tethering.
http://blog.three.co.uk/2014/03/18/three-make-0800-numbers-free-on-new-pay-monthly-plans
Tethering only Baz, you still get unlimited data (on the One Plan) on your handset.
Hi
Thx, I dont really tether that much so Im not bothered about the 2Gb tethering cap. I'll stick with my One Plan for £15 pm for as long as I can.
Do all the new tarrifs have a 2GB tethering allowance?
Thanks
Baz
When did you take it out Baz?
The tethering cap is new and will apply to new contracts only, so if you (like me) locked in your contract last month (or anytime before now for that matter), you will still have unlimited tethering.
Hi
I took out the One Plan last October. I plan to carry on with the tarrif for as long as I can. Even when the new iPhone comes out, I'll buy the handset sim free and use my current sim. Come October this year when my 12 month contract ends. Will Three force me to transfer onto one of these new contracts?
Thanks
Baz
Either way, they have rolled out 4G at no extra cost, include free phone numbers now... So prices will have to rise, unfortunately, to accommodate such costs to drive the business forward...
And to maintain reasonable speeds for everyone they also need to introduce data caps to stop the top few percent who slow down the network to make it accessible to all of their customers.