Are 3 Any Good?

Master OzzyMaster Ozzy Posts: 18,923
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I'm currently eith 02 and pay £31 a month. I'm considering changing to 3's 'Ultimate Internet SIM 200' Plan, which includes unlmited data. The plan is only £12.50 a month, so much cheaper than my 02 contract. I've been with 02 for about 8 years though, so I'm a bit scared of changing!! What is the signal/rception like with 3 and is the internet fast? What are the pros and cons?
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  • gothergother Posts: 14,654
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    No avoid 3 at all costs , poor customer service , no 2G back up , calls keep getting dropped and they lie a lot too.

    I should add in my experience with 3.
  • SkipTracerSkipTracer Posts: 2,959
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    How good the signal is like asking how long a piece of string is.

    It’s brilliant where I am but might not be where you are.

    I would try a 3-2-1 PAYG sim from 3, put a tenner on it and try it for yourself.

    I get on average 12 to 14 Mb/s download using DC-HSPA at no extra charge but you need a compatible phone and most definitely a 3G phone.

    Never had a call drop but then I do have a very expensive Huawei G300 phone.:D

    As I don’t like to give false impressions of any network like some I thought I better add, the G300 is not a DC compatible phone and I only get DC using my Alcatel Y800 LTE Mifi device.
  • denyo1977denyo1977 Posts: 699
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    And another can of worms being opened.

    Why do people write 02 (zero-two) all the time instead of O2 (ohhh-two)?

    I am sorry, not having a go at the OP, but these threads are getting slowly boring. It's either "is one network good?" or "which phone should I get?".

    It depends on your personal circumstances, only you can decide.
  • scooby1970scooby1970 Posts: 2,797
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    Yes, Three are awesome. So much so that our engineers in work are all now on Three and we can contact them much more than we could on other networks, plus they can actually use their internet connections on their phones to tether with their iPads.

    I am on Three myself also, and having been on all the other networks, and having travelled the UK a lot can say I would never change networks now I've experienced Three for the last 12 months. The difference between other networks with value and service is the difference between night and day.

    :) Mark
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1,080
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    I joined Three from Vodafone about a month ago and have found coverage and performance to be excellent, and more surprisingly (given what I'd read prior) the customer services too.
  • Zee_BukhariZee_Bukhari Posts: 1,335
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    Three is excellent in my books. on my O2 backup I get a lot of dropped calls and poor call quality even on full signal, data is quite slow too, where as on Three even on one bar, the call quality is crystal clear and excellent for data.

    2G backup is not important these days unless you live really rural, where Three still have some active 2G backup, such as widely in Wales and Scottish highlands.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 2,151
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    I ditched O2 for 3, just over a month ago. Quote frankly it was the best thing I ever did.

    I can now actually use the internet on my phone while out and about. Pages actually load up! I can watch YouTube, spotify, etc... I could not do this before.

    Plus, free 4g when it becomes available in your area.

    They DO have a 2g backup... But there's no data on it. Just calls and texts.

    Plus, I have no data limit, and tethering.

    All for < £10 per month, for the first 12 months (thanks to quidco). £15 a month after that.
  • mogzyboymogzyboy Posts: 6,390
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    The best, and only, way to find out is to do it yourself. Pointless asking on here as there are some people with an agenda to peddle.

    Get yourself a Three Pay As You Go SIM, stick it in your phone / a spare (unlocked) handset that will read the SIM, and try it for yourself. Go to the places you regularly go to, and see if you have signal.

    The days of Three being a Mickey Mouse operation are long gone - they are a completely different beast now.

    OK, they don't have 2G fallback in many places anymore, but the 3G signal from MBNL (the joint venture for Three and EE's 3G networks) is so good now that it doesn't matter in most cases.
  • FlyinBrickFlyinBrick Posts: 1,571
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    Sebby* wrote: »
    I joined Three from Vodafone about a month ago and have found coverage and performance to be excellent, and more surprisingly (given what I'd read prior) the customer services too.

    Pretty much exactly the same for me too, ditched Voda last month, haven't looked back.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 522
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    I'm like you, in the process of thinking about changing. I get into many rural areas, and have so far taken one month to testing out three, but will probably consider testing them out for 2 or 3 months before moving, to see what their general overall signal is like.

    At my house, it's awesome, quicker than my DSL because I'm close to the mast, I get around 21-22Mb/s during peak hours, and then late night early morning is around 27-30Mb/s on my iPhone 5.

    You will really benefit if you have a DC-HSDPA capable phone like an iPhone 5, Galaxy S3/S4 so you benefit from high speeds on the 3G :)

    I've found their indoor coverage to not be as good as some other networks though. Where I get 2 bars with Vodafone/O2 in some of my normal areas, I get none with 3. However that's all subjective to where your using it, so I'd definitely get a PAYG sim, and keep testing it for long enough so you know exactly what kind of signal you're going to get in the normal places you use your phone.
  • jazzyjakejazzyjake Posts: 1,083
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    denyo1977 wrote: »
    And another can of worms being opened.

    Why do people write 02 (zero-two) all the time instead of O2 (ohhh-two)?

    I am sorry, not having a go at the OP, but these threads are getting slowly boring. It's either "is one network good?" or "which phone should I get?".

    It depends on your personal circumstances, only you can decide.
    but thats a stupid thing to say

    whats wrong with asking for advice? there maybe people who have had three and can give feedback...
  • enapaceenapace Posts: 4,303
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    Three have excellent outdoor 3G coverage there indoor coverage is hampered mainly by the spectrum they use for 3G which is 2100MHz. EE also use that spectrum but they have 1800MHz 2G and 4G which is better indoors. As others have said Three is certainly not a joke network anymore there only major problem really is indoor coverage that is because of spectrum which will be solved within next 2 years by 4G rollout. There customer service has picked up immensely far better than say EE at moment. I would seriously consider checking them out with a SIM card. Coming from O2 you will likely notice a massive speed increase what device do you currently have out of curiosity.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 522
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    The one thing I will say, is that recently there was a problem with my mast, if you understand that first line support has, basically, a set script to go through, play the game with them and you'll get through to someone else who knows a bit more what they're talking about.

    They were great with me, and got even better when they realised they were working with someone who knew a little bit about mobile networks, they treated me as such, which I thought was nice.
  • battlezonebattlezone Posts: 1,838
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    I'm considering changing to 3's 'Ultimate Internet SIM 200' Plan. What is the signal/rception like with 3 and is the internet fast? What are the pros and cons?

    I've been with 3 since almost day one. They are a lot better than those early days. As long as you get a good signal where you live and in the areas you frequent most then go for it. If you find you cannot get a decent signal indoors ask 3 about Home Signal. You connect it to a BB connection and it provides a mini mast indoors.

    3's deals ATM are probably some of the best around.:)
  • TheBigMTheBigM Posts: 13,125
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    denyo1977 wrote: »
    And another can of worms being opened.

    Why do people write 02 (zero-two) all the time instead of O2 (ohhh-two)?

    Why do people write Vodaphone too?
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 2,151
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    I believe they are also introducing a new WiFi app... So if you find yourself somewhere with no signal, but WiFi, you can still use your phone for calls or texts over WiFi.

    I suppose that does away with the need for a home signal box too?
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 177
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    Very happy new Three customer here - call quality has been superb and internet is extremely good as well. A vast improvement over T-Mobile.

    I would echo the suggestion to get a sim card first though to try them out, just in case. That said, it would be difficult to make a proper internet comparison if you're upgrading your phone to a 4G ready one - the speed test on my old Galaxy S2 was a lot different from my new Galaxy S4.
  • enapaceenapace Posts: 4,303
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    McTeagle wrote: »
    Very happy new Three customer here - call quality has been superb and internet is extremely good as well. A vast improvement over T-Mobile.

    I would echo the suggestion to get a sim card first though to try them out, just in case. That said, it would be difficult to make a proper internet comparison if you're upgrading your phone to a 4G ready one - the speed test on my old Galaxy S2 was a lot different from my new Galaxy S4.

    True I think if anyone is upgrading around this sort of time they need either a DC-HSDPA Or a LTE device. Preferably a LTE one for indoor coverage.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 995
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    I am a happy Three mobile customer and yes I do recommend it to you. I am paying £34 per month for the iPhone 5 on the "Ultimate Internet 500" plan and it's great. I've rarely had any issues with anything really.

    Sometimes the signal drops a bit but it's nothing worth getting upset about because the Internet speed is still very fast and responsive. And when it happens I can still call and text fine so it doesn't make a difference to be fair.

    I don't have any issues with their customer service team either. When I have rang them in the past nothing out of the ordinary has happened and they're quite friendly. Of course they tried to sign me up to more deals because that's their job so I respectfully say no and that's the end of it. I don't dislike them for it as I know it's probably commission for them so I understand.

    Also Three customers will be getting 4G for free when it is available in your area. As long as you have a 4G ready mobile then they will bump you up for free. I'm not sure if my iPhone 5 will get it but I'm sure I will cope. :)
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 2,151
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    TescoJeans wrote: »
    .

    Also Three customers will be getting 4G for free when it is available in your area. As long as you have a 4G ready mobile then they will bump you up for free. I'm not sure if my iPhone 5 will get it but I'm sure I will cope. :)

    Your iPhone 5 will get 4g with three
  • denyo1977denyo1977 Posts: 699
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    jazzyjake wrote: »
    but thats a stupid thing to say

    whats wrong with asking for advice? there maybe people who have had three and can give feedback...

    There MIGHT been people who have had Three? You do actually know you can ask about all four networks and you will always get lovers and haters as it depends on what you want from a network and where you live.
    Some will have great experiences with Three, some won't.

    I am not saying this as an example to start an O2 bashing again. But when I was with Giffgaff I thought signal around Newcastle was ok. So if i was someone who never left the area, I'd be a happy bunny. From my personal experience I know leaving the area the 3G signal was hopeless.
    So if we don't know where the OP lives, works, travels to ... how can anyone recommend anything really?
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 995
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    Your iPhone 5 will get 4g with three

    Then I am a happier man. ;)
  • lost boylost boy Posts: 1,982
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    SkipTracer wrote: »
    How good the signal is like asking how long a piece of string is.

    ^Agreed. Three's signal is great here, but I'll bet the OP is nowhere near.
    Three is excellent in my books. on my O2 backup I get a lot of dropped calls and poor call quality even on full signal, data is quite slow too, where as on Three even on one bar, the call quality is crystal clear and excellent for data.

    2G backup is not important these days unless you live really rural, where Three still have some active 2G backup, such as widely in Wales and Scottish highlands.

    Agreed - Three's call quality wipes the floor with O2's and Vodafone's efforts here, and that's before HD Voice. Texts are quick to send and data, despite some network congestion, pootles along at 11Mbps download.

    BIB - it's still on here too.
  • corfcorf Posts: 1,499
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    Also left voda for three 15 months ago - do not regret it one second.
  • enapaceenapace Posts: 4,303
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    denyo1977 wrote: »
    There MIGHT been people who have had Three? You do actually know you can ask about all four networks and you will always get lovers and haters as it depends on what you want from a network and where you live.
    Some will have great experiences with Three, some won't.

    I am not saying this as an example to start an O2 bashing again. But when I was with Giffgaff I thought signal around Newcastle was ok. So if i was someone who never left the area, I'd be a happy bunny. From my personal experience I know leaving the area the 3G signal was hopeless.
    So if we don't know where the OP lives, works, travels to ... how can anyone recommend anything really?

    True and I agree O2 are good for 3G in major cities but there rural leaves something to be desired. O2 has an amazing 2G network but EE and Three are miles ahead with 3G. Honestly not sure what Vodafone are good at from latest root metric tests they struggling to even ring on it.
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