Given all the endless high data users who have been sucking the network dry have been crawling out from under their rocks, I'm happy to say I will be sticking with them. Looking forward to the higher speeds once they kick the excessive users off
Mobile providers, just like any other company, base their offerings on what gets them the most profit, T-Mobile was Three's only competition when it came to AYCE tethering, now that T-Mobile has been gobbled by Orange and their is no more competition, there is no reason to offer any more than just enough to be better than the others.
The data consumption argument is just an excuse on Three's part, it's the same excuse that land line ISP's used during the early 2000s.
I have never used more than 10gb of data in a month (not even 2gb of tethering).
I can understand how some people would be P'd off though, but it's never ment to be used as a replacement for broadband like some people have been using it for (just nice to have unlimited for myself so I don't have to worry).
Hopefully they will limit the data on the phone to 100gb soon as well.
Prehaps they should give 100gb and use it anyway you like (phone data or tethering or both).
It's like some fatties taking the P at the all you can eat buffet. ;-)
Near the end of my contract I'm going to get a PAYG SIM with AYCE (no tethering) and see if I can circumvent the blockade which I managed once before many years ago, if I can't, then it's off to EE.
The data consumption argument is just an excuse on Three's part, it's the same excuse that land line ISP's used during the early 2000s.
The two are not comparable. Wired connectivity is easily, more cheaply and less limited in how it can be upgraded - a single fibre can carry a lot more information. If you have a fibre link running at 1Gbit/s it is fairly easy to get a 10x increase by simply replacing the equipment at both ends with 10Gbit equipment, for example. The same fibre may well be able to do 100Gbit with capable equipment. Wireless is not like this.
The ISPs problem was that they had to buy capacity from BT to handle the traffic their users were generating. That capacity was very expensive (and still isn't cheap), so the ISPs used data caps and traffic shaping to get demand down and avoid the need to pay for more connectivity from BT (as users tended to want the cheapest prices rather than the best possible service)
Wireless networks don't work like wired networks. Cell sites become congested very quickly and upgrades are not as simple as "putting more towers up", nor is it cheap. There is also a limited amount of quality spectrum with which to operate these networks.
3 and other companies suffer very real congestion issues that are hard to fix, short of booting off heavy users, such as the heavy tetherers trying to use cheap phone plans as long term internet connections at home. 3's network is not built for that.
It's not an "excuse", and to say it is shows that you don't know a lot about the logistics and theory behind it all
I suggest people do like the majority - install a BT landline and pay a proper more reasonable price for their data like the majority of the population.
I suggest people do like the majority - install a BT landline and pay a proper more reasonable price for their data like the majority of the population.
For some people, mobile broadband will be faster and/or more reliable than ADSL though.
You'd think that the networks could step in and provide some sort of "rural" mobile broadband plan with a decent usage allowance, given that these people will likely be in sparsely populated areas and aren't as likely to be a pest on the network
For some people, mobile broadband will be faster and/or more reliable than ADSL though.
You'd think that the networks could step in and provide some sort of "rural" mobile broadband plan with a decent usage allowance, given that these people will likely be in sparsely populated areas and aren't as likely to be a pest on the network
EE have a 50GB mobile broadband plan. Wouldn't that be classed as a decent usage allowance?
EE have a 50GB mobile broadband plan. Wouldn't that be classed as a decent usage allowance?
That's getting there. Lower the price or introduce a 100GB plan (or else have 50GB but don't charge rip off rates for every extra GB) and many people might move.
Appearing? VPN technology isn't new - and 3 are fully aware of it. I'm reasonably sure that 3 already throttle VPN usage, based on my own experience (which was not to circumvent any of 3's restrictions, just so you can rest easy).
But ultimately if people want to try to find workarounds then that's up to them, just as it is up to 3 to deal with that. It's a bit pious to suggest that people shouldn't be aware.
I doubt that unlimited data will disappear - while the tethering users are probably small (but have a big impact on the network), people do join 3 explicitly for unlimited data, and removing that on a wide scale really will cause massive churn. It's a much bigger selling point than tethering was, and worth dealing with the issues that 3 has (in building coverage problems, sub-par performance) in order to get it.
Am I missing something here, when a contract gets to the end I.e 18 or 24 months it just becomes a 30 day contract ?
The contract is still legally binding so how can 3 just basically tear it up
What would happen if you failed to give them 30 days notice when you want to cancel they would still be charging you....
The two are not comparable. Wired connectivity is easily, more cheaply and less limited in how it can be upgraded - a single fibre can carry a lot more information. If you have a fibre link running at 1Gbit/s it is fairly easy to get a 10x increase by simply replacing the equipment at both ends with 10Gbit equipment, for example. The same fibre may well be able to do 100Gbit with capable equipment. Wireless is not like this.
The ISPs problem was that they had to buy capacity from BT to handle the traffic their users were generating. That capacity was very expensive (and still isn't cheap), so the ISPs used data caps and traffic shaping to get demand down and avoid the need to pay for more connectivity from BT (as users tended to want the cheapest prices rather than the best possible service)
Wireless networks don't work like wired networks. Cell sites become congested very quickly and upgrades are not as simple as "putting more towers up", nor is it cheap. There is also a limited amount of quality spectrum with which to operate these networks.
3 and other companies suffer very real congestion issues that are hard to fix, short of booting off heavy users, such as the heavy tetherers trying to use cheap phone plans as long term internet connections at home. 3's network is not built for that.
It's not an "excuse", and to say it is shows that you don't know a lot about the logistics and theory behind it all
Three didn't even try to manage the traffic during peak times like landline ISPs did (and some still do), and there is no excuse for limited tethering outside of peak times for other than financial reasons.
Am I missing something here, when a contract gets to the end I.e 18 or 24 months it just becomes a 30 day contract ?
The contract is still legally binding so how can 3 just basically tear it up
What would happen if you failed to give them 30 days notice when you want to cancel they would still be charging you....
When you finish the 12, 18 & 24 months contract you just finish the minimum term where both parties are obliged to terms and conditions they signed up for.
After the minimum term have passed either party is free to decide what they want to do.
Am I missing something here, when a contract gets to the end I.e 18 or 24 months it just becomes a 30 day contract ?
The contract is still legally binding so how can 3 just basically tear it up
What would happen if you failed to give them 30 days notice when you want to cancel they would still be charging you....
Yes as in -
"Your minimum term is the minimum duration of your contract. Unless we receive notice, your contract will automatically continue after this date."
But...
"4. Variations to your agreement or prices
4.1 The Monthly Charge for your Package is fixed for the Minimum Term of your agreement.
4.2 We may vary any of the terms of your agreement, including our Packages or prices, on the following basis:
(a) any updated Packages and new terms will be available on our website and on request to Three Customer
Services;
(b) we will let you know at least one month in advance if we decide to:
(i) discontinue your Package; or
(ii) make any variations to your agreement which are (in our reasonable opinion) likely to be of material
detriment to you. You can end the agreement for such variations as explained in Section 10.
(c) we may need to change or introduce new Charges in respect of our Outside of Allowance Services.
If we do, we’ll let you know at least one month in advance unless we believe such changes are not (in our
reasonable opinion) likely to be of material detriment to you or you don’t (in our reasonable opinion) regularly
use the Outside of Allowance Services affected;
(d) we may change or introduce new Charges in respect of Additional Services or Add-Ons – we’ll publish
any changes on our website. If any Add-ons affected have a recurring Charge, we’ll let you know at least
fourteen (14) days before the Charge changes.
4.3 For the avoidance of doubt, you will not be able to end the agreement if any variation or increase:
(a) is due to changes to the law, government regulation or licence which affect us – this includes any
increase or change in the rate of VAT or other applicable taxes or any new taxes that are introduced; or
(b) relates solely to:
(i) Additional Services; or
(ii) Add-on(s) (if applicable to you).
In such circumstances you will not be able to end your agreement but you will be able to cancel the Addon(
s) or stop using the Additional Services.
4.4 You will not be able to end the agreement if you carry on using Three Services after any variation or change
commences as you will be deemed to have accepted the variation."
You'd think that the networks could step in and provide some sort of "rural" mobile broadband plan with a decent usage allowance, given that these people will likely be in sparsely populated areas and aren't as likely to be a pest on the network
They did in villages around here where Three advertised their mobile broadband solution as a way to get online in areas BT are dragging their feet to provide a service (and where 2Mbps ADSL is considered a luxury) or just flatly plain refuse.
Now the rug is being pulled from under their feet that for a unlucky few, the options are to go offline or move. What a joke!
They did in villages around here where Three advertised their mobile broadband solution as a way to get online in areas BT are dragging their feet to provide a service (and where 2Mbps ADSL is considered a luxury) or just flatly plain refuse.
Yes, they advertised 'mobile broadband'; as in dongles, MiFi etc which have a dedicated data tariff and a monthly usage cap. This service is still available and unchanged.
The OnePlan was never advertised as a broadband solution that I saw.
Three didn't even try to manage the traffic during peak times like landline ISPs did (and some still do), and there is no excuse for limited tethering outside of peak times for other than financial reasons.
Yes they do - Trafficsense. I've used 3 tethering in a congested urban area and there is a dramatic difference once the traffic shaping kicks in.
Clearly this hasn't worked well enough so they want rid of the unprofitable heavy users.
Time-based usage would be something you'd find on mobile broadband, not tethering. Again, the tethering was not sold as a home broadband service. (and this isn't something I have seen on many ADSL ISPs - maybe two)
They did in villages around here where Three advertised their mobile broadband solution as a way to get online in areas BT are dragging their feet to provide a service (and where 2Mbps ADSL is considered a luxury) or just flatly plain refuse.
Now the rug is being pulled from under their feet that for a unlucky few, the options are to go offline or move. What a joke!
This is Three Mobile Broadband, it doesn't include any phone price plan.
The problem I have is that on most months I'll have no tethering usage at all (and not a huge amount of mobile data either). However, sometimes I am on-call and need to ability to tether since I might not be at home.
The last thing I need is to be trying to fix some problem remotely and then hit my tether cap.
Yes, I can have a mobile broadband dongle or something but have enjoyed the simplicity of just having the one contract to worry about.
So, averaged over the year I wouldn't be a very high user but an individual month could take me over that months limit.
If I'm going to go to the trouble of getting a mobile broadband connection as well as a phone connection then I may as well switch to EE. Yes I am paying more a month but I have a higher data cap (which I'm not likely to hit at all), a single contract to worry about and it comes with some of the things that Three don't supply (but was willing to accept whilst they were significantly cheaper) such as Visual Voicemail and soon to come Wifi Calling.
So I have called Three for my PAC - as is often the case, the person I spoke too needs training as he had no idea about the changes to the One Plan that are being made. Why is it that companies that are based on communications are often the worst at actually communicating to people!
I suggest people do like the majority - install a BT landline and pay a proper more reasonable price for their data like the majority of the population.
Yet another shortsighted, ill thought out comment. I suggest you try living with 512k - 1mbps for the next seven years or so, and see how you get on, because for millions of people in rural areas, sub 2mbps is the reality and won't change anytime soon. BT is never going to roll out Fibre or even decent ADSL to areas whose exchanges serve under 100 properties, common sense says it would take decades to claw back the equipment costs from so few subscribers so its never going to happen. The result is, that, if you live in any of these areas or indeed any area with poor ADSL speeds, then you go away and you find an alternative, and if its there and its available and its sold to you, then you use it. Anybody who says they wouldn't do the same when faced with finding a solution to the same problem is deluded.
I see often read on this and other forums, the tales of woe and endless moaning and hand wringing when Fibre speeds drop below 40mbps, or ADSL delivers less than 4 or 6mbps, some seem to be on the verge of needing counseling on these type of threads as they seem to run forever when they are started. I wonder how they would get on with rural type speeds, and how long they could ignore the 'tether' feature on their phone, if that was their daily reality. No smoke and mirrors, no pack drill!.
Three advertised their mobile broadband solution as a way to get online in areas BT are dragging their feet to provide a service (and where 2Mbps ADSL is considered a luxury) or just flatly plain refuse.
Although it wasn't directly advertised by Three, we were advised 'unofficially' to resort to mobile broadband use in order to solve our local ADSL problems, and this was after around 5 years of campaigning between BT, the Local MP's and one of the rural broadband campaign groups drew the end conclusion - "don't expect ADSL to improve anytime in the future".
Its amazing, that given Tethering is the reason given for being responsible for poor data speeds and is such a heinous, selfish activity (according to a few), why our mast still flies along at 10mbps quite routinely even during peak times despite most of the area using it as an ADSL substitute. Just lucky I guess!. ;-)
Got an email today at work that our company benefits are up for renewal. I looked at a galaxy s5 and it has the one plan as an option? http://i.imgur.com/ZBIteNQ.jpg
Am I missing something here, when a contract gets to the end I.e 18 or 24 months it just becomes a 30 day contract ?
The contract is still legally binding so how can 3 just basically tear it up
What would happen if you failed to give them 30 days notice when you want to cancel they would still be charging you....
Three can give notice to a customer, just the same as the other way around.
In practice, a company would usually be mad to do so. The ill feeling created could just result in losing that customer entirely, but if a company was losing money then it could perhaps be justified.
It's a rare thing to happen, and I don't think Three comes out looking very good for doing this - especially if it thinks it can appear fairer by moving everyone on any tariff before those launched this year. However, if some people are getting differently worded texts now then perhaps Three is already trying some damage limitation.
It is a bold step for Three and I am intrigued to see if other networks now see this as a green light to do the same, as the other networks all have a large number of legacy tariffs they still hold on to.
I remember back in the One2One days when the network wanted everyone off the PersonalCall tariff (free evening and weekend calls) but even One2One never forced people off, it just started to increase the charges for other times of the day - until such time that people could see they were better off moving anyway.
Obviously today free calls isn't such an issue, as people make less of them, so loads of tariffs have unlimited calls. Ironic perhaps, but that's only because now it's all about data.
They did in villages around here where Three advertised their mobile broadband solution as a way to get online in areas BT are dragging their feet to provide a service (and where 2Mbps ADSL is considered a luxury) or just flatly plain refuse.
Now the rug is being pulled from under their feet that for a unlucky few, the options are to go offline or move. What a joke!
Unless I'm missing something, the options go beyond going offline or moving. Surely that's the joke?
Three would have been advertising mobile broadband. I know this because they advertised that very thing in What Mobile when I was Editor, and it started with the USB dongles. These were sold with mobile broadband SIMs, which still exist today with pretty much unchanged pricing.
The clue is in the name; mobile broadband. As in a mobile version of fixed broadband.
Nobody is in the least affected by these changes, and some could arguably get a better service next year.
Its amazing, that given Tethering is the reason given for being responsible for poor data speeds and is such a heinous, selfish activity (according to a few), why our mast still flies along at 10mbps quite routinely even during peak times despite most of the area using it as an ADSL substitute. Just lucky I guess!. ;-)
Not lucky, three are limited by their cellular spectrum, each mast is only capable of so much bandwdith. The masts in the cities are saturated by hundreds/thousands of users, the mast in the rural areas with very few users are not impacted as much.
Comments
The data consumption argument is just an excuse on Three's part, it's the same excuse that land line ISP's used during the early 2000s.
I have never used more than 10gb of data in a month (not even 2gb of tethering).
I can understand how some people would be P'd off though, but it's never ment to be used as a replacement for broadband like some people have been using it for (just nice to have unlimited for myself so I don't have to worry).
Hopefully they will limit the data on the phone to 100gb soon as well.
Prehaps they should give 100gb and use it anyway you like (phone data or tethering or both).
It's like some fatties taking the P at the all you can eat buffet. ;-)
The two are not comparable. Wired connectivity is easily, more cheaply and less limited in how it can be upgraded - a single fibre can carry a lot more information. If you have a fibre link running at 1Gbit/s it is fairly easy to get a 10x increase by simply replacing the equipment at both ends with 10Gbit equipment, for example. The same fibre may well be able to do 100Gbit with capable equipment. Wireless is not like this.
The ISPs problem was that they had to buy capacity from BT to handle the traffic their users were generating. That capacity was very expensive (and still isn't cheap), so the ISPs used data caps and traffic shaping to get demand down and avoid the need to pay for more connectivity from BT (as users tended to want the cheapest prices rather than the best possible service)
Wireless networks don't work like wired networks. Cell sites become congested very quickly and upgrades are not as simple as "putting more towers up", nor is it cheap. There is also a limited amount of quality spectrum with which to operate these networks.
3 and other companies suffer very real congestion issues that are hard to fix, short of booting off heavy users, such as the heavy tetherers trying to use cheap phone plans as long term internet connections at home. 3's network is not built for that.
It's not an "excuse", and to say it is shows that you don't know a lot about the logistics and theory behind it all
For some people, mobile broadband will be faster and/or more reliable than ADSL though.
You'd think that the networks could step in and provide some sort of "rural" mobile broadband plan with a decent usage allowance, given that these people will likely be in sparsely populated areas and aren't as likely to be a pest on the network
EE have a 50GB mobile broadband plan. Wouldn't that be classed as a decent usage allowance?
£50 a month and a two year contract. Hardly enticing.
That's getting there. Lower the price or introduce a 100GB plan (or else have 50GB but don't charge rip off rates for every extra GB) and many people might move.
I can't get connected to VPN with my 3 PAYG sim.
The contract is still legally binding so how can 3 just basically tear it up
What would happen if you failed to give them 30 days notice when you want to cancel they would still be charging you....
Three didn't even try to manage the traffic during peak times like landline ISPs did (and some still do), and there is no excuse for limited tethering outside of peak times for other than financial reasons.
Have you tried a PPTP VPN?
OpenVPN over port 80?
Tethering using the PDANET app with hide tethering usage setting on?
When you finish the 12, 18 & 24 months contract you just finish the minimum term where both parties are obliged to terms and conditions they signed up for.
After the minimum term have passed either party is free to decide what they want to do.
Yes as in -
"Your minimum term is the minimum duration of your contract. Unless we receive notice, your contract will automatically continue after this date."
But...
"4. Variations to your agreement or prices
4.1 The Monthly Charge for your Package is fixed for the Minimum Term of your agreement.
4.2 We may vary any of the terms of your agreement, including our Packages or prices, on the following basis:
(a) any updated Packages and new terms will be available on our website and on request to Three Customer
Services;
(b) we will let you know at least one month in advance if we decide to:
(i) discontinue your Package; or
(ii) make any variations to your agreement which are (in our reasonable opinion) likely to be of material
detriment to you. You can end the agreement for such variations as explained in Section 10.
(c) we may need to change or introduce new Charges in respect of our Outside of Allowance Services.
If we do, we’ll let you know at least one month in advance unless we believe such changes are not (in our
reasonable opinion) likely to be of material detriment to you or you don’t (in our reasonable opinion) regularly
use the Outside of Allowance Services affected;
(d) we may change or introduce new Charges in respect of Additional Services or Add-Ons – we’ll publish
any changes on our website. If any Add-ons affected have a recurring Charge, we’ll let you know at least
fourteen (14) days before the Charge changes.
4.3 For the avoidance of doubt, you will not be able to end the agreement if any variation or increase:
(a) is due to changes to the law, government regulation or licence which affect us – this includes any
increase or change in the rate of VAT or other applicable taxes or any new taxes that are introduced; or
(b) relates solely to:
(i) Additional Services; or
(ii) Add-on(s) (if applicable to you).
In such circumstances you will not be able to end your agreement but you will be able to cancel the Addon(
s) or stop using the Additional Services.
4.4 You will not be able to end the agreement if you carry on using Three Services after any variation or change
commences as you will be deemed to have accepted the variation."
Now the rug is being pulled from under their feet that for a unlucky few, the options are to go offline or move. What a joke!
Yes, they advertised 'mobile broadband'; as in dongles, MiFi etc which have a dedicated data tariff and a monthly usage cap. This service is still available and unchanged.
The OnePlan was never advertised as a broadband solution that I saw.
Yes they do - Trafficsense. I've used 3 tethering in a congested urban area and there is a dramatic difference once the traffic shaping kicks in.
Clearly this hasn't worked well enough so they want rid of the unprofitable heavy users.
Time-based usage would be something you'd find on mobile broadband, not tethering. Again, the tethering was not sold as a home broadband service. (and this isn't something I have seen on many ADSL ISPs - maybe two)
Or buy an appropriate plan for what you intend to do.
This is Three Mobile Broadband, it doesn't include any phone price plan.
http://www.three.co.uk/Store/Mobile_Broadband?tab=MiFi%E2%84%A2+&+Dongles
The last thing I need is to be trying to fix some problem remotely and then hit my tether cap.
Yes, I can have a mobile broadband dongle or something but have enjoyed the simplicity of just having the one contract to worry about.
So, averaged over the year I wouldn't be a very high user but an individual month could take me over that months limit.
If I'm going to go to the trouble of getting a mobile broadband connection as well as a phone connection then I may as well switch to EE. Yes I am paying more a month but I have a higher data cap (which I'm not likely to hit at all), a single contract to worry about and it comes with some of the things that Three don't supply (but was willing to accept whilst they were significantly cheaper) such as Visual Voicemail and soon to come Wifi Calling.
So I have called Three for my PAC - as is often the case, the person I spoke too needs training as he had no idea about the changes to the One Plan that are being made. Why is it that companies that are based on communications are often the worst at actually communicating to people!
Yet another shortsighted, ill thought out comment. I suggest you try living with 512k - 1mbps for the next seven years or so, and see how you get on, because for millions of people in rural areas, sub 2mbps is the reality and won't change anytime soon. BT is never going to roll out Fibre or even decent ADSL to areas whose exchanges serve under 100 properties, common sense says it would take decades to claw back the equipment costs from so few subscribers so its never going to happen. The result is, that, if you live in any of these areas or indeed any area with poor ADSL speeds, then you go away and you find an alternative, and if its there and its available and its sold to you, then you use it. Anybody who says they wouldn't do the same when faced with finding a solution to the same problem is deluded.
I see often read on this and other forums, the tales of woe and endless moaning and hand wringing when Fibre speeds drop below 40mbps, or ADSL delivers less than 4 or 6mbps, some seem to be on the verge of needing counseling on these type of threads as they seem to run forever when they are started. I wonder how they would get on with rural type speeds, and how long they could ignore the 'tether' feature on their phone, if that was their daily reality. No smoke and mirrors, no pack drill!.
Although it wasn't directly advertised by Three, we were advised 'unofficially' to resort to mobile broadband use in order to solve our local ADSL problems, and this was after around 5 years of campaigning between BT, the Local MP's and one of the rural broadband campaign groups drew the end conclusion - "don't expect ADSL to improve anytime in the future".
Its amazing, that given Tethering is the reason given for being responsible for poor data speeds and is such a heinous, selfish activity (according to a few), why our mast still flies along at 10mbps quite routinely even during peak times despite most of the area using it as an ADSL substitute. Just lucky I guess!. ;-)
http://i.imgur.com/ZBIteNQ.jpg
Three can give notice to a customer, just the same as the other way around.
In practice, a company would usually be mad to do so. The ill feeling created could just result in losing that customer entirely, but if a company was losing money then it could perhaps be justified.
It's a rare thing to happen, and I don't think Three comes out looking very good for doing this - especially if it thinks it can appear fairer by moving everyone on any tariff before those launched this year. However, if some people are getting differently worded texts now then perhaps Three is already trying some damage limitation.
It is a bold step for Three and I am intrigued to see if other networks now see this as a green light to do the same, as the other networks all have a large number of legacy tariffs they still hold on to.
I remember back in the One2One days when the network wanted everyone off the PersonalCall tariff (free evening and weekend calls) but even One2One never forced people off, it just started to increase the charges for other times of the day - until such time that people could see they were better off moving anyway.
Obviously today free calls isn't such an issue, as people make less of them, so loads of tariffs have unlimited calls. Ironic perhaps, but that's only because now it's all about data.
Unless I'm missing something, the options go beyond going offline or moving. Surely that's the joke?
Three would have been advertising mobile broadband. I know this because they advertised that very thing in What Mobile when I was Editor, and it started with the USB dongles. These were sold with mobile broadband SIMs, which still exist today with pretty much unchanged pricing.
The clue is in the name; mobile broadband. As in a mobile version of fixed broadband.
Nobody is in the least affected by these changes, and some could arguably get a better service next year.
Not lucky, three are limited by their cellular spectrum, each mast is only capable of so much bandwdith. The masts in the cities are saturated by hundreds/thousands of users, the mast in the rural areas with very few users are not impacted as much.