Well, it's been a few months this thread has been dormant and with the news that Three might be removing tethering from their One Plan...I'm now back researching!
I've heard quite a few reports that some of the networks seem to turn a blind eye to tethering. I have friends on Giff Gaff and TMobile that both tell me that tethering is not officially supported on their tariff and yet they have been doing it for several months with no repercussions.
Also, just chatted with an online TMobile rep who told me that ALL their tariffs include tethering including their unlimited plans. T&Cs on the website say different however!
I've heard quite a few reports that some of the networks seem to turn a blind eye to tethering. I have friends on Giff Gaff and TMobile that both tell me that tethering is not officially supported on their tariff and yet they have been doing it for several months with no repercussions.
The giffgaff forum is full of posts from users who've had internet access blocked due to tethering detection whilst using an unlimited data plan. Another common complaint is poor data speeds which I have experienced myself. There are also "play fair" T&C that limit data usage i.e. a certain amount in a certain time or in a single location etc will likely result in a block.
Also, just chatted with an online TMobile rep who told me that ALL their tariffs include tethering including their unlimited plans. T&Cs on the website say different however!
They did this to me when I asked for a PAC, suggesting that I move to the Full Monty, but after lots more grilling they admitted that it wasn't permitted but that they didn't check, so you could do it anyway. Sounds more plausible but I don't know if I believe it.
Well, it's been a few months this thread has been dormant and with the news that Three might be removing tethering from their One Plan...I'm now back researching!
I've heard quite a few reports that some of the networks seem to turn a blind eye to tethering. I have friends on Giff Gaff and TMobile that both tell me that tethering is not officially supported on their tariff and yet they have been doing it for several months with no repercussions.
Also, just chatted with an online TMobile rep who told me that ALL their tariffs include tethering including their unlimited plans. T&Cs on the website say different however!
Have any of you had any experience of this?
T-Mobile *does* now allow tethering on their new unlimited *with handset* plans.
Virgin will no longer allow tethering on any plan from the 28th March 2013.
Giffgaff are confirmed to only allow tethering on the 1GB £10 plan.
Regarding Three, even though they allow tethering once 3pm comes along there TrafficSense system makes there data internet virtually unusable until 12am. YouTube wont work, Web pages load like dial up. This is at least my experience with Three the past couple of weeks I dunno if its different for everyone else. But if it is the same for other people then Tethering on Three is kinda made redundant.
Same experience with me on three. I've made a complaint , let's see where it gets me
Same experience with me on three. I've made a complaint , let's see where it gets me
Has this been happening more in recent weeks?
Is it fairly built-up areas where you experience this? (Areas where you expect there would be lots of mobile users?)
Not sure if Trafficsense is managed on a cell site basis or whether it has a blanket coverage during the hours it is active. I suspect it only kicks in when there is a congestion issue locally or the chance of that arising but I'm not really sure how the system is configured.
Is it fairly built-up areas where you experience this? (Areas where you expect there would be lots of mobile users?)
Not sure if Trafficsense is managed on a cell site basis or whether it has a blanket coverage during the hours it is active. I suspect it only kicks in when there is a congestion issue locally or the chance of that arising but I'm not really sure how the system is configured.
Since I joined early January really. The weird thing is it's blistering fast during the day and even faster than home broadband. But come evening, say around 6pm, there's no way you will stream anything off iplayer or YouTube.
I think you're right the traffic sense might be being used in built up areas only.
I rarely tether (maybe 1gb a year if I'm lucky!) and I only really got this plan to let me stream radio and iplayer without keeping an eye on my data usage - even then I don't consider myself a heavy user. Normal use is around 2-3gb per month and in a heavy month it's around 4-5gb.
I initially signed up on a 30 day contract but stupidly went for a full 12 months when I heard rumors of three putting prices up.
Now I'm regretting it. And looking at ways to get out.
Is it fairly built-up areas where you experience this? (Areas where you expect there would be lots of mobile users?)
Not sure if Trafficsense is managed on a cell site basis or whether it has a blanket coverage during the hours it is active. I suspect it only kicks in when there is a congestion issue locally or the chance of that arising but I'm not really sure how the system is configured.
A few users have said it's on a site-by-site basis, not that that means much.
I've seen it throttle 4G down from 60Mbps+ to less than 4Mbps in a virtually empty business district at 11pm.
Chances are there are several levels of it, though the term "trafficsense" is itself a proprietary PR definition with no real technical meaning, traffic shaping in general is likely to be used both locally and nationally.
They do say the throttling of tethering and P2P between 3pm and midnight is just "an example" of one aspect of TrafficSense.
Since I joined early January really. The weird thing is it's blistering fast during the day and even faster than home broadband. But come evening, say around 6pm, there's no way you will stream anything off iplayer or YouTube.
I think you're right the traffic sense might be being used in built up areas only.
I rarely tether (maybe 1gb a year if I'm lucky!) and I only really got this plan to let me stream radio and iplayer without keeping an eye on my data usage - even then I don't consider myself a heavy user. Normal use is around 2-3gb per month and in a heavy month it's around 4-5gb.
I initially signed up on a 30 day contract but stupidly went for a full 12 months when I heard rumors of three putting prices up.
Now I'm regretting it. And looking at ways to get out.
Interesting because I have some friends who are in a built up area which has a high number of students and immigrants many of whom rely on a mobile for all their Internet needs. People I know have bought a handset because of the 'unlimited' data facility and have found that the performance on 3 has reduced over the last few months both when tethering and also when trying to use the internet on the handset itself. I have only once conducted a quick test in the same area with a PAYG SIM to see if similar results occur and was surprised to be able to get very reasonable speeds when a contract user in the same room could not. My conclusion was that perhaps there may be a number of factors affecting data provision with Trafficsense which might take into account individual usage patterns, local congestion and type of account being used.
Quite a disappointment not to be able to stream at peak times with Youtube etc. That is supposed to be one of the things Trafficsense helps improve but I expect it has limitations and the only certain way to cope with demand is to add additional sites and deploy additional bandwidth using more efficient technology like LTE and LTE-A.
I have only once conducted a quick test in the same area with a PAYG SIM to see if similar results occur and was surprised to be able to get very reasonable speeds when a contract user in the same room could not. My conclusion was that perhaps there may be a number of factors affecting data provision with Trafficsense which might take into account individual usage patterns, local congestion and type of account being used.
There's also bad load balancing where if I tilt my phone 20 degrees it'll switch from one cell to another and jump from 400kbps to 4Mbps.
This has been a very useful thread. Given by Contract is due for renewal in April what is the current state. Has 3 stopped tethering now on the one Contract.?
You can tether on 3 on a contract One Plan up to 2gb a month. It's still unlimited on sim free but god knows how long for.
I've been told (and from what I've read on their T&Cs) that you can tether on T-Mobile 24mth contracts now, up to the amount of data you have on your contract. So an unlimited data package on your contract = unlimited tethering.
You can tether on 3 on a contract One Plan up to 2gb a month. It's still unlimited on sim free but god knows how long for.
I've been told (and from what I've read on their T&Cs) that you can tether on T-Mobile 24mth contracts now, up to the amount of data you have on your contract. So an unlimited data package on your contract = unlimited tethering.
Looks like Three have folded on their 'unlimited tethering' with the One Plan. It's been great for me over the last couple of years but I was recently informed that when my current contract ends I'll be moved to a restricted download contract.
Virgin will no longer allow tethering on any plan from the 28th March 2013.
Giffgaff are confirmed to only allow tethering on the 1GB £10 plan.
Regarding Three, even though they allow tethering once 3pm comes along there TrafficSense system makes there data internet virtually unusable until 12am. YouTube wont work, Web pages load like dial up. This is at least my experience with Three the past couple of weeks I dunno if its different for everyone else. But if it is the same for other people then Tethering on Three is kinda made redundant.
Yes it is different for others, Internet works fine and youtube works at any time of the day, I never notice any slowing down at any point during the day either
Looks like Three have folded on their 'unlimited tethering' with the One Plan. It's been great for me over the last couple of years but I was recently informed that when my current contract ends I'll be moved to a restricted download contract.
Rats!
DS
Huh? If your on the one plan with all you can eat data then they can't "move" you off anything, you'll stay on the same tariff and the same exact t&c's until you either upgrade yourself or change tariffs yourself, if you don't you will stay on the same tariff.
Huh? If your on the one plan with all you can eat data then they can't "move" you off anything, you'll stay on the same tariff and the same exact t&c's until you either upgrade yourself or change tariffs yourself, if you don't you will stay on the same tariff.
Huh? If your on the one plan with all you can eat data then they can't "move" you off anything, you'll stay on the same tariff and the same exact t&c's until you either upgrade yourself or change tariffs yourself, if you don't you will stay on the same tariff.
LOL
I gather you don't read this part of the forum all that often ;-).
Huh? If your on the one plan with all you can eat data then they can't "move" you off anything, you'll stay on the same tariff and the same exact t&c's until you either upgrade yourself or change tariffs yourself, if you don't you will stay on the same tariff.
Once the minimum term of a contract has been completed - either the customer or the company has the right to change, or even stop providing the services.
Oh ok last time I read one of the many "Three will stop AYCE data" threads everyone was saying existing customers can't be forced to change tariffs. That's changed obviously?
What's the point of signing a contract if they can change it? Defeats the object doesn't it? May aswell not call it a "contract". Pay as you go and "you will pay a fixed price and have fixed t&c's until we say so"
What's the point of signing a contract if they can change it? Defeats the object doesn't it? May aswell not call it a "contract". Pay as you go and "you will pay a fixed price and have fixed t&c's until we say so"
It works both ways. That's the point of the minimum term - you can't leave without paying termination fees, and they agree not to drastically change the terms (and if they do, you can terminate without penalty).
The contract that you signed or agreed to allows them to do what they want once the minimum term is up, just as you can do whatever you want, and if both you and the network want to continue with things as they are then that's fine. The point is that for the initial 12/18/24 months you do at least get some stability. You won't get that on PAYG.
It would be unreasonable to expect them to continue with a plan that may be unprofitable or unsustainable. At least 3 are waiting for contracts to be up before telling you to move to a new plan. Mine was up 3 months ago and I still haven't been contacted.
Comments
Well because of the varying external factors. You'll never see 100% throughput.
Perhaps, but I dont think you can apply some fixed max speed to that rule.
Especially considering my setup.:D
I've had 18Mbps out of the iPhone 5 (see pics on the twitter profile I posted)...which considering my very rural location is pretty impressive.
My nearest neighbour a mile away gets 2.5Mbps on landline lol
I've heard quite a few reports that some of the networks seem to turn a blind eye to tethering. I have friends on Giff Gaff and TMobile that both tell me that tethering is not officially supported on their tariff and yet they have been doing it for several months with no repercussions.
Also, just chatted with an online TMobile rep who told me that ALL their tariffs include tethering including their unlimited plans. T&Cs on the website say different however!
Have any of you had any experience of this?
The giffgaff forum is full of posts from users who've had internet access blocked due to tethering detection whilst using an unlimited data plan. Another common complaint is poor data speeds which I have experienced myself. There are also "play fair" T&C that limit data usage i.e. a certain amount in a certain time or in a single location etc will likely result in a block.
They did this to me when I asked for a PAC, suggesting that I move to the Full Monty, but after lots more grilling they admitted that it wasn't permitted but that they didn't check, so you could do it anyway. Sounds more plausible but I don't know if I believe it.
Same experience with me on three. I've made a complaint , let's see where it gets me
Has this been happening more in recent weeks?
Is it fairly built-up areas where you experience this? (Areas where you expect there would be lots of mobile users?)
Not sure if Trafficsense is managed on a cell site basis or whether it has a blanket coverage during the hours it is active. I suspect it only kicks in when there is a congestion issue locally or the chance of that arising but I'm not really sure how the system is configured.
Since I joined early January really. The weird thing is it's blistering fast during the day and even faster than home broadband. But come evening, say around 6pm, there's no way you will stream anything off iplayer or YouTube.
I think you're right the traffic sense might be being used in built up areas only.
I rarely tether (maybe 1gb a year if I'm lucky!) and I only really got this plan to let me stream radio and iplayer without keeping an eye on my data usage - even then I don't consider myself a heavy user. Normal use is around 2-3gb per month and in a heavy month it's around 4-5gb.
I initially signed up on a 30 day contract but stupidly went for a full 12 months when I heard rumors of three putting prices up.
Now I'm regretting it. And looking at ways to get out.
A few users have said it's on a site-by-site basis, not that that means much.
I've seen it throttle 4G down from 60Mbps+ to less than 4Mbps in a virtually empty business district at 11pm.
Chances are there are several levels of it, though the term "trafficsense" is itself a proprietary PR definition with no real technical meaning, traffic shaping in general is likely to be used both locally and nationally.
They do say the throttling of tethering and P2P between 3pm and midnight is just "an example" of one aspect of TrafficSense.
Interesting because I have some friends who are in a built up area which has a high number of students and immigrants many of whom rely on a mobile for all their Internet needs. People I know have bought a handset because of the 'unlimited' data facility and have found that the performance on 3 has reduced over the last few months both when tethering and also when trying to use the internet on the handset itself. I have only once conducted a quick test in the same area with a PAYG SIM to see if similar results occur and was surprised to be able to get very reasonable speeds when a contract user in the same room could not. My conclusion was that perhaps there may be a number of factors affecting data provision with Trafficsense which might take into account individual usage patterns, local congestion and type of account being used.
Quite a disappointment not to be able to stream at peak times with Youtube etc. That is supposed to be one of the things Trafficsense helps improve but I expect it has limitations and the only certain way to cope with demand is to add additional sites and deploy additional bandwidth using more efficient technology like LTE and LTE-A.
That is interesting. I was not aware that such a small change could make such a huge difference.
I've been told (and from what I've read on their T&Cs) that you can tether on T-Mobile 24mth contracts now, up to the amount of data you have on your contract. So an unlimited data package on your contract = unlimited tethering.
ok thanks.
Rats!
DS
Yes it is different for others, Internet works fine and youtube works at any time of the day, I never notice any slowing down at any point during the day either
Huh? If your on the one plan with all you can eat data then they can't "move" you off anything, you'll stay on the same tariff and the same exact t&c's until you either upgrade yourself or change tariffs yourself, if you don't you will stay on the same tariff.
http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2022847
LOL
I gather you don't read this part of the forum all that often ;-).
Once the minimum term of a contract has been completed - either the customer or the company has the right to change, or even stop providing the services.
Oh ok last time I read one of the many "Three will stop AYCE data" threads everyone was saying existing customers can't be forced to change tariffs. That's changed obviously?
What's the point of signing a contract if they can change it? Defeats the object doesn't it? May aswell not call it a "contract". Pay as you go and "you will pay a fixed price and have fixed t&c's until we say so"
It works both ways. That's the point of the minimum term - you can't leave without paying termination fees, and they agree not to drastically change the terms (and if they do, you can terminate without penalty).
The contract that you signed or agreed to allows them to do what they want once the minimum term is up, just as you can do whatever you want, and if both you and the network want to continue with things as they are then that's fine. The point is that for the initial 12/18/24 months you do at least get some stability. You won't get that on PAYG.
It would be unreasonable to expect them to continue with a plan that may be unprofitable or unsustainable. At least 3 are waiting for contracts to be up before telling you to move to a new plan. Mine was up 3 months ago and I still haven't been contacted.