Is 3 now much better than it was (Glasgow)?

wavejockglwwavejockglw Posts: 10,596
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I am looking to get a Samsung Galaxy S4 on launch day and despite a couple of poor experiences I am thinking of giving 3 another go. It's a pretty big decision as it's a £900 commitment but I have read some positive stuff here and elsewhere although I have yet to see anything like the data speeds in my area that have been posted from others.

No matter, lots of calls, SMS, and unlimited data with the promise of 4G at the same cost is a pretty powerful proposition, so I'm tempted (ignoring the regular 3 network fanboys of course!).

So what is the state of the 3 network especially in and around Glasgow where I will be using the service most?

Are calls now reliable?

Do texts get through OK?

What speed do people get on 3 in the area?

Root Metrics did a survey recently and 3 came out on top In Glasgow, so that's a big positive. I don't travel much in the UK so other areas are not really that important and I'd be having the handset unlocked for use on networks outwith the UK.

I can live with the useless 3 contact centre in India as I can sort most issues out myself other than them making a mess of billing etc.

Are the comments posted on the website below still an accurate reflection of what 3 is actually like? I check it every now and again and the latest posts are pretty negative.

http://www.reviewcentre.com/reviews12640.html

Look forward to some realistic advice regarding recent experience of the 3 network in and around Glasgow.
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Comments

  • The Lord LucanThe Lord Lucan Posts: 5,054
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    I'll reply in a fashion that you're genuinely interested.

    http://www.rootmetrics.com/uk/compare-operators/united-kingdom/glasgow/glasgow-february-2013/

    A lot of friends have no issues on Three over there just now and By the time the S4 is out most of Glasgow's MBNL sites will have been done. So a modern, more efficient network. Glasgow has large chunks of DC coverage thanks to this.
    There are a few inner city sites that are yet to be upgraded to high capacity but easily be done by the end of Summer.
  • wavejockglwwavejockglw Posts: 10,596
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    I read the root metrics report as stated above.... it's a good indicator but side by side comparison of my old Samsung Galaxy S on Vodafone and a brand new Sony Experia Z on 3 produced a result which I won last week! I was amazed. But still the results were both good enough to do what most folks need so who cares about the actual stats?

    I dare say if the 3 signal (which has always been poor) in my location remains so, they can give me a little box to plug into my router (they guy in the local 3 store promised that), that could solve the local issue and I don't need their data at home as I have great broadband from Sky and use that with my mobile whilst here.
  • The Lord LucanThe Lord Lucan Posts: 5,054
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    Plus if the marketing is correct you should get 4G for free and coverage should hit your location if it follows that EE's fairly soon.

    Is the signal poor at home with EE? How's the 2G reception? Through Three you may get better reception when all of the Orange masts are taken on board (still a few months off in Glasgow)

    I've personally not had that bad an experience on Voda (coverage could be better) but Root Metrics and a few friends have had many issues. Weird that it's mostly slow speeds on 3G when they have the largest spectrum! That I just don't understand as many urban sites have been refreshed.
  • konebyvaxkonebyvax Posts: 9,120
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    If you checked out reviewcentre before buying from any supplier you would never actually buy anything! it's a sad fact of nature that people who have had a bad experience with a company are far more likely to review the company (negatively, obviously) than those who have had a good experience. Check out the reviews for all the other mobile companies on there to realise this is the truth...
  • Thine WonkThine Wonk Posts: 17,190
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    Wavejock knows about review centre, don't worry.

    http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showpost.php?p=64950443&postcount=19
  • wavejockglwwavejockglw Posts: 10,596
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    konebyvax wrote: »
    If you checked out reviewcentre before buying from any supplier you would never actually buy anything! it's a sad fact of nature that people who have had a bad experience with a company are far more likely to review the company (negatively, obviously) than those who have had a good experience. Check out the reviews for all the other mobile companies on there to realise this is the truth...

    That is true but the negatives about 3 are much greater than about other networks.

    Ofcom's surveys also reveal that 3's customers are the least satisfied and escalate more issues to the regulator than any other network. That is also a worry.
  • Hugh_Hugh_ Posts: 951
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    I'll reply in a fashion that you're genuinely interested.

    http://www.rootmetrics.com/uk/compare-operators/united-kingdom/glasgow/glasgow-february-2013/

    A lot of friends have no issues on Three over there just now and By the time the S4 is out most of Glasgow's MBNL sites will have been done. So a modern, more efficient network. Glasgow has large chunks of DC coverage thanks to this.
    There are a few inner city sites that are yet to be upgraded to high capacity but easily be done by the end of Summer.

    So according to Root_Metrics, 3 is the best mobile provider in Glasgow. There ya have it Glasgow folk, get on 3 for your mobile provider.
  • Thine WonkThine Wonk Posts: 17,190
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    That is true but the negatives about 3 are much greater than about other networks.

    Ofcom's surveys also reveal that 3's customers are the least satisfied and escalate more issues to the regulator than any other network. That is also a worry.

    So as I thought, not a genuine request for help, or asking a question. Just another opportunity to post reviewcentre and post negative comment.

    The guy just posts the same review centre links over and over, here's many examples of the same posts over and over.

    http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showpost.php?p=64950443&postcount=19
  • jabbamk1jabbamk1 Posts: 8,942
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    Thine Wonk wrote: »
    So as I thought, not a genuine request for help, or asking a question. Just another opportunity to post reviewcentre and post negative comment.

    The guy just posts the same review centre links over and over, here's many examples of the same posts over and over.

    http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showpost.php?p=64950443&postcount=19

    I agree, wavejock is basically just answering his own questions here. And in a negative way too.... there's a surprise. :D
  • wavejockglwwavejockglw Posts: 10,596
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    Hugh_ wrote: »
    So according to Root_Metrics, 3 is the best mobile provider in Glasgow. There ya have it Glasgow folk, get on 3 for your mobile provider.

    It's not that simple....

    Side by side my Vodafone handset (old Samsung Galaxy S) beats a Sony Experia Z in the same location using SpeedTest.

    You can root metric all you like but the proof of the pudding is in the eating and personal experience is sometimes far more valuable than published statistics. Hence my genuine enquiry about what others think locally (I will ignore the usual tripe from known network promoters).
  • Hugh_Hugh_ Posts: 951
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    It's not that simple....

    Side by side my Vodafone handset (old Samsung Galaxy S) beats a Sony Experia Z in the same location using SpeedTest.

    That's just your opinionand you're 1 person, root metrics looks at the bigger picture and it seems on a large scale 3 is the best provider in Glasgow.
  • konebyvaxkonebyvax Posts: 9,120
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    That is true but the negatives about 3 are much greater than about other networks.

    Ofcom's surveys also reveal that 3's customers are the least satisfied and escalate more issues to the regulator than any other network. That is also a worry.


    Seriously pathetic attempt at denigrating 3 again. Even pretending to be thinking about joining them this time AND starting a thread Jeez, how sad is that? :eek:

    PS Check out the reviews for the other major suppliers on there and realise you are wrong/making it up as you go along.
  • Thine WonkThine Wonk Posts: 17,190
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    Hugh_ wrote: »
    That's just your opinionand you're 1 person, root metrics looks at the bigger picture and it seems on a large scale 3 is the best provider in Glasgow.

    1 person's experience vs that of a professional research company like Root Metrics.

    15 major cities surveyed in the UK, in the largest ever professional research study, performing 390,828 tests in 11,662 miles of driving and at thousands of indoor locations that in every case but one city, Three was the best performer (excluding 4G).

    Or just look at a poll taken on this forum:

    http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1606524&highlight=poll
  • Thine WonkThine Wonk Posts: 17,190
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    Starting a thread pretending to be interested in joining them and asking for opinion, only to turn around and argue against the responses and say it's crap, is a new low for Wavejockglw I think.
  • wavejockglwwavejockglw Posts: 10,596
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    konebyvax wrote: »
    Seriously pathetic attempt at denigrating 3 again. Even pretending to be thinking about joining them this time AND starting a thread Jeez, how sad is that? :eek:

    PS Check out the reviews for the other major suppliers on there and realise you are wrong/making it up as you go along.

    No because personal experience in an area is far more convincing than anything published on the Internet.

    Like it or lump it my speed test comparisons have not revealed any huge difference locally to date.
  • jabbamk1jabbamk1 Posts: 8,942
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    No because personal experience in an area is far more convincing than anything published on the Internet.

    Like it or lump it my speed test comparisons have not revealed any huge difference locally to date.

    I understand where you're coming from but then why start this thread. You know it's just going to provoke people because all you're doing is asking for advice and then slating any advice you get because in your "personal experience" Three is crap.

    It may be crap for you, but then why did you start a thread asking about professional reviews/other personal reviews if you're just not going to believe them without quoting your own personal vendetta against Three every time.

    Like i mentioned earlier, It's clear that you are just answering yourself in this thread. Not sure if you had that intention from the beginning or if you're doing it subconsciously but that's how it's coming across.

    I can't speak for glasgow but in my personal experience Three has improved a lot in the areas i visit. Plus the proposition of Unlimited Data with 4G LTE is very attractive in my opinion, and with the already fast DC-HSPA+ in my area i see no worries about joining Three as a new customer now. (location dependant of course)
  • Thine WonkThine Wonk Posts: 17,190
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    No because personal experience in an area is far more convincing than anything published on the Internet.
    .

    So why start a thread to ask people for their experiences from the internet then :confused: especially if you're going to then say they are wrong.
  • Hugh_Hugh_ Posts: 951
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    No because personal experience in an area is far more convincing than anything published on the Internet.

    Like it or lump it my speed test comparisons have not revealed any huge difference locally to date.


    You are hilarious, seriously have you been drinking?
  • The Lord LucanThe Lord Lucan Posts: 5,054
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    I go away for a few hours. Come back, still the same ****
  • wavejockglwwavejockglw Posts: 10,596
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    jabbamk1 wrote: »
    I can't speak for glasgow but in my personal experience Three has improved a lot in the areas i visit. Plus the proposition of Unlimited Data with 4G LTE is very attractive in my opinion, and with the already fast DC-HSPA+ in my area i see no worries about joining Three as a new customer now. (location dependant of course)

    The whole point is seeking user experience in the area where I will use the service.

    Hearing about 20Mbps in England is irrelevant, I need to know about the experience of others who have bought a contract on 3 locally to make an informed choice weighed with my own comparisons.
  • djpalmer93djpalmer93 Posts: 210
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    I think someone should ban him as he keeps starting arguments.
  • Hugh_Hugh_ Posts: 951
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    The whole point is seeking user experience in the area where I will use the service.

    Hearing about 20Mbps in England is irrelevant, I need to know about the experience of others who have bought a contract on 3 locally to make an informed choice weighed with my own comparisons.

    I'm under the impression you're in Glasgow? You want information about the performance of 3 in Galsgow?

    Root metrics, a site YOU often quote to validate your own points have stated 3 are the best performing network in Glasgow. Surely that's enough? Root metrics would of got the stats from users of 3 in your local area.
  • Thine WonkThine Wonk Posts: 17,190
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    Hugh_ wrote: »
    I'm under the impression you're in Glasgow? You want information about the performance of 3 in Galsgow?

    Root metrics, a site YOU often quote to validate your own points have stated 3 are the best performing network in Glasgow. Surely that's enough? Root metrics would of got the stats from users of 3 in your local area.

    Even better than that Hugh, they have staff that run independent tests using off the shelf phones and test thousands of calls, texts and internet downloads at random locations throughout Glasgow and report all the metrics back, with each operator given the same fair chance. Three came out top in Glasgow.
  • wavejockglwwavejockglw Posts: 10,596
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    Hugh_ wrote: »
    I'm under the impression you're in Glasgow? You want information about the performance of 3 in Galsgow?

    Root metrics, a site YOU often quote to validate your own points have stated 3 are the best performing network in Glasgow. Surely that's enough? Root metrics would of got the stats from users of 3 in your local area.

    I thought I explained.....

    I have read root metrics results and made some real time live comparisons and they results did not match...... hence the question here.

    I await some response about the 3 user experience in the Glasgow area to assist in deciding if 3 is a worthy candidate for an investment of £900 for mobile communications for a 2 year commitment.

    I have 3 fanboys on ignore and would not be interested in their propaganda.
  • Hugh_Hugh_ Posts: 951
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    I thought I explained.....

    I have read root metrics results and made some real time live comparisons and they results did not match...... hence the question here.

    I await some response about the 3 user experience in the Glasgow area to assist in deciding if 3 is a worthy candidate for an investment of £900 for mobile communications for a 2 year commitment.

    I have 3 fanboys on ignore and would not be interested in their propaganda.

    Propaganda? Root metrics are independent, they use user generated data along side their own analysis, they don't fudge the facts.

    An Root metrics are saying 3 is the best mobile provider in Glasgow, how much more proof do you need ? They will of tested all networks across the whole of Glasgow for a few months. An they found 3 was best so you can safely sign up to 3.

    Or get a free PayanGo sim from 3 and use it for a month, simple.
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