Three Network

slyfox51 · 07-06-2010, 15:29

I have seen various adverts in magazines from Three which seem very reasonable. The one I was thinking of is the Internet Talker 300 at £13 a month with Unlimited internet, Unlimited Three to Three calls and 300 minutes or texts.
Are Three any good and is their network UK wide?
http://threestore.three.co.uk/handse...60&mixnmatch=1

156418 · 07-06-2010, 15:47

See this post, which answers your questions and has some good information on how their network works.

ThePhenom · 07-06-2010, 15:58

I think Three are heavily shifting towards 24 month contracts now so keep an eye out!

Coverage wise and CS wise I haven't had too many issues and been using them for a number of years.

slyfox51 · 12-06-2010, 18:17

Thanks for the replies.

Harry Boat · 12-06-2010, 18:27

Just be aware that 'Unlimited Internet' actually means 500MB per month as per their 'Fair Usage Policy'. I think you can get a £5 add-on taking it to 2GB.

slyfox51 · 12-06-2010, 19:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Harry Boat

Just be aware that 'Unlimited Internet' actually means 500MB per month as per their 'Fair Usage Policy'. I think you can get a £5 add-on taking it to 2GB.

How much viewing does 500mb give you?

williammur · 12-06-2010, 19:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Harry Boat

Just be aware that 'Unlimited Internet' actually means 500MB per month as per their 'Fair Usage Policy'. I think you can get a £5 add-on taking it to 2GB.

It's 1GB. At least it was last month.

ShaunIOW · 12-06-2010, 19:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by williammur

It's 1GB. At least it was last month.

Wasen't when I checked today

500Mb then 10p per Mb or £5 for 500Mb add-on.

I wonder when it changed if it was 1Gb last month?

lost boy · 12-06-2010, 20:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by williammur

It's 1GB. At least it was last month.

Yes, last month it was indeed 1GB. It changed to 500Mb inclusive early this month, with the £5 add-on available on top giving an additional 2GB.

ShaunIOW · 12-06-2010, 21:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by lost boy

Yes, last month it was indeed 1GB. It changed to 500Mb inclusive early this month, with the £5 add-on available on top giving an additional 2GB.

Hmmm I took out a new 24 month contract in early May and was told I'd get 1Gb a month, they haven't told me different so after reading the FUP on their website I've e-mailed them.

williammur · 12-06-2010, 21:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShaunIOW

Hmmm I took out a new 24 month contract in early May and was told I'd get 1Gb a month, they haven't told me different so after reading the FUP on their website I've e-mailed them.

Good luck. I was sure it was 1GB. So they changed it on the fly eh

lost boy · 12-06-2010, 21:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShaunIOW

Hmmm I took out a new 24 month contract in early May and was told I'd get 1Gb a month, they haven't told me different so after reading the FUP on their website I've e-mailed them.

It depends which tariff you signed up to (I think sim only still gives 1GB too). If you signed up to one of the old ones you'll get 1GB inclusive, and the £5 internet add-on will give you an additional 1GB. If you signed up to one of the new ones though you'll get 500Mb inclusive, but the £5 internet add-on will give you an additional 2GB.

lost boy · 12-06-2010, 21:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by williammur

Good luck. I was sure it was 1GB. So they changed it on the fly eh

No, they haven't done that at all

existing customers who already have 1GB keep 1GB. Anyone signing up now though gets 500Mb.

wavejockglw · 13-06-2010, 00:12

What a horrific sentance a 24 month contract on 3 would be.

Folks really need to do the arithmetic before commiting to such deals.

24 X £20 = £480
24 X £25 = £600
24 X £30 = £720
24 X £35 = £840
24 X £40 = £960

The monthly payment might look reasonable at first glance but look what you end up paying!

Shop around.

prking · 13-06-2010, 06:38

Are you saying that people take out contracts without working out the total cost of ownership?

wavejockglw · 13-06-2010, 08:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by prking

Are you saying that people take out contracts without working out the total cost of ownership?

Definately!!

all too often I have heard folks say that their shiney new smartphone is only £35 a month!

Sounds reasonable but now that contracts are 24 months the total cost is considerably more than what one would have paid a few years ago.

The above does not just apply to 3 but to other networks too.

prking · 13-06-2010, 08:55

I suppose there will be people who just look at the cost of the handset and the headline monthly fee. Rather than work out how much their actual use will cost them over the course of the contract.
I have to admit, I've seem people searching for the lowest monthly cost that they can get the handset for free on, not realising that when they add in their usage, it will work out much more.

TheBigM · 13-06-2010, 09:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by wavejockglw

What a horrific sentance a 24 month contract on 3 would be.

Folks really need to do the arithmetic before commiting to such deals.

24 X £20 = £480
24 X £25 = £600
24 X £30 = £720
24 X £35 = £840
24 X £40 = £960

The monthly payment might look reasonable at first glance but look what you end up paying!

Shop around.

Given what some of these phones cost, it sounds perfectly reasonable. Deduct the phone sim-free cost from that TCO then redivide by 24 months to see what you're paying per month for the calls/texts and it is probably quite a reasonable sum. Probably a pound or two cheaper than their sim-only 30days contracts.

wavejockglw · 13-06-2010, 10:36

I doubt many phones will be more than £200 for networks to buy so the vast majority of the monthly subscription is airtime and line rental charges.

Granted its a lot cheaper than it used to be but extended contracts have been pushing the cost up recently by stealth.

It'll be interesting to see what 3 do with the iPhone 4. Will they offer it with different tarriffs to their other phones or will they simply charge extra for the handset on the mix & match principle.

ShaunIOW · 13-06-2010, 12:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by lost boy

It depends which tariff you signed up to (I think sim only still gives 1GB too). If you signed up to one of the old ones you'll get 1GB inclusive, and the £5 internet add-on will give you an additional 1GB. If you signed up to one of the new ones though you'll get 500Mb inclusive, but the £5 internet add-on will give you an additional 2GB.

Internet Talker £20pm on 5th May - 300 mins/texts, unlimited internet (told 1Gb fup), unlimited 3 to 3 calls, free skype, messenger, voicemail, free HTC Desire.

Quote:

Originally Posted by lost boy

No, they haven't done that at all

existing customers who already have 1GB keep 1GB. Anyone signing up now though gets 500Mb.

I took out a new contract 5th May, changed my sim only to payg then transferred the number across as a new contract gave a better deal than upgrading (they couldn't do the Desire but offered me an iphone 3GS for £35pm over 18 months, but I didn't want an iphone).

Quote:

Originally Posted by wavejockglw

What a horrific sentance a 24 month contract on 3 would be.

Folks really need to do the arithmetic before commiting to such deals.

24 X £20 = £480
24 X £25 = £600
24 X £30 = £720
24 X £35 = £840
24 X £40 = £960

The monthly payment might look reasonable at first glance but look what you end up paying!

Shop around.

I did the arithmatic don't worry, I wasn't keen on 24 month's but it worked out the best deal for me - I was paying £15pm on a 30 day sim only deal, with a HTC Hero I'd bought myself, so over 24 month's I'd have paid £360 anyway (although with freedom to cancel anytime). The deal with Three - £20pm for 24 month's comes to £480 so £120 more than my previous sim only deal, BUT I got a free HTC Desire (which is the one I wanted and I had considered buying one for £380 sim free anyway), so in effect my 24 month's worth of minutes/texts etc is costing me £100 and I sold the Hero to a friend for £150 - so it's actually worked out cheaper for me to get a 24 month contract than stick with sim only and I got the new phone I wanted (and it came totally sim free, unlocked and unbranded).

In summary:

30 day Sim only: £15pm + use Hero = £360 over 24 month's
24 month contract: £20pm + get free HTC Desire = £480 over 24 month's minus £150 for selling Hero = £330 over 24 month's.

I know about 3's reputation but I've been with them 4 years with no real issues before, and they are by far and away the best for 3G coverage where I live, and untill recently the only choice for 3G, although the last few month's has seen a T-Mobile 3G signal where I live but I believe thats because they now share 3's.

TheBigM · 13-06-2010, 14:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by wavejockglw

I doubt many phones will be more than £200 for networks to buy so the vast majority of the monthly subscription is airtime and line rental charges.

That is a complete number plucked out of thin air approach. Also it is completely irrelevant what it costs the network to buy the phone. What is relevant is how much it would cost you to buy the phone.

Let's the HTC Desire as an example. It is £400 from play.com

T-Mobile did a deal for £129 for the phone plus £15/month for 300 mins, unltd texts and unlimited internet on a 24 month contract. TCO: £489.

That means you were paying just £3.24 a month for 24 months for 300 minutes.

They don't do theat deal anymore so for a verifiable one - look at this: free handset, 600 minutes, unlimited texts and internet - £30 x 24 months = £720. So you are paying £320 over 24 months = £13.33 a month for 600 minutes, unlimited texts and internet - not even 12-month sim only contracts can match that.

The price of these new phones has been increasing. By taking a free phone with a contract is the equivalent of T-Mobile (or any other network) making you a loan which you repay over 24 months (interest free!). You get to defray the cost of the phone over a longer period meaning the monthly price is less and more people can afford it then.

Is accessibility a bad thing?

legends wear 7 · 13-06-2010, 16:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by wavejockglw

I doubt many phones will be more than £200 for networks to buy so the vast majority of the monthly subscription is airtime and line rental charges.

Granted its a lot cheaper than it used to be but extended contracts have been pushing the cost up recently by stealth.

It'll be interesting to see what 3 do with the iPhone 4. Will they offer it with different tarriffs to their other phones or will they simply charge extra for the handset on the mix & match principle.

Actually the majority of handsets sold on those sorts of contracts cost the networks more than 200notes

07-06-2010, 15:29	#1
slyfox51 Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: 49871 Posts: 14,023	Three Network I have seen various adverts in magazines from Three which seem very reasonable. The one I was thinking of is the Internet Talker 300 at £13 a month with Unlimited internet, Unlimited Three to Three calls and 300 minutes or texts. Are Three any good and is their network UK wide? http://threestore.three.co.uk/handse...60&mixnmatch=1

07-06-2010, 15:47	#2
156418 Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 1,467	See this post, which answers your questions and has some good information on how their network works.

07-06-2010, 15:58	#3
ThePhenom Forum Member Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 1,262	I think Three are heavily shifting towards 24 month contracts now so keep an eye out! Coverage wise and CS wise I haven't had too many issues and been using them for a number of years.

12-06-2010, 18:17	#4
slyfox51 Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: 49871 Posts: 14,023	Thanks for the replies.

12-06-2010, 18:27	#5
Harry Boat Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Kent Posts: 351	Just be aware that 'Unlimited Internet' actually means 500MB per month as per their 'Fair Usage Policy'. I think you can get a £5 add-on taking it to 2GB.

12-06-2010, 19:18	#6
slyfox51 Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: 49871 Posts: 14,023	Quote: Originally Posted by Harry Boat Just be aware that 'Unlimited Internet' actually means 500MB per month as per their 'Fair Usage Policy'. I think you can get a £5 add-on taking it to 2GB. How much viewing does 500mb give you?

12-06-2010, 19:20	#7
williammur Guest Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 2,713	Quote: Originally Posted by Harry Boat Just be aware that 'Unlimited Internet' actually means 500MB per month as per their 'Fair Usage Policy'. I think you can get a £5 add-on taking it to 2GB. It's 1GB. At least it was last month.

12-06-2010, 19:29	#8
ShaunIOW Forum Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Isle of Wight Posts: 7,828	Quote: Originally Posted by williammur It's 1GB. At least it was last month. Wasen't when I checked today 500Mb then 10p per Mb or £5 for 500Mb add-on. I wonder when it changed if it was 1Gb last month?

12-06-2010, 20:31	#9
lost boy Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Norfolkland Posts: 1,787	Quote: Originally Posted by williammur It's 1GB. At least it was last month. Yes, last month it was indeed 1GB. It changed to 500Mb inclusive early this month, with the £5 add-on available on top giving an additional 2GB.

12-06-2010, 21:01	#10
ShaunIOW Forum Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Isle of Wight Posts: 7,828	Quote: Originally Posted by lost boy Yes, last month it was indeed 1GB. It changed to 500Mb inclusive early this month, with the £5 add-on available on top giving an additional 2GB. Hmmm I took out a new 24 month contract in early May and was told I'd get 1Gb a month, they haven't told me different so after reading the FUP on their website I've e-mailed them.

12-06-2010, 21:02	#11
williammur Guest Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 2,713	Quote: Originally Posted by ShaunIOW Hmmm I took out a new 24 month contract in early May and was told I'd get 1Gb a month, they haven't told me different so after reading the FUP on their website I've e-mailed them. Good luck. I was sure it was 1GB. So they changed it on the fly eh

12-06-2010, 21:48	#12
lost boy Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Norfolkland Posts: 1,787	Quote: Originally Posted by ShaunIOW Hmmm I took out a new 24 month contract in early May and was told I'd get 1Gb a month, they haven't told me different so after reading the FUP on their website I've e-mailed them. It depends which tariff you signed up to (I think sim only still gives 1GB too). If you signed up to one of the old ones you'll get 1GB inclusive, and the £5 internet add-on will give you an additional 1GB. If you signed up to one of the new ones though you'll get 500Mb inclusive, but the £5 internet add-on will give you an additional 2GB.

12-06-2010, 21:52	#13
lost boy Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Norfolkland Posts: 1,787	Quote: Originally Posted by williammur Good luck. I was sure it was 1GB. So they changed it on the fly eh No, they haven't done that at all existing customers who already have 1GB keep 1GB. Anyone signing up now though gets 500Mb.

13-06-2010, 00:12	#14
wavejockglw Inactive Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Glasgow Posts: 10,276	What a horrific sentance a 24 month contract on 3 would be. Folks really need to do the arithmetic before commiting to such deals. 24 X £20 = £480 24 X £25 = £600 24 X £30 = £720 24 X £35 = £840 24 X £40 = £960 The monthly payment might look reasonable at first glance but look what you end up paying! Shop around.

13-06-2010, 06:38	#15
prking Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Weston-super-Mare Posts: 9,167	Are you saying that people take out contracts without working out the total cost of ownership?

13-06-2010, 08:24	#16
wavejockglw Inactive Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Glasgow Posts: 10,276	Quote: Originally Posted by prking Are you saying that people take out contracts without working out the total cost of ownership? Definately!! all too often I have heard folks say that their shiney new smartphone is only £35 a month! Sounds reasonable but now that contracts are 24 months the total cost is considerably more than what one would have paid a few years ago. The above does not just apply to 3 but to other networks too.

13-06-2010, 08:55	#17
prking Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Weston-super-Mare Posts: 9,167	I suppose there will be people who just look at the cost of the handset and the headline monthly fee. Rather than work out how much their actual use will cost them over the course of the contract. I have to admit, I've seem people searching for the lowest monthly cost that they can get the handset for free on, not realising that when they add in their usage, it will work out much more.

13-06-2010, 09:01	#18
TheBigM Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: moon Posts: 12,983	Quote: Originally Posted by wavejockglw What a horrific sentance a 24 month contract on 3 would be. Folks really need to do the arithmetic before commiting to such deals. 24 X £20 = £480 24 X £25 = £600 24 X £30 = £720 24 X £35 = £840 24 X £40 = £960 The monthly payment might look reasonable at first glance but look what you end up paying! Shop around. Given what some of these phones cost, it sounds perfectly reasonable. Deduct the phone sim-free cost from that TCO then redivide by 24 months to see what you're paying per month for the calls/texts and it is probably quite a reasonable sum. Probably a pound or two cheaper than their sim-only 30days contracts.

13-06-2010, 10:36	#19
wavejockglw Inactive Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Glasgow Posts: 10,276	I doubt many phones will be more than £200 for networks to buy so the vast majority of the monthly subscription is airtime and line rental charges. Granted its a lot cheaper than it used to be but extended contracts have been pushing the cost up recently by stealth. It'll be interesting to see what 3 do with the iPhone 4. Will they offer it with different tarriffs to their other phones or will they simply charge extra for the handset on the mix & match principle.

13-06-2010, 12:33	#20
ShaunIOW Forum Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Isle of Wight Posts: 7,828	Quote: Originally Posted by lost boy It depends which tariff you signed up to (I think sim only still gives 1GB too). If you signed up to one of the old ones you'll get 1GB inclusive, and the £5 internet add-on will give you an additional 1GB. If you signed up to one of the new ones though you'll get 500Mb inclusive, but the £5 internet add-on will give you an additional 2GB. Internet Talker £20pm on 5th May - 300 mins/texts, unlimited internet (told 1Gb fup), unlimited 3 to 3 calls, free skype, messenger, voicemail, free HTC Desire. Quote: Originally Posted by lost boy No, they haven't done that at all existing customers who already have 1GB keep 1GB. Anyone signing up now though gets 500Mb. I took out a new contract 5th May, changed my sim only to payg then transferred the number across as a new contract gave a better deal than upgrading (they couldn't do the Desire but offered me an iphone 3GS for £35pm over 18 months, but I didn't want an iphone). Quote: Originally Posted by wavejockglw What a horrific sentance a 24 month contract on 3 would be. Folks really need to do the arithmetic before commiting to such deals. 24 X £20 = £480 24 X £25 = £600 24 X £30 = £720 24 X £35 = £840 24 X £40 = £960 The monthly payment might look reasonable at first glance but look what you end up paying! Shop around. I did the arithmatic don't worry, I wasn't keen on 24 month's but it worked out the best deal for me - I was paying £15pm on a 30 day sim only deal, with a HTC Hero I'd bought myself, so over 24 month's I'd have paid £360 anyway (although with freedom to cancel anytime). The deal with Three - £20pm for 24 month's comes to £480 so £120 more than my previous sim only deal, BUT I got a free HTC Desire (which is the one I wanted and I had considered buying one for £380 sim free anyway), so in effect my 24 month's worth of minutes/texts etc is costing me £100 and I sold the Hero to a friend for £150 - so it's actually worked out cheaper for me to get a 24 month contract than stick with sim only and I got the new phone I wanted (and it came totally sim free, unlocked and unbranded). In summary: 30 day Sim only: £15pm + use Hero = £360 over 24 month's 24 month contract: £20pm + get free HTC Desire = £480 over 24 month's minus £150 for selling Hero = £330 over 24 month's. I know about 3's reputation but I've been with them 4 years with no real issues before, and they are by far and away the best for 3G coverage where I live, and untill recently the only choice for 3G, although the last few month's has seen a T-Mobile 3G signal where I live but I believe thats because they now share 3's.

13-06-2010, 14:45	#21
TheBigM Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: moon Posts: 12,983	Quote: Originally Posted by wavejockglw I doubt many phones will be more than £200 for networks to buy so the vast majority of the monthly subscription is airtime and line rental charges. That is a complete number plucked out of thin air approach. Also it is completely irrelevant what it costs the network to buy the phone. What is relevant is how much it would cost you to buy the phone. Let's the HTC Desire as an example. It is £400 from play.com T-Mobile did a deal for £129 for the phone plus £15/month for 300 mins, unltd texts and unlimited internet on a 24 month contract. TCO: £489. That means you were paying just £3.24 a month for 24 months for 300 minutes. They don't do theat deal anymore so for a verifiable one - look at this: free handset, 600 minutes, unlimited texts and internet - £30 x 24 months = £720. So you are paying £320 over 24 months = £13.33 a month for 600 minutes, unlimited texts and internet - not even 12-month sim only contracts can match that. The price of these new phones has been increasing. By taking a free phone with a contract is the equivalent of T-Mobile (or any other network) making you a loan which you repay over 24 months (interest free!). You get to defray the cost of the phone over a longer period meaning the monthly price is less and more people can afford it then. Is accessibility a bad thing?

DS Forums

Three Network

13-06-2010, 16:34	#22
legends wear 7 Guest Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 2,070	Quote: Originally Posted by wavejockglw I doubt many phones will be more than £200 for networks to buy so the vast majority of the monthly subscription is airtime and line rental charges. Granted its a lot cheaper than it used to be but extended contracts have been pushing the cost up recently by stealth. It'll be interesting to see what 3 do with the iPhone 4. Will they offer it with different tarriffs to their other phones or will they simply charge extra for the handset on the mix & match principle. Actually the majority of handsets sold on those sorts of contracts cost the networks more than 200notes