It could be that EE and Three have/are merging infrastructure, this would make high usage plans would be difficult to deliver, not just for data but minutes/texts as well.

I agree. If there had been a louder outcry from customers regarding tethering being reduced to 4GB and the prices increased for new customers several months ago, Three would probably be far more cautious about making another unpopular change, and rolling the same changes out for existing customers now. I suspect that because subscribers continued to grow despite the changes and price increases, and any initial complaints about it quickly died down, that Three in the months following, continued to debate what else they could scrap or change without too many customers caring, or rather, caring enough to leave, and here we are.

The problem is, that people don't realise that just because a particular change doesn't affect them now, doesn't mean that customer wide apathy won't be seen as silent acceptance by the networks, and will just encourage the networks to make other changes in the future - ones which may prove unpopular for other customers eventually.

EE offers standard tariffs with Data allowances which can be used for tethering, so whether the customer uses the monthly allowance for handset or tethering use isn't an issue - its their choice, and up to them how they use it. I'm not suggesting that Three scraps AYCE handset tariffs, but it would perhaps be good to have some handset tariffs which instead of AYCE, offer 20gb, 30gb & 50gb allowances, which just like EE can be shared between handset and tethering, I think most people would be happy to pay a reasonable price for it, and Three could easily undercut EE in order to maintain their original competitive edge

At the moment, it just seems like Three are intent on moving away from the whole Mobile Data idea. Reducing tethering from unlimited to 4GB even on the expensive tariffs is one hell of a change, they also seem to be dragging their heels in refreshing their existing Mobile data sim tariffs, and now EE are now bettering Three's 15GB Mobile Broadband tariff by offering a 30 day rolling contract at the same monthly price as Three's 24 month 15gb mobile data sim tariff.

Yet their new plan is in the top 10 hot UK deals today because even without unlimited tethering it's still a great deal.

Unlimited tethering had to end because of high use by a minority, how hard is that to understand. No amount of kicking and screaming is going to make them change their mind as the usage by a tiny minority was using up over 50% of the network capacity.

When I get my text, if they dont offer me at least what I already have (minus the tethering) I will be off.

If they think I will be accepting a 60% price increase, coupled with less service then they are mistaken.

The EE plan with 10GB at £15 ish with cashback will do me just fine if I have to, out of principle if nothing else!

I'm not complaining about this or tethering.

What Three do for new customers is fine, every business will change their offers for new customers now and then. I think their new plans are great to be honest. Certainly going to attract a number of customers from other network.

The point I'm trying to make is how Three are forcing customers to either accept a new price plan and price point or leave. This aspect is what I believe to be anti consumer.

You say 60% price increase, but that £15 for unlimited with all the minutes and texts was actually always a special offer that was down from £25 right. It should still show on your bill as £25 minus £10 discount, it does on mine.

You'll probably get the 200 minutes the lots of texts, unlimited data and 4GB tethering at £15, that's what they seem to be offering. You might not even get the text for many months anyway, so I wouldn't worry about if for now as the offers might have changed by then.

Mobile data use is doubling year on year, so expect prices for data to rise and some things to change like unlimited tethering going. It isn't 2011 or 2012 any more, the mainstream demand has increased so much that all networks will be making changes.

When you see some of the other deals which go hot on that website, I wouldn't use it as the be all end all of Market Research. Sometimes even the members' themselves question why some deals get as hot as they do.

Even the EE Sim 100mb for Life deal got over 1400 degrees, despite them often being referred to as the most expensive network around

http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/100m...ife-ee-2026689

It's hard to deny that it still isn't a good deal if you use a lot of phone data and some tethering, though.

EE won't give you unlimited data, and even for a substantial amount of data you will pay more for an EE phone plan. If you must have lots of minutes then the gap closes

Exactly, one of the reasons for all the upset and tears by the users that were using so much tethering is that they just cannot get that deal anywhere else. Three's offer even with a 4GB tethering cap and the option to buy more when it runs out, is still an extremely good offer. It includes all the handset data you want.

Why are you all you guys ignoring my point haha.

You're giving attention to the wrong aspects of the genuine issue at hand.

I accept your consumer gripe, I just don't agree. It's not like people are locked into a contract, it is after their minimum term and they are free to transfer or shop around.

It isn't like some operators that put the prices up twice during the contract, with people paying more, and then put the out of bundle prices up too and people have to keep paying every month and can't cancel. I get your point, but I also think it's the best thing to clear the network of all the unlimited tethering users for the good of the network.

Most of the users that I see complaining are doing so because they are losing something they can't replace, they have nowhere else to go to get all the unlimited tethering they need so that they can use 60, 100, 200GB in a month for a puny £15, that's why there's so many upset users.

I feel for them, but I also see why it isn't sustainable.

To be fair i've not seen anybody pushing for the return unlimited data to tethering for quite some time on this thread, at least not with any conviction. My own post simply suggested that Three perhaps also introduce tariffs similar to EE where a monthly allowance is given, but this can be used either as handset data or tethered

This would satisfy the requirements of people like myself who use a maximum of no more than 10GB, but split between 1GB handset use and say 9GB tethering. AYCE handset data is great, but it doesn't address the requirements of any subscriber who may prefer a 24" PC monitor to a 5" phone screen.

[quote=cooler;75497834]It is ridiculous the tethering limit of 4GB. It's only suitable for people for very light use like occasionally reading an email or watching a short video.

I can't let a piece of ridiculous hyperbole like that go unchallenged.

why not think a minute, and amend that to "like reading 140,000 emails or 16 hours of videos on youtube".
http://www.confused.com/mobile-phone...-internet-data

I think there are a few options for Three in the future.

On tariffs with a fixed allowance, allow it all for tethering. What's the difference?

For those with AYCE and where a limit needs to apply for tethering, either up the allowance slightly (which could be part of a tariff upgrade if the current ones don't get Three as many new connections as planned) or have a reasonable charge for adding more data.

I'm probably like a fair few people that don't need lots (even any?) tethering all the time, but occasionally will want quite a lot - like being at an event/exhibition and needing to upload a lot of data. Mind you, when I was in Spain earlier this year and using the £5 Internet pass, I just copied video to my phone and uploaded to YouTube that way! Thus, I was uploading huge videos without being blocked at all!

For those few times you need more data, your bill will go up (and I'd want to buy addons after hitting a hard cap, not just get billed and risk any bill shock) and for those times you don't, chances are you're still better off than other tariffs that will restrict all data all the time, and you'll have to either opt to pay a lot more for more data, or buy somewhat expensive add-ons.

I do think that next year, EE will slowly start to make tariffs a bit more competitive (assuming the others also decide to get competitive) and we might see increased data allowances that could reach a point where unlimited is almost never needed.

When I signed up, their website had a price of £15 for the plan. No mention of "discounts" even in the small print.

But look at the bill (in particular the welcome letter you got), on mine it does show up as £25 plus a couple of loyalty discounts to equal a £10 discount

I think it's actually going to be the reverse in 2015.... The demand for data will continue to rise and the networks will reduce allowances on plans to make sure people pay for more in the way of add-ins/more expensive plans. Data is where it's at now....

Also, why such puny allowances on Sim Onlys (except 3)?

Vodafone - 10GB
EE - 10GB
O2 - 8GB.... and so on.

Handset contracts offer up to 20/50GB... Really limits my choice.

I dont care what the bill says, the offer I signed up to stated the cost was £15.

I could be billed £1015 with £1000 discount, so would they try to move me to £1015 a month from January?

Interesting question. EE only seem to offer upto 20GB on a phone contract, and only 10GB on a SIM only. They also don't sell sharing plans unless the lead is also a subsidised phone customer (WTF?!).

Vodafone also seem to limit to 20GB with a phone, and 10GB with a SIM only.

Three don't have anything more than 2GB tethering, and AYCE for handset, which is annoying if you want to tether your work laptop sometimes.

Mobile Broadband has more choices. EE offer 25GB for £30/m without calls.

Bizarre :-/

It's £25 nominally but £15 through discounts.

That's a pretty ridiculous argument though - in this case they're moving everyone to an entirely new set of tariffs which will generally give you less for more, rather than simply upping the price

It is demand vs supply, economics 101, with demand doubling each year and supply getting shorter, plus other revenue streams ending for the networks data is going to become the way the service is priced, in fact it already has really as they'll throw minutes and texts in their thousands at you.

With the changes over the last few years you'll see a reduction in the amount of data you get for your money, and expect to pay £5 or even £10 more if you want more. We have to get used to paying the networks more if we want the investment to make data throughput double every year.

EE have a 50GB plan at £76 too but not advertised...

I certainly wouldn't advertise it!

I do think there's scope to boost ARPU by offering very high data allowances for around £40 or £50 a month, and less for SIM only.

Allowances have been growing over the years and surely as people demand lots more data, someone will break away from what could be perceived as a cartel that milks users for as much as they're worth and discourages usage for a lot of people.

But how would a person signing up back then know that this is achieved through a discount (unless you are interested and e.g. read it on here)? You saw £15 on the website and I agree, it's not ok to say "this was done with a discount, now it's ok to go back to £25".

Three's website at the time advertised and offered The One Plan at £15 pm. It made no mention of special discounts etc just £15 per month.

I queried this with Three at the time of my first bill and was told it was presented in this way because of a limitations with its billing system. Heck my bill doesn't even show a line item discount the price just changes from the top line and the total.