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Three phases out "The One Plan" and Unlimited tethering


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Old 15-03-2015, 17:49
Thine Wonk
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It doesn't make any sense, that isn't the reason but regardless it is happening and the OP can either accept it or not, even if they cancel the upgrade then they'll be moved off soon anyway as Three are discontinuing unlimited tethering. There is no getting around that, upgrade or no upgrade.
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Old 15-03-2015, 18:15
MTUK1
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Makes no sense.

What about all the landline broadband providers which provided unlimited data, why aren't ofcom bothered about them?
Did you not read what I said? It's just the call centers talking nonsense.
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Old 15-03-2015, 20:26
jonmorris
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Makes no sense.

What about all the landline broadband providers which provided unlimited data, why aren't ofcom bothered about them?
And how about Three offering 4GB on SIM only?!
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Old 15-03-2015, 21:02
david16
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I don't really know what I'll do when I get the dreaded text message. I must have been out of contract for well over a year (more like 2 maybe?) But I'm still on the £15 one plan for the time being.

I am quite a low data user as I have good WiFi at home and use eduroam at uni. About 500mb / month is my average. In the past year the most I've used is 1gb. The least I've used is 130mb!

But I love the fact I don't have to worry about it. I don't really need the tethering, but its really useful to have occasionally in an emergency (WiFi cuts out, or you find yourself somewhere with no WiFi when you really need it)

What is going to piss me off is paying an extra £2 per month for 200 minutes compared to 2000 5000 minutes to 3 (or whatever it is). That is a massive drop in minutes! Not only that but I'd have to lock myself into a 12 month contract for the privilege?!? I rarely even use minutes to be honest - its more the principle of it.

It is still good value compared to EE.

What I think I'll do is swap to the 3 payg £15 deal until something better comes up. OK you don't get tethering but its much better vale than the 0„517 simo deal. And you're not locked into anything.
And having AYCE data to use does not necessarily mean you consume anywhere near 40GB to 60GB of mobile data every single month. Most months I consume 2GB to 3GB of data on my All In One 15 PAYG package.

I totally agree it should not be your scooby doo of a small mobile data limit of 500MB to 2GB of data per month on your sim if you happen to have no wifi to access for a large chunk of the month with your mobile data limit rapidly maxing out in the process.

3 2 1 PAYG seems cheap on the surface but consume 1GB in excess of the 500MB (plus the free 150MB on top up) you get on the All In One 10 package that would cost you £20.24 and that excluding the costs of any extra minutes and texts in excess of what's on offer that you make.
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Old 15-03-2015, 21:23
david16
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Makes no sense.

What about all the landline broadband providers which provided unlimited data, why aren't ofcom bothered about them?
A whopping £16.70 it costs for monthly line rental with Talk Talk landline broadband.
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Old 15-03-2015, 23:44
gamesyuplay
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Makes no sense.

What about all the landline broadband providers which provided unlimited data, why aren't ofcom bothered about them?
It didn't make sense to me too so I tried pushing him to tell me more and thats when he mentioned something about ofcom looking into the one plan and issues with tethering. It was as if he was making it up as he went along as he wanted me to continue the upgrade so tried it all and at the end just before he cut off he mentioned it to me again saying expect a call in the next few months regarding the one plan.

Has anyone else spoken with the Three customer service team? Would like to know what everyone else is being told regarding this issue.
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Old 16-03-2015, 00:02
jonmorris
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While I'm sure this member of staff was just making it up as he went along, I wouldn't be totally surprised to hear that Three might be knowingly allowing such rumours/mistruths to spread, in order to justify the axing of the One Plan and other legacy tariffs.

Of course the other legacy tariffs didn't all have unlimited tethering, and never did, which makes it even more silly to suggest Ofcom is in any way involved. Not least because Ofcom would be in favour of competition allowing operators to do what they liked, as long as it wasn't illegal.

Ultimately, getting rid of unlimited tethering and with NO other operator offering it, it's reducing competition and choice so Ofcom would probably have more to say about it going, not staying.
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Old 16-03-2015, 00:48
Zee_Bukhari
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I think its the correct think so to. a mobile network should be used for mobile things, you still get all you can eat data on your mobile, if you want to use 50GB or more tethering then I suggest you get a fixed line broadband, if you don't want a telephone line, then go with Virgin Media if it isn't available in your area.
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Old 16-03-2015, 09:58
WelshBluebird
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I think its the correct think so to. a mobile network should be used for mobile things, you still get all you can eat data on your mobile, if you want to use 50GB or more tethering then I suggest you get a fixed line broadband, if you don't want a telephone line, then go with Virgin Media if it isn't available in your area.
Of course, back in the real world, tethering is not just used at home where you can get fixed line broadband. I tether quite a bit while I am away from home (tablet, laptop, PS vita).
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Old 16-03-2015, 10:21
Chris1973
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I suggest you get a fixed line broadband,
And what is the solution to areas still struggling to get even 1mbps from Landline ADSL? - (estimated by 'connecting Cheshire' to still be 2.1 million households currently). Certainly its still a large enough problem that EE are rolling out 4G rural broadband.

Or are you honestly saying that if you personally lived in an area with slow / virtually useless ADSL and were faced with the option of either a 512k - 1mbps ADSL connection or 10mbps+ from 3G that you would be faithfully using ADSL as your main internet connection and completely avoiding using any form of tethering based entirely on your own principles?. This would of course mean doing any streaming activity in low quality and avoiding using services like Netflix entirely.

Virgin Media?, they don't even have that available in the large Towns around here!.

Unfortunately, in an area with slow ADSL, and about 10 miles away from the nearest town (and public wi-fi point) households will naturally turn to the fastest option, and in this area its 3G (and more recently - 4G), and like i've said countless times on similar threads before, virtually everybody in this area uses either of the two networks (3 and EE) instead of ADSL (we were encouraged to do so when BT admitted at a community meeting that ADSL would never improve), yet magically i've yet to see under 10mbps even at peak times!, despite the theory that, based on this, our area should be more congested than anywhere.
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Old 16-03-2015, 10:49
shaggy_x
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And what is the solution to areas still struggling to get even 1mbps from Landline ADSL? - (estimated by 'connecting Cheshire' to still be 2.1 million households currently)

.
whatever the solution is Three (and other UK providers) definitely don't want anyone using their network as a substitute for home broadband.



They've taken steps to remove heavy users (and as I said earlier I jumped ship despite only being an average 2Gb per month user)

If you don't like it, tough, and move on...

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Old 16-03-2015, 10:51
WelshBluebird
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whatever the solution is Three (and other UK providers) definitely don't want anyone using their network as a substitute for home broadband.
And yet Three used to offer a contract specifically for home broadband use in certain areas, and EE still do offer it in certain areas.
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Old 16-03-2015, 10:52
moox
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that you would be faithfully using ADSL as your main internet connection and completely avoiding using any form of tethering based entirely on your own principles?. This would of course mean doing any streaming activity in low quality and avoiding using services like Netflix entirely.
Regardless of your morals, it does disqualify you from complaining because 3 want to take away your "home internet connection", because it was never sold as such.

You may have had a good run up until now but the party is coming to an end.
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Old 16-03-2015, 10:54
Chris1973
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If you don't like it, tough, and move on...
No i'll continue as I am thanks, after all it gives people on here something to whine about, and after all i'm not here to seek friendship, approval or adoration.

If I do have to move on, it will be 100% the decision of the network, not some opinion on a forum

Regardless of your morals,
Not sure where Morals come into it, its not like i'm stealthily piggybacking off somebody else's wifi or 3G connection - i'm paying for a service that i'm intending to use, and I pay far more for it than most pay for their ADSL. For the record I also don't consider myself to be a high user (<10gb) so that curtails most of the 'come backs' on here, that all 3G ADSL substitute users must all be high data users and crippling the network(s).

Amazingly how many take the high ground on this debate, yet few, if any will actually take the challenge of directly answering my question every time it is asked, on exactly what they would do in the same circumstances!. I see constant complaints in relation to some people here when their 3G drops below 2mbps, I often wonder exactly how they would cope if their full time ADSL was never more than half of that, hence my perfectly valid question.

Thats all
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Old 16-03-2015, 10:54
WelshBluebird
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Regardless of your morals, it does disqualify you from complaining because 3 want to take away your "home internet connection", because it was never sold as such.
It was also never sold as "you should not use this as a home internet connection".
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Old 16-03-2015, 11:13
moox
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It was also never sold as "you should not use this as a home internet connection".
Tethering implies "occasional use away from home", not as a permanent solution. That is why 3 additionally sells mobile broadband plans with caps, which are intended for permanent usage.

Not sure where Morals come into it, i'm paying for a service that i'm intending to use, and I pay far more for it than most pay for their ADSL. For the record I also don't consider myself to be a high user (<10gb) so that curtails most of the 'come backs' on here, that all 3G ADSL substitute users must all be high data users and crippling the network(s).
The One Plan is £15 a month. I think you'd be hard pushed to find an ADSL service that is much cheaper (and the likes of TalkTalk does not count since they're using the line rental as the profit maker).

The fact is that you're using the service not in the way that it was intended and paying far less than what you should be for it, and the lack of wired service around you is not 3's problem nor is it a real justification for doing so

All I am saying is that you have no real right to complain because 3 is going to take it away from you at some point.
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Old 16-03-2015, 11:32
shaggy_x
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No i'll continue as I am thanks, after all it gives people on here something to whine about, and after all i'm not here to seek friendship, approval or adoration.

If I do have to move on, it will be 100% the decision of the network, not some opinion on a forum

Not sure where Morals come into it, its not like i'm stealthily piggybacking off somebody else's wifi or 3G connection - i'm paying for a service that i'm intending to use, and I pay far more for it than most pay for their ADSL. For the record I also don't consider myself to be a high user (<10gb) so that curtails most of the 'come backs' on here, that all 3G ADSL substitute users must all be high data users and crippling the network(s).

Amazingly how many take the high ground on this debate, yet few, if any will actually take the challenge of directly answering my question every time it is asked, on exactly what they would do in the same circumstances!. I see constant complaints in relation to some people here when their 3G drops below 2mbps, I often wonder exactly how they would cope if their full time ADSL was never more than half of that, hence my perfectly valid question.

Thats all

LOL. My opinion of course doesnt count. Its THree you have to worry about. Best of luck.
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Old 16-03-2015, 12:05
corf
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Tethering implies "occasional use away from home", not as a permanent solution.
It certainly does not.
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Old 16-03-2015, 13:02
jonmorris
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Right or wrong, Three didn't ever state what was wrong or immoral. It pushed the unlimited tethering as a way of attracting customers.

It will have subsequently discovered this was perhaps a bad idea, and is seeking to fix the problem by moving people off such tariffs.

Until that time, people should not be told they're doing nothing wrong by taking advantage of a feature Three was naively promoting.

Even it's own guidelines speak of 1000GB being some sort of fair use policy, which probably far exceeds what people are using even if they are trying to save on a fixed broadband alternative.
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Old 16-03-2015, 13:09
Gigabit
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It certainly does not.
Indeed. If Three advertise unlimited tethering then its up to the user what they use it for.

You cannot claim consumers for Three's idiocy.
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Old 16-03-2015, 13:18
moox
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It certainly does not.
This is ultimately one opinion vs another, but the fact that 3 offer capped mobile broadband plans that are explicitly sold for the purpose goes against yours.

In the end, 3 are seeking to remove the issue they have created by kicking everyone off of it - mostly because of a few people who decided to extract the urine
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Old 16-03-2015, 14:00
jonmorris
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Three's mobile broadband tariffs are supposedly the last to be limited by any form of speed capping (TrafficSense) so that's one key benefit. That and not paying for voice/text that people don't need.

It doesn't mean Three can't, and didn't, advertise unlimited tethering in a way that it was quite happy to let people buy One Plan SIMs and then use it exclusively for Internet access at home and away.

It was sold by many as a way of replacing the need for any other form of Internet connectivity, but why Three ever did that is something you'd need to ask them about.

It was rather dumb, and Three should have anticipated problems - but perhaps it considered the risk worth the reward, which was of course a massive boost in subscriber numbers.

And now it is trying to fix things, but with the obvious risk that people may jump ship for another network (EE seemingly picking up a lot of people).

Three, in my opinion, was rather mad to a) offer totally unlimited Internet access without any restrictions and b) to offer the One Plan on SIM only for just £15 a month, when such a service offered elsewhere would have likely been at a hefty premium. (And, as it happens, no other network has opted to even offer unlimited data for a high price either).

But it did, so why is anyone surprised people took them up on the offer? And why is anyone moaning that people dared to use the data they're paying for, even if you can argue it's far too cheap. It's still the amount Three was asking for!
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Old 16-03-2015, 14:07
moox
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There were other restrictions, like how the SIM wouldn't work in any 3-issued mobile broadband / mifi device - thus making it harder to share that connection across a network. If you wanted to do that, they wanted you to get an MBB tariff.

People can do mental gymnastics if they want, but the evidence for it not being positioned as a home broadband alternative is fairly clear
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Old 16-03-2015, 20:10
coachtrip_fan99
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Got an SMS from three today.... Oh no, I thought.... Panic panic panic. Luckily when I opened it, it was just to tell me my bill was ready! So still OK for another month at least!! Phew!
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Old 16-03-2015, 20:12
coachtrip_fan99
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Oh, by the way.... Quick question for anyone who may know...

Being as I plan to move onto three payg when I get kicked off the one plan; can you have the £15 ayce bundle automatically renew each month? Or do you have to keep remembering to buy it manually?
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