[tdenson]

I am trying to sort out a family member with an unlimited data plan. He currently uses the Three PAYG add on for £20 which gives unlimited (I hate the expression all you can eat!) data plus 300 minutes which used to be £15. I am quite happy to sign up to a 12 month or longer contract to make it a bit cheaper but am struggling to find anything. The nearest Three do is unlimited and 200 minutes which is not quite enough. Am I overlooking something - happy to change carrier (although he does need to tether).

[d123]

You would to spend the extra for the 600 minute AYCE plan if the 200 minute plan doesn't give enough minutes.

[JasonWatkins]

You won't get much better than Three's unlimited plan because they're the only operator that publicly offer unlimited data plans at the moment, and that are genuinely unlimited as well.

Virgin do still do their unlimited everything package, but you have to ring them and ask for it, but they do have the FUP for 3.5gb a month (although I used 5gb last month and didn't detect any noticeable slow down to be fair). That's £20 quid at the moment and that's the only other operator I know of where you can get 'unlimited' data.

[d123]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JasonWatkins

Virgin do still do their unlimited everything package, but you have to ring them and ask for it, but they do have the FUP for 3.5gb a month (although I used 5gb last month and didn't detect any noticeable slow down to be fair). That's £20 quid at the moment and that's the only other operator I know of where you can get 'unlimited' data.

I'm sure the Virgin plan doesn't include tethering, which tdenson says is a requirement.

[JasonWatkins]

Quote:

Originally Posted by d123

I'm sure the Virgin plan doesn't include tethering, which tdenson says is a requirement.

You're quite right, I didn't see that part.

That said, I have actually tethered my iPhone to my mum's tablet on a few occasions without an issue. Obviously this is likely because it's literally only been a 'few' times, if it was done on a regular basis then there would likely be an issue i imagine.

[Lidtop2013]

After being told by Three that our one plans were being discontinued and we HAD to change or they'd change for us, I went on the search for another network provider. But as above Three are the only ones that do proper unlimited handset data, the only other I found was giff gaff, but the only problem is you get 6gb full speed then after the 6gb is hit they reduce your speed to 246kbps or something like that at peak times, not ideal! They do offer tethering but that's no use after you've gone over the 6gb.

Not so bad for me because I can just about get away with the £18 AYCE data plan(the one that will go back up to £20 soon) with the 200mins, but the misses will need the 600 min one, so that'll be £25. But I think it's worth going with Three and paying that few quid extra if it means you get unlimited data, also 12gb can be used for tethering, so that will be fine too

[James30]

I just can't change my old 12 month One Plan SIM only deal on Three, which I got a few years ago:

2000 minutes

5000 texts

2000 Three to Three minutes

Unlimited data including unlimited tethering (before it was capped)

£15 a month

[d123]

Quote:

Originally Posted by James30

I just can't change my old 12 month One Plan SIM only deal on Three, which I got a few years ago:
£15 a month

Don't worry, Three will be helping you to change in the near future..

[tdenson]

He will stick with the £20 PAYG add on. Just seems a bit strange that the best deal is a PAYG one.

[d123]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tdenson

He will stick with the £20 PAYG add on. Just seems a bit strange that the best deal is a PAYG one.

Problem is, it's being hinted a few times that the add on is a relic of another time, it might well disappear sometime soon...

[tdenson]

Quote:

Originally Posted by d123

Problem is, it's being hinted a few times that the add on is a relic of another time, it might well disappear sometime soon...

Yes, that's what I'm afraid of

[Jack_Wilson2]

It will likely disappear for new customers but I doubt three would affect existing customers after raising the price of the "All-in-One 15" for no reason apart from boosting profits. Customers really won't be happy.

Can't you substitute it to Whatsapp/Skype? I don't know many people who still use real phone calls anymore it's all VOIP these days, at least who I know anyways.

[d123]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jack_Wilson2

It will likely disappear for new customers but I doubt three would affect existing customers after raising the price of the "All-in-One 15" for no reason apart from boosting profits.

It's a 30 day add-on, not a contract. Every customer is a new customer every 30 days.

Quote:

Customers really won't be happy.

That hasn't stopped Three treating customers badly over the last year or so...

[tdenson]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jack_Wilson2

Can't you substitute it to Whatsapp/Skype? I don't know many people who still use real phone calls anymore it's all VOIP these days, at least who I know anyways.

In theory, yes, but in practice no. It's for my grandson who is 18. It's all down to whether your particular circle of friends are into VOIP apps and his are not particularly.

[Black Box]

I switched to Three earlier this year after EE said they were no longer doing unlimited data.

For £17 a month (SIM only) I get unlimited data, texts and 200 minutes. Only really bothered about the data and texts though. No problems at all with coverage. I get a 5GB tethering allowance per month too.

[Lidtop2013]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Black Box

I switched to Three earlier this year after EE said they were no longer doing unlimited data.

For £17 a month (SIM only) I get unlimited data, texts and 200 minutes. Only really bothered about the data and texts though. No problems at all with coverage. I get a 5GB tethering allowance per month too.

Might be worth cancelling that because at the moment their doing unlimited texts/handset data,200mins and 12gb tethering for £18, so an extra 7gb of tethering for £1 extra! that's only a limited time deal which I snapped up a few days ago. It will be going to £20 soon.

[rockerchick]

Actually when I took out my new contract with three, they said it is truly unlimited but he then went on to say - we know the maximum a person can physically use if they were on it all day long so if you go over that then there would be a problem as they would know you're doing something wrong (or something like that)
Fair BUT problem being how can they know how much a person uses if they are on it all day long as some stuff uses more data than others, say reading emails would use much less data than say a Skype call or say watching something on the itv player app.

[Gigabit]

There's a document somewhere on Three's site which explains what the maximum data you could ever use is.

[rockerchick]

I think last month I used 11gb of data. Is that a lot? I have family in Australia who I Skype on a regular basis also a boyfriend in another country who I Skype on a regular basis. I'll sit using laptop while doing something else on phone internet at the same time etc etc ;p I probably do use alot

[Gigabit]

I use 500GB a month at home on landline broadband so 11GB a month just of data use isn't a lot when you compare it against other sorts of data connections.

Comparing it just against 2G/3G/4G connections, I'd say 11GB is reasonably high. The average use on Three is something like 3GB isn't it?

[blueacid]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gigabit

I use 500GB a month at home on landline broadband so 11GB a month just of data use isn't a lot when you compare it against other sorts of data connections.

Comparing it just against 2G/3G/4G connections, I'd say 11GB is reasonably high. The average use on Three is something like 3GB isn't it?

Think the average use on Three is closer to 5.5GB at their last results. The results from other phone companies show average use closer to 2GB IIRC, so there's a clear effect from all you can eat data.

I use around 10-15GB per month on Three, they don't seem to be the least bit fussed about that. Considering EE do a 10GB sim and Vodafone do a 20GB sim I don't feel like I'm taking the mick for using this amount on Three.

[rockerchick]

Just checked my usage for last month as I was curious, Yep 10 and a half gigabytes used. I also use Spotify on top of the Skype, the catch up apps and the constant face booking etc

[jonmorris]

I would have thought that when Three likely axes AYCE data, or at least makes it so much more expensive that most people will begin to reconsider if it's worth the money (but still letting Three say it offers it, even if just one or two people use it), we will have to see some other ideas implemented as done around the world.

EE has now introduced speed capping on roaming with its daily pass, and this seems to be a popular move. Three obviously already heavily manages traffic for roaming data users, so I could see that we might see the full-speed for nnMB and then heavily restricted data for the rest being a future model.

If a network has any sense, it will then allow users to purchase more unrestricted data and make additional revenue, while being able to still claim that users have unlimited data for no cost if they don't mind O2-like speeds.

[blueacid]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jonmorris

I would have thought that when Three likely axes AYCE data, or at least makes it so much more expensive that most people will begin to reconsider if it's worth the money (but still letting Three say it offers it, even if just one or two people use it), we will have to see some other ideas implemented as done around the world.

EE has now introduced speed capping on roaming with its daily pass, and this seems to be a popular move. Three obviously already heavily manages traffic for roaming data users, so I could see that we might see the full-speed for nnMB and then heavily restricted data for the rest being a future model.

If a network has any sense, it will then allow users to purchase more unrestricted data and make additional revenue, while being able to still claim that users have unlimited data for no cost if they don't mind O2-like speeds.

So essentially following the path trodden by Giffgaff on their Always On plan, where you get "good" (settle down at the back there) speeds for the first 6GB then 256kbit thereafter with the option to buy more at full speed.

[jonmorris]

I think this is increasingly becoming the way data is being sold, both on mobile and also Wi-Fi (although in the latter case, you might get free Wi-Fi with restrictions from the off, and pay to lift the restriction).

Speed is now becoming a benefit that can be charged for. EE is thus far the only network to have single speed and double speed, and that could be another way for operators to make money.

Want to download files for business, or just download a film on Sky Go before a flight? Well, you have normal data or high-speed data. On the former, you'll maybe take an hour on the latter, a few minutes. Your choice.

I think some operators are loath to do this until they can almost guarantee the higher speeds will be available, but I am sure we're going to see lots of changes to how data is packaged and sold in the future.