"3" telephone network - €20 "all you can eat" mobile data. Any good? (1 Viewer)

[pissypants]

As someone who doesn't make a lot of calls on a mobile it seems like 20 quid a month for all the data you want is a great offer. Especially when you can use your web-texting app to send texts, and then use the credit you've lodged for actual phone calls.

That said I've heard very mixed things about their customer service, and their broadband.

Is anyone here on this package?
What's their coverage like for calls?
And for data?
Is the speed acceptable on their 3G data?

 

[ann post]

I am on this package
the coverage for calls is a bit shit but i live on in the hills behind a forest
the data is grand, its my only internet - but is satellite based, so clouds, weather, y'know. if you depend on having a solid line 24/7 stick with landlines. torrents seems to run up to 400thingsps. sometimes the speed is completely unacceptable though.

i just can't get away from 20 quid/phone/net calls per month. thats enough for me to tolerate slow internet at times. download overnight rather than peak times.

 

[ann post]

*i've never been with another satellite based provider to compare speed in that way.

 

[тхеодоре кацзынски]

As Ann says,the internet can be hit and miss,in Dublin it can be very slow sometimes (to the point where you just give up trying to use it),I spend most weekends in Wicklow however and its great down there.
As for coverage its mostly grand,the odd muffled line but nothing major.
You won't do any better for a score.

 

[pissypants]

Thanks for posting, post.

Ah yeah, I wouldn't be doing anything heavy on the mobile data - I can deal with it so long as it works for basic browsing, maybe a bit of youtube, uploading a few pictures and that. I may well take a spin.

 

[pissypants]

As Ann says,the internet can be hit and miss,in Dublin it can be very slow sometimes (to the point where you just give up trying to use it),I spend most weekends in Wicklow however and its great down there.
As for coverage its mostly grand,the odd muffled line but nothing major.
You won't do any better for a score.

I could probably live with that. I have wifi most places I go, but for the times I don't it would be very handy. I'm already likely spending 20 quid a month on vodafone pre-pay with no data included - so even *the chance* of data for the same price would be worth it.

 

[тхеодоре кацзынски]

In fairness its generally grand outside peak times,about six this evening it was crawling but right now its more than adequate.
Also,don't they still offer free texts and weekend calls?

 

[pissypants]

Talked to a sales person in 3 today.

20 quid every month gets you 'all you can eat' data, free texts to any network, free 3 to 3 calls, and free calls to any network on the weekend. I looked in the small print and the offer runs til the last day of the year. The salesperson couldn't be drawn on whether the offer, or a similar one, would run on after that date. My guess is that they're making a play for market share.

For 20 quid you get your simcard and your first top up. Within about 5 hours your number is transferred over to the 3 network.

Even if the offer runs out it's still probably worth it for me (who makes fuck all calls, but texts a lot) to run the phone for that fee for the next few months.

 

[pissypants]

I decided to take a punt on this. I'm away this weekend so I'm posting this from the Limerick countryside now on the 3ternetz. All good so far. Been on to customer service earlier with a minor issue and they were prompt and helpful. Although my phone now seems to think I'm roaming all the time now - but that's probably a Galaxy S ii issue rather than a 3 issue. Will let house know how I get on.

 

[тхеодоре кацзынски]

I looked in the small print and the offer runs til the last day of the year. The salesperson couldn't be drawn on whether the offer, or a similar one, would run on after that date. My guess is that they're making a play for market share.

They're continuously pushing the date back,I imagine the same thing will happen come the end of this year.

 

[pissypants]

Sweet! Long may in continue.

I'm having 2 issues now though.
For some reason my phone keeps going into "unconditional call forwarding" mode, and it thinks it's roaming all the time! Hope I can get it sorted. It didn't happen when the phone was previously on Vodafone or Meteor.

 

[pissypants]

Fixed both issues by dicking around with the network settings. Internet speed greatly improved too. Sorted

 

[pissypants]

This has been going well. There's occasional dead spots in data coverage, and sometimes in phone signal too, but nothing even remotely approaching a deal breaker for the way I use my phone. I've only used 2 quid on calls in the last 2 weeks (all texting and data comes free with the 20 quid).

 

[Denny Oubidoux]

Can you use this to have internet on your pc or do they charge extra for that? I believe o2 charge extra if you use your mobile data plan to browse on your pc, the pricks. 3 have a mobile internet dongle thing which costs €35 a month for 20gb. It seems pointless to have this and an unlimited internet thing for €20.

Are there any of those dongle things any good? I have to get something like this for home internet.

 

[pavlos]

Cheers for the info 'pants, looking to change provider soon, and this is interesting and helpful info.

 

[тхеодоре кацзынски]

Can you use this to have internet on your pc or do they charge extra for that?

The small print disallows it but I do it from time to time and haven't had any negative repercussions.I imagine they could tell when it's happening but can't really be bothered enforcing it once you don't take the piss.
While it is unlimited data once you get to 15gb they choke it so 15 is realistically the upper limit.

 

[pissypants]

Can you use this to have internet on your pc or do they charge extra for that? I believe o2 charge extra if you use your mobile data plan to browse on your pc, the pricks. 3 have a mobile internet dongle thing which costs €35 a month for 20gb. It seems pointless to have this and an unlimited internet thing for €20.

Are there any of those dongle things any good? I have to get something like this for home internet.

From elsewhere:

Tethering is not permitted on the Three network which is in the T&Cs since January. So if you have signed or agreed to a new contract since January 2012 then you are not allowed to tether, as you are then bound by the current T&Cs.

I've not tried it though...

Maybe Ann Post would know as they use it for their only internet...

 

[Theseus Mock]

If you plug the SIM into an unlocked dongle (eBay/adverts) and as long as you use the same APN configured for their mobile data, it shouldn't set off any alarm bells. Unless they do some deep packet inspection & figure out you're on a laptop/desktop.

Boards is a good place to find out what's the skinny.

 

[ernesto]

The small print disallows it but I do it from time to time and haven't had any negative repercussions.I imagine they could tell when it's happening but can't really be bothered enforcing it once you don't take the piss.
While it is unlimited data once you get to 15gb they choke it so 15 is realistically the upper limit.

everytime i tried to tether with my mac i got a warning on my three iphone saying that that its being refused and not allowed

 

[тхеодоре кацзынски]

Odd.How long have you been with them?