Mobile broadband review: 3
By Fergal Barry-Murphy. Published on March 25, 2008 This post currently has 2 comments.
We continue our series of mobile broadband reviews this week with a look at 3's mobile broadband services.
The number of mobile broadband providers in Britain is far more limited than standard cable and ADSL services. However, competition does exist and already prices have come down dramatically. We recently reported that Vodafone is offering mobile broadband services for as little as £15 per month.
Well, the good news that 3 has even gone one better than this price whether you are a pay monthly or pre-pay by offering a £10 per month mobile broadband product. So, let's have a closer look at 3's costs and services.
As you would expect, when you sign up for 3 mobile broadband you receive a USB modem and very often it is as simple as plug and play, so you can be up and running within minutes. And if you are a Mac user don't worry, 3 provides the necessary drivers and instructions to get going. It is worth pointing out, though, that older versions of the modem require two USB ports for the connection with the PC, so make sure that you receive the newer single port cable. 3 does not provide a 'stick' modem option like Vodafone which only requires one USB port.
The software and hardware is simple to install and there is a very easy to use and understand interface to connect to the internet, and send and receive SMS messages. The interface also indicates the connection type (3G or 2G, for example).
In many ways, 3's mobile broadband is almost identical to Vodafone's service. Your monthly costs are determined by your download limits, and the length of the contract you sign. On the cheaper or shorter plans, you may have to pay an extra £49.99 for the modem. For longer 18 or 24 month contracts you should get your USB modem for free.
The big difference between 3 and Vodafone is that 3 offers a cheap £10 per month option. This is excellent value, but the 1GB monthly limit will be too little for many users. If, however, you only want mobile broadband for occasional trips it may be enough.
In truth, the £15 per month 3GB plan offers much better value. If you are a particularly heavy user you could opt for the £25 per month plan which allows you a 7GB download limit. However, it should be noted that Vodafone offers unlimited downloads for the same price.
3 does score well, however, when it comes to flexibility. Its Pay As You Go options mean you can enjoy mobile broadband with no contracts and little fuss. You simply buy top-up when you need it for broadband access on the move. However, the Pay As You Go option is more expensive at the outset as you have to pay £99.99 for your modem, but after that you have complete freedom as to how you use it. Prices per month and download limits are identical to the pay monthly options.
3 Mobile Coverage
3's 'Turbo Network' already covers 85 per cent of the British population and this is set to improve further in 2008. As you would imagine, coverage is best in and around cities and large towns. This high speed signal can either be accessed through a modem or certain handsets.
In a 3G area, the internet speeds are fast, although you cannot easily find out the actual connection bandwidth and download speeds. 3G rates seem faster than Vodafone in the same 3G test area, but Vodafone may be more heavily congested.
Speeds can reach anywhere up to 2.8 mbps, which isn't as fast as the potential speeds offered by Vodafone. With any mobile broadband plan, a lot will depend on where you intend to use it so try to test out speeds before committing to any long-term contract.
A good place to start is to check the estimated speed in your area here. There is also a useful data calculator that helps you select the correct subscription plan here.
There is little to choose from between Vodafone and 3's mobile broadband services, but Vodafone does seem to have the edge in some regards. That said, 3's £10 per month could provide better value if you are an occasional user, while its Pay As You Go option does offer excellent flexibility. Also, if you are already a 3 customer you should be able to get a good discount on your modem.
Click here to learn more about 3's mobile broadband services
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2 Responses to “Mobile broadband review: 3”
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Be very careful here, 3 (three) mobile have charged me an exorbitant amount for going over the monthly 3GB limit.They mislead me instore by saying this was not possible, and the customer “help” is dreadful, both on the Indian no-help line and instore (Eastbourne branch anyway). I was notified (by being sent 50 messages all at once!!) 2 days after allegedly going over my limit, and later told they couldnt contact me sooner as I hadn’t been online!!! Overall they charged me £39 for one month for allegedly using 3.3GB, just 10% over the 3GB, normally £15 a month, the 7GB bundle being £25. Normally I could only use less than 1GB, the download speed being so slow. Avoid if at all possible.Three 3 mobile internet is a disgraceful rip-off.
Please, please, please - DO NOT SIGN UP for Three mobile broadband. I’m covered by their so-called ‘Turbo’ network, but 50% of the time I can’t connect at all. Literally days go by without a connection. Then, when it DOES let me connect, the ‘line’ will often drop after 2 or 3 minutes (so no downloading large files… or any files, really). Frequently, the connection will be established, but the only website I’ll be able to open is…. http://www.three.co.uk. Their customer service, both in-store and on the phone is beyond a joke, and their bundled Mac software is risibly poor. The only support I’ve wheedled out of them is five minutes with a Bombay call centre, attempting to complain to someone who, in all fairness, could not speak English. These people take your money for a service THEY DO NOT PROVIDE. It might be cheap - but it’s still appalling value for money, given that you’ll be paying for something you do not receive. AVOID, AVOID, AVOID.