On Mon, 24 Mar 2008 12:54:35 +1100, Simon Templar wrote:

> Snapper wrote:
>> I s'pose it allows people to purchase phones that otherwise they may not
>> be able to spare the cash for.
>
> They end up paying for it big time with the lengthy contracts,
> especially when the phone does not last for the duration of the contract!
>
>> If I buy a phone outright, and Michael reckons that we're crazy if we do,
>> then when my current contract expires it will be converted to something
>> that's more in line with my call spending. Perhaps a $10 or a $20 a month
>> plan. Or I might even go pre-paid.
>
> Owning a phone outright gives you the flexibility to make such choices
> and you are not locked into a contract that does not suit your
> requirements later on.
>
> Unfortunately there still seems to be a certain level of descrimination
> against pre-paid, which I think is very unfair. For example Three does
> not allow Internet usage on pre-paid.
>
> Pre-paid shouldn't be descriminated this way considering there is no
> risk whith revenue, as if you don't have credit then you don't use it.
> Where as how many people run up massive bills on contract and the
> carrier losses the lot!

Three prevents prepaid customers from using mobile data because it can't
monitor data usage in real-time. There's a 24-48 hour lag. In other
words, Three has no way to allow prepaid customers access to mobile data
without running the risk that they'll use more data than their "available
credit" entitles them to.

That's the reason why 3 doesn't allow Internet usage on prepaid.