In uk.telecom.broadband Steve Terry <gFOURwwk@tesco.net> wrote:
: 5quid p.m.internet top ups in a 3G wap phone as internet top ups
: are done in Planet 3 wap.
You can access MY3 and do topups from any web-browser on a PC as well
as using wap of course!
"Steve Terry" <gFOURwwk@tesco.net> wrote in
news:h46i3j$l1d$1@news.albasani.net:
> They are planning to cover 98.5% of the UK population by the end of
> next year
>
> Long term plan is when (if) they reach 99% of UK population they'll
> then be able to drop Orange 2g roaming
That's little help if you live in a sparesly populated area or use
campsites that aren't within the 3G coverage.
Notwithstanding that, IME Three have the worst customer service of any
network I've used (and at various times I've been on Vodafone, Orange,
and O2). They couldn't even deliver our S1 handsets on time and were so
tardy that we had to request another PAC number from O2 because delivery
was so late that original PACs had expired!
Also, when we signed they used O2 as their fallback 2g provider. We
spoke to Three about this and told them that was a key reason why we
felt we could make the change and that if they'd used Orange or T-Mobile
they wouldn't have got our custom since coverage from both is rubbish
where I most need it. So I wasn't very pleased when they changed to
Orange a few weeks after we got our handsets, not least because I
strongly suspect the salesman knew the change was afoot and hence was
probably less than honest. The change means that we can't use our
favourite CL when my wife is on call because there's no Orange or Three
signal. To rub salt into the wound, there's an O2 mast at the top of the
next hill - line of sight to the CL.
> Three are without doubt the most improved network in the last 3 years
I wouldn't know since I have not noticed any improvement. I have both a
3 dongle and a Vodafone dongle and have yet to get 3G service from
either at any campsite I've used since buying them. All that I've had is
Vodafone GPRS, which isn't fast enough to VPN into my network, and so
I've had to drive a few miles up the road each day to carry out network
checks and maintenance. That said, GPRS is fine for general browsing.
In uk.telecom.mobile Geoff Lane <geoff@nospam.invalid> wrote:
: Notwithstanding that, IME Three have the worst customer service of any
: network I've used (and at various times I've been on Vodafone, Orange,
: and O2).
Well I, for one, have been extremely impressed so far - with their tariffs,
(almost) free 3G dongle and coverage.
As with all mobile companies the "best" for any one area is going to vary!
Howver 3 do sound to be the most active at the present time in increasing
their 3G coverage.
>>>This one is better get two free sims
>>> https://www.three.co.uk/Pay_As_You_Go/Free_SIM
>>
>> I tried that. They still sent me only one free SIM.
>> David
>>
>Says "Please just fill in this form and we'll send you your free SIM
>(plus an extra one to give to a mate)."
Hmm! On the face of it, it sounds as though they would have sent two in
the same packet. Doesn't one have to read things carefully?!
>
>Can't see anything stopping you using it again to send one to your
>brother/sister/cat etc
Oh no, I don't want my cats having one. I'd never get any peace!
"Geoff Lane" <geoff@nospam.invalid> wrote in message
news:Xns9C506FA789F9Cgeoffnospam097akdsh@216.196.1 09.145...
> "Steve Terry" <gFOURwwk@tesco.net> wrote in
> news:h46i3j$l1d$1@news.albasani.net:
>
>> They are planning to cover 98.5% of the UK population by the end of
>> next year
>>
>> Long term plan is when (if) they reach 99% of UK population they'll
>> then be able to drop Orange 2g roaming
>
> That's little help if you live in a sparesly populated area or use
> campsites that aren't within the 3G coverage.
>
> Notwithstanding that, IME Three have the worst customer service of any
> network I've used (and at various times I've been on Vodafone, Orange,
> and O2). They couldn't even deliver our S1 handsets on time and were so
> tardy that we had to request another PAC number from O2 because delivery
> was so late that original PACs had expired!
>
> Also, when we signed they used O2 as their fallback 2g provider. We
> spoke to Three about this and told them that was a key reason why we
> felt we could make the change and that if they'd used Orange or T-Mobile
> they wouldn't have got our custom since coverage from both is rubbish
> where I most need it. So I wasn't very pleased when they changed to
> Orange a few weeks after we got our handsets, not least because I
> strongly suspect the salesman knew the change was afoot and hence was
> probably less than honest. The change means that we can't use our
> favourite CL when my wife is on call because there's no Orange or Three
> signal. To rub salt into the wound, there's an O2 mast at the top of the
> next hill - line of sight to the CL.
>
>
Three have improved immensely since the days of 2g roaming on O2,
it was only just before they went over to Orange 2g roaming that Three
solved their biggest problem of seamless handover to 2g
The number of complaints and customers lost through failed handovers
was immense.
All the networks still have big holes in their 3g coverage
In message <h489dk$nui$1@news.albasani.net>, Steve Terry
<gFOURwwk@tesco.net> writes
>
>"Geoff Lane" <geoff@nospam.invalid> wrote in message
>news:Xns9C506FA789F9Cgeoffnospam097akdsh@216.196. 109.145...
>> "Steve Terry" <gFOURwwk@tesco.net> wrote in
>> news:h46i3j$l1d$1@news.albasani.net:
>>
>>> They are planning to cover 98.5% of the UK population by the end of
>>> next year
>>>
>>> Long term plan is when (if) they reach 99% of UK population they'll
>>> then be able to drop Orange 2g roaming
>>
>> That's little help if you live in a sparesly populated area or use
>> campsites that aren't within the 3G coverage.
>>
>> Notwithstanding that, IME Three have the worst customer service of any
>> network I've used (and at various times I've been on Vodafone, Orange,
>> and O2). They couldn't even deliver our S1 handsets on time and were so
>> tardy that we had to request another PAC number from O2 because delivery
>> was so late that original PACs had expired!
>>
>> Also, when we signed they used O2 as their fallback 2g provider. We
>> spoke to Three about this and told them that was a key reason why we
>> felt we could make the change and that if they'd used Orange or T-Mobile
>> they wouldn't have got our custom since coverage from both is rubbish
>> where I most need it. So I wasn't very pleased when they changed to
>> Orange a few weeks after we got our handsets, not least because I
>> strongly suspect the salesman knew the change was afoot and hence was
>> probably less than honest. The change means that we can't use our
>> favourite CL when my wife is on call because there's no Orange or Three
>> signal. To rub salt into the wound, there's an O2 mast at the top of the
>> next hill - line of sight to the CL.
>>
>>
>Three have improved immensely since the days of 2g roaming on O2,
>it was only just before they went over to Orange 2g roaming that Three
>solved their biggest problem of seamless handover to 2g
>The number of complaints and customers lost through failed handovers
>was immense.
>
>All the networks still have big holes in their 3g coverage
>
>Steve Terry
I have just successfully cancelled my 3 1100M&M contact after 15 months.
There is a big hole here in their 3G coverage as the small market town
(population 6000) where I live is in dip. No 3G at home and sporadic at
the office, half a mile away at the top of the town. The OFCOM maps show
a 3 mast on the fire station which is news to the firemen (it doesn't
exist). So 3 have to rely on orange for the 2G fallback. I have put up
with this for the last 9 months but we are currently on day three of
orange being down yet again (the 4th. time this year). I have had an
orange contract since 24Dec94 although it is now an OVP Virgin tariff,
mostly unused. The SIM sits in an old nokia phone so I know that orange
is out.
In my office, by looking out of the window, I can *see* the masts for
O2, vodafone, tmobile and orange. I also know where the others are
within a 3 mile radius. For orange to be out of service means that at
least two transmitters are down. And they don't seem to be in a hurry to
fix them unlike in the days of Snook. Orange *used* to be very good
before the FT takeover... I eventually had three orange contracts back
then... now all replaced with O2 contracts.
So 3 are let down by their 2G partners but 3 CS is terrible. I have been
dealing with overseas call centres for years but the 3 one is probably
the worst I have dealt with. 3 management really need to sort that out.
O2, Vodafone, tmobile, CS has been fine... you just have to remember to
call them back & make sure they have done what they said they were going
to do. But that is no difference from any other call centre these days
<GRIN>
I have to have mobile internet access wherever I go (including when
camping!) so I have PAYG SIM cards for all the UK & CI networks....
works well with a nokia e61 which has all the apns setup..
In your case, maybe. I have been with 3 for
several years and have found the service, as a
whole, to be nothing short of exceptional for both
value and quality.
LP <blahblahblah@blah.blah> wrote in news:7crsdeF28ph1iU1
@mid.individual.net:
>> ...but 3 CS is terrible.
>
> In your case, maybe. I have been with 3 for
> several years and have found the service, as a
> whole, to be nothing short of exceptional for both
> value and quality.
I strongly suspect that you've been lucky and/or nothing has gone wrong for
you that requires CS.
They've been consistently poor IME. Their sales staff have repeatedly made
promises they could not (or would not) keep and their CS's approach to
faulty handsets has been to fob off if possible. It took over three months
to get them to accept that one of my handsets was faulty and to replace it.
They refuse to replace the second even though it has the same fault
(randomly hangs and won't reboot unless the battery is removed and
replaced). Instead they insist that I have to shut down and reboot the
phone at least once every 24 hours and claim that this is normal for all
networks and all handsets!
"iain" <spamtrap@hairydog.co.uk> wrote in message
news:ne9g6514r26v61vfisj410bnnf9iue6st0@4ax.com...
> On Tue, 21 Jul 2009 19:48:25 +0100, alexd <troffasky@hotmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>> would have thought it would be useful for calling other 3 users as well
>
> I expect it would be, but I don't know any 3 users, let alone call
> them.
>
>
Over a year ago I put my girlfriend on 3 to make use of all those 3 to 3
calls
You soon realise you have to love someone a lot to do something as daft
as telling them there's now no limit to calling you
"Ian King" <nospam@nospam.amicro.co.uk> wrote in message
news:i5o8wIQMhBaKFw0f@amicro.co.uk...
> In message <h489dk$nui$1@news.albasani.net>, Steve Terry
> <gFOURwwk@tesco.net> writes
>>
>>"Geoff Lane" <geoff@nospam.invalid> wrote in message
>>news:Xns9C506FA789F9Cgeoffnospam097akdsh@216.196 .109.145...
>>> "Steve Terry" <gFOURwwk@tesco.net> wrote in
>>> news:h46i3j$l1d$1@news.albasani.net:
>>>
>>>> They are planning to cover 98.5% of the UK population by the end of
>>>> next year
<snip>
>>All the networks still have big holes in their 3g coverage
>>Steve Terry
>
> I have just successfully cancelled my 3 1100M&M contact after 15 months.
> There is a big hole here in their 3G coverage as the small market town
> (population 6000) where I live is in dip. No 3G at home and sporadic at
> the office, half a mile away at the top of the town. The OFCOM maps show a
> 3 mast on the fire station which is news to the firemen (it doesn't
> exist). So 3 have to rely on orange for the 2G fallback. I have put up
> with this for the last 9 months but we are currently on day three of
> orange being down yet again (the 4th. time this year). I have had an
> orange contract since 24Dec94 although it is now an OVP Virgin tariff,
> mostly unused. The SIM sits in an old nokia phone so I know that orange is
> out.
> In my office, by looking out of the window, I can *see* the masts for O2,
> vodafone, tmobile and orange. I also know where the others are within a 3
> mile radius.
>
>
Each network has holes
I recently lived in Peacehaven, 3 had two BTS, T Mobile and O2 only one
I now live in Potters Bar and the main BTS tower next to tescos near me
has 3 (3.5g), O2 and Orange 2g
In your case it sounds like you should be using O2, Voda or T Mobile
Wherever you go there will be holes, what UK networks should be doing
is much more in the way of internal roaming agreements.
"Geoff Lane" <geoff@nospam.invalid> wrote in message
news:Xns9C51DF58EDF99geoffnospam097akdsh@216.196.1 09.145...
> LP <blahblahblah@blah.blah> wrote in news:7crsdeF28ph1iU1
> @mid.individual.net:
>
>>> ...but 3 CS is terrible.
>>
>> In your case, maybe. I have been with 3 for
>> several years and have found the service, as a
>> whole, to be nothing short of exceptional for both
>> value and quality.
>
> I strongly suspect that you've been lucky and/or nothing has gone wrong
> for
> you that requires CS.
>
> They've been consistently poor IME. Their sales staff have repeatedly made
> promises they could not (or would not) keep and their CS's approach to
> faulty handsets has been to fob off if possible. It took over three months
> to get them to accept that one of my handsets was faulty and to replace
> it.
> They refuse to replace the second even though it has the same fault
> (randomly hangs and won't reboot unless the battery is removed and
> replaced). Instead they insist that I have to shut down and reboot the
> phone at least once every 24 hours and claim that this is normal for all
> networks and all handsets!
> Geoff
>
>
We've established that was a Skype S1, go and get a current generation
3 phone and try them again.
Every network has released rubbish phones damaging their reputation
"Steve Terry" <gFOURwwk@tesco.net> wrote in news:h4aqf9$7u3$1
@news.albasani.net:
> We've established that was a Skype S1, go and get a current generation
> 3 phone and try them again.
You have to be joking. I can't get an S2 until my present contract is
over and Skype on Three has already proved not fit for purpose. There is
no way that I'm going to sign up for another 18 months just to give them
another chance - they've had plenty of chances already.
> Every network has released rubbish phones damaging their reputation
Although the phones were/are faulty my complaint is more about their
customer service. I once had a faulty phone from O2, who had a completely
different ethos. After a hour or so of diagnostics they arranged a
doorstep exchange the following day for a repaired and refurbished
example of the same model. It took Three nearly three months to do
essentially the same thing and while some of the diagnostic steps took 24
hours they still deprived me of service for over two weeks during three
attempts to repair the original handset. When they finally did a doorstep
exchange, the replacement S1 developed the same fault within a week and
it took a further week before they agreed to swap it for something else -
a Nokia. My contract is for two handsets and they've refused to swap the
second S1 even though it has the same fault - albeit to a lesser degree.
mrg@hotmail.com wrote in
news:1qoh65he9r3mu2scmkkkil6adhdouo77jh@4ax.com:
>>I strongly suspect that you've been lucky and/or nothing has gone
>>wrong for you that requires CS.
>
> I strongly suspect that you have been unlucky and everything has gone
> wrong .
Not if the experiences of others I know who've been on 3 are
representative. Almost every person in that group had something bad to
say about 3 CS. Even you are critical.
> The one problem I find with 3 is the customer service personnel they
> just don't have a clue ...
I guess that you're looking at them through rose-coloured glasses since
you praise them in spite of this.
> ... but the easy way around this problem is to pop into a three store
> where staff are very obliging and knowledgeable ...
FWIW, I tried that (at least, I phoned them to ask whether they could
help). They told me that, since I'd gone direct rather than through a
Three store, they could do nothing and hence were not at all obliging.
"Steve Terry" <gFOURwwk@tesco.net> wrote in message
news:h4amij$2ub$1@news.albasani.net...
>>
> Over a year ago I put my girlfriend on 3 to make use of all those 3 to 3
> calls
>
> You soon realise you have to love someone a lot to do something as daft
> as telling them there's now no limit to calling you
>
> "Ring ring", yes dear, coming..;-)
>
Sounds like a free 0900 service ;-)
--
To help compile the Open Street Map, or if you just want to use copyright
free maps of the UK, or anywhere else in the world, visit http://www.OpenStreetMap.org
"Geoff Lane" <geoff@nospam.invalid> wrote in message
news:Xns9C525112FB3F7geoffnospam097akdsh@216.196.1 09.145...
> mrg@hotmail.com wrote in
> news:1qoh65he9r3mu2scmkkkil6adhdouo77jh@4ax.com:
>
>>>I strongly suspect that you've been lucky and/or nothing has gone
>>>wrong for you that requires CS.
>>
>> I strongly suspect that you have been unlucky and everything has gone
>> wrong .
>
> Not if the experiences of others I know who've been on 3 are
> representative. Almost every person in that group had something bad to
> say about 3 CS. Even you are critical.
>
>
I was one of their greatest critics at the time they had O2 as 2g roaming
partner, their billing was often wrong, 3g coverage was crap, and lousy 2g
hand over made it worse, available handsets were big, clumsy with horrible
ergonomics and eat batteries, and limited addtional services.
On top of that Three marketing refused to allow data (the most obvious use
of 3g bandwidth) dreaming that they were going to make a fortune from
wap services!
All that has changed for the better, even most of the tariffs. Which is
surprising
because as networks gets better it's tempting to reduce the value given
"Geoff Lane" <geoff@nospam.invalid> wrote in message
news:Xns9C524F81BB5D0geoffnospam097akdsh@216.196.1 09.145...
> "Steve Terry" <gFOURwwk@tesco.net> wrote in news:h4aqf9$7u3$1
> @news.albasani.net:
>
>> We've established that was a Skype S1, go and get a current generation
>> 3 phone and try them again.
>
> You have to be joking. I can't get an S2 until my present contract is
> over and Skype on Three has already proved not fit for purpose. There is
> no way that I'm going to sign up for another 18 months just to give them
> another chance - they've had plenty of chances already.
>
>
You could buy a S2 on Three payg for 39.99 and swap the sims over,
keep the S1 as a spare.
Next month I'm signing up with Three for another 15 quid p.m. 6 month
300 m&m contract, the Nokia 6120c i got on the last 6 month 300 m&m
i'll then use exclusively as a HSDPA modem on 3pay
"Steve Terry" <gFOURwwk@tesco.net> wrote in news:h4cqni$vqs$1
@news.albasani.net:
>>> We've established that was a Skype S1, go and get a current
>>> generation 3 phone and try them again.
>>
>> You have to be joking. I can't get an S2 until my present contract is
>> over and Skype on Three has already proved not fit for purpose. There
>> is no way that I'm going to sign up for another 18 months just to
>> give them another chance - they've had plenty of chances already.
>>
>>
> You could buy a S2 on Three payg for 39.99 and swap the sims over,
> keep the S1 as a spare.
Thanks for the suggestion, but why would I pay forty quid for something
I'd more than probably have to throw away in a few months when I ditch 3?
For info, I didn't use all my bundled minutes on my old O2 contract so
getting double the any-network minutes plus thousands of three-to-three
minutes for the same price on switching to Three was irrelevant since,
pragmatically, I didn't gain anything. The only reason I switched to
Three was to get Skype on my mobiles. In theory, that should have given
me call diversion from my home to my mobile at no cost. However, I only
get Skype in 3G areas and even then the system frequently logs me out and
sometimes doesn't automatically log me back in. Also, the latency is
objectionable and often significantly in excess of what I get on SIP
calls half way around the World! In short, the Three Skype service just
isn't fit for my purpose and my only reason for using Three has proved
invalid.
Thus unless Three get their act together within the next few months and
start delivering the service I thought I signed up for, I'm going back to
O2.
That said, I'll keep my Three PAYG broadband dongle - although I'll
probably only use it if I find myself somewhere Three gives 3G coverage
and Vodafone does not.
"Geoff Lane" <geoff@nospam.invalid> wrote in message
news:Xns9C52D3AA46710geoffnospam097akdsh@216.196.1 09.145...
> "Steve Terry" <gFOURwwk@tesco.net> wrote in news:h4cqni$vqs$1
> @news.albasani.net:
>
>>>> We've established that was a Skype S1, go and get a current
>>>> generation 3 phone and try them again.
>>>
>>> You have to be joking. I can't get an S2 until my present contract is
>>> over and Skype on Three has already proved not fit for purpose. There
>>> is no way that I'm going to sign up for another 18 months just to
>>> give them another chance - they've had plenty of chances already.
>>>
>> You could buy a S2 on Three payg for 39.99 and swap the sims over,
>> keep the S1 as a spare.
>
> Thanks for the suggestion, but why would I pay forty quid for something
> I'd more than probably have to throw away in a few months when I ditch 3?
>
Skype S1 and S2 can be unlocked for use on other networks
>
> For info, I didn't use all my bundled minutes on my old O2 contract so
> getting double the any-network minutes plus thousands of three-to-three
> minutes for the same price on switching to Three was irrelevant since,
> pragmatically, I didn't gain anything. The only reason I switched to
> Three was to get Skype on my mobiles. In theory, that should have given
> me call diversion from my home to my mobile at no cost. However, I only
> get Skype in 3G areas and even then the system frequently logs me out and
> sometimes doesn't automatically log me back in. Also, the latency is
> objectionable and often significantly in excess of what I get on SIP
> calls half way around the World! In short, the Three Skype service just
> isn't fit for my purpose and my only reason for using Three has proved
> invalid.
>
> Thus unless Three get their act together within the next few months and
> start delivering the service I thought I signed up for, I'm going back to
> O2.
>
> That said, I'll keep my Three PAYG broadband dongle - although I'll
> probably only use it if I find myself somewhere Three gives 3G coverage
> and Vodafone does not.
> Geoff
>
>
Fair enough. Although i've played with 3's free Skype node on the phone,
I only find Skype from the laptop over 3 internet BB connection really
of practical use (and with webcam), which i do using the same phone as a
HSDPA modem.
I guess you must have got a cheap 3 contract with a lot of mins and text
to end up with such a low value non HSDPA phone included?
I can't help thinking that if you had got a 3 contract with a better phone
included, half your problems with 3 wouldn't have existed.
"Jim Gm4dhj/M" <jim.gm4dhj@googlemail.com> wrote in message
news:h4ea87$1sp$1@news.eternal-september.org...
>
>> "Ring ring", yes dear, coming..;-)
>> Steve Terry
>
> you will go blind.....
>
>
Only if she pokes my eyes out for not answering the phone fast enough
Three is a marvellous network for lots of on net calls, cheap and being
3g always full rate codec excellent bandwidth and so sound quality
and seamless 2g voice roaming included in the tariff, giving Three
the best voice coverage in the UK
"Jim Gm4dhj/M" <jim.gm4dhj@googlemail.com> wrote in message
news:h4egp1$mnb$1@news.eternal-september.org...
>
>> All the networks still have big holes in their 3g coverage
>> Steve Terry
>>
> they should have used 900 Mc/s .........then they wouldn't .......
>
Only if the 900MHz BTS are attached to balloons at 100,000 feet
Look you spark generator idiot, how much bandwidth do you think
was available around 900MHz for 3g ?
Even if you switched off all the existing 2g services there
Re: Mobile Internet 
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