Three - best overall for UK coverage?

I moved from Orange to o2 a while back and have been very disappointed
with the poor coverage, poor call quality and frequent network busy
signals.

I'm therefore thinking of moving back to Orange but then realised that
Three not only have roaming rights over Orange but have also announced
a 3G network sharing agreement with T-Mobile due to be completed by
the end of 2008.

I'm therefore wondering if Three will shortly have the best overall
coverage in the UK i.e. calls & data would be billed after inclusive
allowances on a Three contract but could be made on:

* Three's 3G network (the biggest 3G network in the UK)
* T-Mobile's 3G network (the 3rd biggest 3G network in the UK - via
the Three network sharing agreement)
* Orange's 3G network (the 2nd biggest 3G network in the UK - via
Three's roaming agreement)
* Orange's 2G network (as above).

Would this actually work?

<tobylovern@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:2b3297b1-cfd1-4dfe-9f8f-74b6b0d74874@w7g2000hsa.googlegroups.com...
>I moved from Orange to o2 a while back and have been very disappointed
> with the poor coverage, poor call quality and frequent network busy
> signals.
>
> I'm therefore thinking of moving back to Orange but then realised that
> Three not only have roaming rights over Orange but have also announced
> a 3G network sharing agreement with T-Mobile due to be completed by
> the end of 2008.
>
> I'm therefore wondering if Three will shortly have the best overall
> coverage in the UK i.e. calls & data would be billed after inclusive
> allowances on a Three contract but could be made on:
>
> * Three's 3G network (the biggest 3G network in the UK)
> * T-Mobile's 3G network (the 3rd biggest 3G network in the UK - via
> the Three network sharing agreement)
> * Orange's 3G network (the 2nd biggest 3G network in the UK - via
> Three's roaming agreement)
> * Orange's 2G network (as above).
>
> Would this actually work?

I don't believe the roaming agreement with Orange includes 3g.

<tobylovern@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:2b3297b1-cfd1-4dfe-9f8f-74b6b0d74874@w7g2000hsa.googlegroups.com...
>I moved from Orange to o2 a while back and have been very disappointed
> with the poor coverage, poor call quality and frequent network busy
> signals.
>
> I'm therefore thinking of moving back to Orange but then realised that
> Three not only have roaming rights over Orange but have also announced
> a 3G network sharing agreement with T-Mobile due to be completed by
> the end of 2008.
>
> I'm therefore wondering if Three will shortly have the best overall
> coverage in the UK i.e. calls & data would be billed after inclusive
> allowances on a Three contract but could be made on:
>
For calls that would now seem to be the case, for data that has yet to
be proved

Steve Terry

"Jack Torrence" <room217[at]overlook.freeserve.co.uk> wrote in message
news:484513f4$1_1@glkas0286.greenlnk.net...
> <tobylovern@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:2b3297b1-cfd1-4dfe-9f8f-74b6b0d74874@w7g2000hsa.googlegroups.com...
>>I moved from Orange to o2 a while back and have been very disappointed
>> with the poor coverage, poor call quality and frequent network busy
>> signals.
>>
>> I'm therefore thinking of moving back to Orange but then realised that
>> Three not only have roaming rights over Orange but have also announced
>> a 3G network sharing agreement with T-Mobile due to be completed by
>> the end of 2008.
>>
>> I'm therefore wondering if Three will shortly have the best overall
>> coverage in the UK i.e. calls & data would be billed after inclusive
>> allowances on a Three contract but could be made on:
>>
>> * Three's 3G network (the biggest 3G network in the UK)
>> * T-Mobile's 3G network (the 3rd biggest 3G network in the UK - via
>> the Three network sharing agreement)
>> * Orange's 3G network (the 2nd biggest 3G network in the UK - via
>> Three's roaming agreement)
>> * Orange's 2G network (as above).
>>
>> Would this actually work?
>
> I don't believe the roaming agreement with Orange includes 3g.
>
Yes, but 3g data is being created with T Mobile.
So soon your 3 calls could be on Orange 2g, and your 3 data on T Mobile 3g

Should work well, T Mobile have put much more effort into developing
their 3g network than they did with 2g.

and Voda and Orange are going to roam on each others 3g data

Poor old O2 don't have anyone to team up with

Steve Terry

"Steve Terry" <gFOURwwk@tesco.net> wrote in message
news:g23d5n$ta6$1@news.albasani.net...
>
> "Jack Torrence" <room217[at]overlook.freeserve.co.uk> wrote in message
> news:484513f4$1_1@glkas0286.greenlnk.net...
>> <tobylovern@yahoo.com> wrote in message
>> news:2b3297b1-cfd1-4dfe-9f8f-74b6b0d74874@w7g2000hsa.googlegroups.com...
>>>I moved from Orange to o2 a while back and have been very disappointed
>>> with the poor coverage, poor call quality and frequent network busy
>>> signals.
>>>
>>> I'm therefore thinking of moving back to Orange but then realised that
>>> Three not only have roaming rights over Orange but have also announced
>>> a 3G network sharing agreement with T-Mobile due to be completed by
>>> the end of 2008.
>>>
>>> I'm therefore wondering if Three will shortly have the best overall
>>> coverage in the UK i.e. calls & data would be billed after inclusive
>>> allowances on a Three contract but could be made on:
>>>
>>> * Three's 3G network (the biggest 3G network in the UK)
>>> * T-Mobile's 3G network (the 3rd biggest 3G network in the UK - via
>>> the Three network sharing agreement)
>>> * Orange's 3G network (the 2nd biggest 3G network in the UK - via
>>> Three's roaming agreement)
>>> * Orange's 2G network (as above).
>>>
>>> Would this actually work?
>>
>> I don't believe the roaming agreement with Orange includes 3g.
>>
> Yes, but 3g data is being created with T Mobile.
> So soon your 3 calls could be on Orange 2g, and your 3 data on T Mobile 3g

Is this entirely accurate? I didn't think the 3/T-mobile 3g arrangement was
a roaming agreement like the 3/Orange 2g one but rather a sharing of the
infrastructure?

<tobylovern@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:2b3297b1-cfd1-4dfe-9f8f-74b6b0d74874@w7g2000hsa.googlegroups.com...
>I moved from Orange to o2 a while back and have been very disappointed
> with the poor coverage, poor call quality and frequent network busy
> signals.
>

Very odd, you didn't have your phone set to only use the 1800MHz band by any
chance?

Usually O2 / Voda coverage is better because they have 900MHz cells too.

> I'm therefore thinking of moving back to Orange but then realised that
> Three not only have roaming rights over Orange but have also announced
> a 3G network sharing agreement with T-Mobile due to be completed by
> the end of 2008.
>
> I'm therefore wondering if Three will shortly have the best overall
> coverage in the UK i.e. calls & data would be billed after inclusive
> allowances on a Three contract but could be made on:
>
> * Three's 3G network (the biggest 3G network in the UK)
> * T-Mobile's 3G network (the 3rd biggest 3G network in the UK - via
> the Three network sharing agreement)
> * Orange's 3G network (the 2nd biggest 3G network in the UK - via
> Three's roaming agreement)
> * Orange's 2G network (as above).
>
> Would this actually work?

Read this group's archives to find out about how good 3 aren't.

In message <lo6dnV5Fhft3F9jVnZ2dnUVZ8vGdnZ2d@bt.com>
"R. Mark Clayton" <nospamclayton@btinternet.com> wrote:

> Read this group's archives to find out about how good 3 aren't.

But make sure to take note of the dates of the messages, because
3 haven't come in for much stick for a long time now. I realise
they did in their early days.

Dave

Jack Torrence wrote:
> <tobylovern@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:2b3297b1-cfd1-4dfe-9f8f-74b6b0d74874@w7g2000hsa.googlegroups.com...
> >I moved from Orange to o2 a while back and have been very disappointed
> > with the poor coverage, poor call quality and frequent network busy
> > signals.
> >
> > I'm therefore thinking of moving back to Orange but then realised that
> > Three not only have roaming rights over Orange but have also announced
> > a 3G network sharing agreement with T-Mobile due to be completed by
> > the end of 2008.
> >
> > I'm therefore wondering if Three will shortly have the best overall
> > coverage in the UK i.e. calls & data would be billed after inclusive
> > allowances on a Three contract but could be made on:
> >
> > * Three's 3G network (the biggest 3G network in the UK)
> > * T-Mobile's 3G network (the 3rd biggest 3G network in the UK - via
> > the Three network sharing agreement)
> > * Orange's 3G network (the 2nd biggest 3G network in the UK - via
> > Three's roaming agreement)
> > * Orange's 2G network (as above).
> >
> > Would this actually work?
>
> I don't believe the roaming agreement with Orange includes 3g.

I'm not so sure. I have a Three mobile broadband and it quite happily
connects to "Orange 3G (R)" when it's not in the three coverage area -
I've presumed that the "3G (R)" stands for 3G roaming as it also shows
"Orange GPRS (R) from time to time.

On Jun 3, 1:24 pm, "Steve Terry" <gFOUR...@tesco.net> wrote:
> "Jack Torrence" <room217[at]overlook.freeserve.co.uk> wrote in message
>
> news:484513f4$1_1@glkas0286.greenlnk.net...
>
> > <tobylov...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> >news:2b3297b1-cfd1-4dfe-9f8f-74b6b0d74874@w7g2000hsa.googlegroups.com...
> >>I moved from Orange to o2 a while back and have been very disappointed
> >> with the poor coverage, poor call quality and frequent network busy
> >> signals.
>
> >> I'm therefore thinking of moving back to Orange but then realised that
> >> Three not only have roaming rights over Orange but have also announced
> >> a 3G network sharing agreement with T-Mobile due to be completed by
> >> the end of 2008.
>
> >> I'm therefore wondering if Three will shortly have the best overall
> >> coverage in the UK i.e. calls & data would be billed after inclusive
> >> allowances on a Three contract but could be made on:
>
> >> * Three's 3G network (the biggest 3G network in the UK)
> >> * T-Mobile's 3G network (the 3rd biggest 3G network in the UK - via
> >> the Three network sharing agreement)
> >> * Orange's 3G network (the 2nd biggest 3G network in the UK - via
> >> Three's roaming agreement)
> >> * Orange's 2G network (as above).
>
> >> Would this actually work?
>
> > I don't believe the roaming agreement with Orange includes 3g.
>
> Yes, but 3g data is being created with T Mobile.
> So soon your 3 calls could be on Orange 2g, and your 3 data on T Mobile 3g
>
> Should work well, T Mobile have put much more effort into developing
> their 3g network than they did with 2g.
>
> and Voda and Orange are going to roam on each others 3g data
>
> Poor old O2 don't have anyone to team up with
>
> Steve Terry

Vodafone and Orange aren't allowing 3G roaming - they were going to
integrate their radio access network but have since reigned back their
plans to just sharing masts and cabinets.

On Jun 3, 2:52 pm, "Jack Torrence"
<room217[at]overlook.freeserve.co.uk> wrote:
> "Steve Terry" <gFOUR...@tesco.net> wrote in message
>
> news:g23d5n$ta6$1@news.albasani.net...
>
>
>
>
>
> > "Jack Torrence" <room217[at]overlook.freeserve.co.uk> wrote in message
> >news:484513f4$1_1@glkas0286.greenlnk.net...
> >> <tobylov...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> >>news:2b3297b1-cfd1-4dfe-9f8f-74b6b0d74874@w7g2000hsa.googlegroups.com...
> >>>I moved from Orange to o2 a while back and have been very disappointed
> >>> with the poor coverage, poor call quality and frequent network busy
> >>> signals.
>
> >>> I'm therefore thinking of moving back to Orange but then realised that
> >>> Three not only have roaming rights over Orange but have also announced
> >>> a 3G network sharing agreement with T-Mobile due to be completed by
> >>> the end of 2008.
>
> >>> I'm therefore wondering if Three will shortly have the best overall
> >>> coverage in the UK i.e. calls & data would be billed after inclusive
> >>> allowances on a Three contract but could be made on:
>
> >>> * Three's 3G network (the biggest 3G network in the UK)
> >>> * T-Mobile's 3G network (the 3rd biggest 3G network in the UK - via
> >>> the Three network sharing agreement)
> >>> * Orange's 3G network (the 2nd biggest 3G network in the UK - via
> >>> Three's roaming agreement)
> >>> * Orange's 2G network (as above).
>
> >>> Would this actually work?
>
> >> I don't believe the roaming agreement with Orange includes 3g.
>
> > Yes, but 3g data is being created with T Mobile.
> > So soon your 3 calls could be on Orange 2g, and your 3 data on T Mobile 3g
>
> Is this entirely accurate? I didn't think the 3/T-mobile 3g arrangement was
> a roaming agreement like the 3/Orange 2g one but rather a sharing of the
> infrastructure?

Here are two relevant links:

1. Vodafone / Orange confirm plans to share mast space:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/02...ge_mast_share/

2. Three / T-Mobile to share access network:

http://three.co.uk/news/h3gnews/pres...=1197535991381

"Dave Higton" <davehigton@dsl.pipex.com> wrote in message
news:b195cba94f.davehigton@dsl.pipex.com...
> In message <lo6dnV5Fhft3F9jVnZ2dnUVZ8vGdnZ2d@bt.com>
> "R. Mark Clayton" <nospamclayton@btinternet.com> wrote:
>
>> Read this group's archives to find out about how good 3 aren't.
>
> But make sure to take note of the dates of the messages, because
> 3 haven't come in for much stick for a long time now. I realise
> they did in their early days.
> Dave
>
Indeed, over the years i criticised 3 for all it's faults, but it's evolved
at last into what it should have been.

Whereas Orange has de-evolved over the same time :-((

So the future's bright, the future's 3!

Steve Terry

On Tue, 3 Jun 2008 23:30:02 UTC, "Steve Terry" <gFOURwwk@tesco.net>
wrote:

> Indeed, over the years i criticised 3 for all it's faults, but it's evolved
> at last into what it should have been.
>
> Whereas Orange has de-evolved over the same time :-((
>
> So the future's bright, the future's 3!

Funny, I used exactly that phrase to my wife today! She's waiting out
her Orange contract...

--
Bob Eager
Use the BIG mirror service in the UK:
http://www.mirrorservice.org

"Dave Higton" <davehigton@dsl.pipex.com> wrote in message
news:b195cba94f.davehigton@dsl.pipex.com...
> In message <lo6dnV5Fhft3F9jVnZ2dnUVZ8vGdnZ2d@bt.com>
> "R. Mark Clayton" <nospamclayton@btinternet.com> wrote:
>
>> Read this group's archives to find out about how good 3 aren't.
>
> But make sure to take note of the dates of the messages, because
> 3 haven't come in for much stick for a long time now. I realise
> they did in their early days.
>
> Dave

Don't they still have silly T&C, doubtful billing and customer service in
Golubria, but I suppose they might have stopped supergluing SIMs into
handsets...


OTOH Orange have just announced redundancies - probably anyone who can do
customer service - it is increasingly clear Orange is the colour of
sunset...

On Wed, 4 Jun 2008 16:53:56 UTC, "R. Mark Clayton"
<nospamclayton@btinternet.com> wrote:

> "Dave Higton" <davehigton@dsl.pipex.com> wrote in message
> news:b195cba94f.davehigton@dsl.pipex.com...
> > In message <lo6dnV5Fhft3F9jVnZ2dnUVZ8vGdnZ2d@bt.com>
> > "R. Mark Clayton" <nospamclayton@btinternet.com> wrote:
> >
> >> Read this group's archives to find out about how good 3 aren't.
> >
> > But make sure to take note of the dates of the messages, because
> > 3 haven't come in for much stick for a long time now. I realise
> > they did in their early days.
> >
> > Dave
>
> Don't they still have silly T&C, doubtful billing and customer service in
> Golubria, but I suppose they might have stopped supergluing SIMs into
> handsets...

I moved to 3 on Monday. Used the Indian CS twice, and both times they
were quick and efficient (and Indian). Second call had an annoying echo
but worked OK.

I had to fit my own SIM!

--
Bob Eager
Use the BIG mirror service in the UK:
http://www.mirrorservice.org

"R. Mark Clayton" <nospamclayton@btinternet.com> wrote in message
news:FLCdnWu0bbnkVdvVnZ2dnUVZ8vmdnZ2d@bt.com...
> "Dave Higton" <davehigton@dsl.pipex.com> wrote in message
> news:b195cba94f.davehigton@dsl.pipex.com...
>> In message <lo6dnV5Fhft3F9jVnZ2dnUVZ8vGdnZ2d@bt.com>
>> "R. Mark Clayton" <nospamclayton@btinternet.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Read this group's archives to find out about how good 3 aren't.
>>
>> But make sure to take note of the dates of the messages, because
>> 3 haven't come in for much stick for a long time now. I realise
>> they did in their early days.
>> Dave
>
> Don't they still have silly T&C, doubtful billing and customer service in
> Golubria, but I suppose they might have stopped supergluing SIMs into
> handsets...
>
My 3 billing has been spot on for at least the last two years.
Customer service is probably the same place as Oranges, but couldn't be
worse
>
> OTOH Orange have just announced redundancies - probably anyone who
> can do customer service - it is increasingly clear Orange is the colour of
> sunset...
You can be sure it won't be the overpaid morons who dreamt up,
and keep revamping "Animal" tariffs and campaign

If FT Orange had a ounce of sense they'd offer Hans Snook at least
£10Million to come back.

Steve Terry

On Wed, 4 Jun 2008 20:05:25 +0100, "Steve Terry" <gFOURwwk@tesco.net>
wrote:

>"R. Mark Clayton" <nospamclayton@btinternet.com> wrote in message
>news:FLCdnWu0bbnkVdvVnZ2dnUVZ8vmdnZ2d@bt.com...
<snip>
>> OTOH Orange have just announced redundancies - probably anyone who
>> can do customer service - it is increasingly clear Orange is the colour of
>> sunset...
>You can be sure it won't be the overpaid morons who dreamt up,
>and keep revamping "Animal" tariffs and campaign
>
>If FT Orange had a ounce of sense they'd offer Hans Snook at least
>£10Million to come back.
>
>Steve Terry

I'm gonna wait and see what Tom Alexander can do. IIRC he is planning
on bringing CS back to the UK starting with contract CS by the end of
this year.

Sam.

"Sam" <sam@toomuch.spam> wrote in message
news:ce8f44l0q09mii7meepqhc7eprkfsmqp15@4ax.com...
> On Wed, 4 Jun 2008 20:05:25 +0100, "Steve Terry" <gFOURwwk@tesco.net>
> wrote:
>
>>"R. Mark Clayton" <nospamclayton@btinternet.com> wrote in message
>>news:FLCdnWu0bbnkVdvVnZ2dnUVZ8vmdnZ2d@bt.com.. .
> <snip>
>>> OTOH Orange have just announced redundancies - probably anyone who
>>> can do customer service - it is increasingly clear Orange is the colour
>>> of
>>> sunset...
>>You can be sure it won't be the overpaid morons who dreamt up,
>>and keep revamping "Animal" tariffs and campaign
>>
>>If FT Orange had a ounce of sense they'd offer Hans Snook at least
>>£10Million to come back.
>>Steve Terry
>
> I'm gonna wait and see what Tom Alexander can do. IIRC he is planning
> on bringing CS back to the UK starting with contract CS by the end of
> this year.
> Sam.
>
CS is the least of Oranges problems, they need new management that will end
their patronising Animal tariffs and infantile commercials campaign.

Introduce simple versatile tariffs like 3s, improving billing errors.

Reintroduce innovative services like L2, Wildfire, everyphone, etc.

A complete reversal of course, i can't see any CEO being that strong
to be able to implement such major changes (except Snook)

Steve Terry

"Steve Terry" <gFOURwwk@tesco.net> wrote in message
news:g23d5n$ta6$1@news.albasani.net...
>

>
> and Voda and Orange are going to roam on each others 3g data
>
>

Are they? This is news to me - do you have any web links? As another poster
has already mentioned, the "RAN share" plans are being progressed as "site
sharing" now - two sets of access-network infrastructure that will co-exist
in many places.

Regards

Jon.

--
Jon Pitts
Email: jon@pitts50.co.uk Attachments: files@pitts50.co.uk

"Sam" <sam@toomuch.spam> wrote in message
news:ce8f44l0q09mii7meepqhc7eprkfsmqp15@4ax.com...

>
> I'm gonna wait and see what Tom Alexander can do. IIRC he is planning
> on bringing CS back to the UK starting with contract CS by the end of
> this year.
>
> Sam.

He certainly is. One of many announcements he made internally this week.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/bu...ts-840606.html

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/to...cle4068711.ece

http://ukpress.google.com/article/AL...AaS2hxLCdVBuTA

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/mai.../ccprof108.xml

Regards

Jon.

--
Jon Pitts
Email: jon@pitts50.co.uk Attachments: files@pitts50.co.uk