3 is the cheapest, but is it best

fiendishlyclever

This is typical of the problems I've been having of late.



Picked up and connected to 2g network but can't use it (connected with full strength signal)

Minardi

fiendishlyclever wrote: »

This is typical of the problems I've been having of late.

My brother had the same. The 2G switch off left nothing. Even though our area supposedly has acceptable signal, the reality on the ground is there's nothing. Personally, until they reinstate 2G, I'll never go back. Just take a look at all the places they don't cover. As someone who lives, works & travels mainly in the sticks, it's no good to me.

fiendishlyclever

Minardi wrote: »

My brother had the same. The 2G switch off left nothing. Even though our area supposedly has acceptable signal, the reality on the ground is there's nothing. Personally, until they reinstate 2G, I'll never go back. Just take a look at all the places they don't cover. As someone who lives, works & travels mainly in the sticks, it's no good to me.

I got some story from tech support about it being due to the fact I'm using a non-Three handset since theirs are locked to 3G only now. Didn't fall for that (but I know their handsets have the 2g only option removed) but am starting to get fed up by the coverage which seems to get worse rather than better...

2sides2everystory

This is developing into an important discussion. Let me balance my earlier comments with an update:

Judging from other comments on this thread, the 2G back-up switch-off perhaps was not as routine as 3 would like us to believe - a lot of my experience of the good remote coverage on 3 was last year when the 2G back-up was still up and running ...

My teenage kids both have iphone4 now and they were unable to contact each other prior to an important appointment today. My son tells me that the signal at his girlfriends house is now mostly unusable. I can track him there on Find My iPhone but calling him is another matter.

I spoke to 3 mobile about the 2G switch off last week ... I too got the brush off - my own handset is a 3 mobile supplied handset but is 2-3 years old ... I was told that was the reason I was getting poor reception.

Interestingly I have been getting a "G" icon in remote areas today but not the roaming triangle that I sometimes got last year when it was piggy-backing on Orange ...

If I get time, I shall speak with them again about this soon.

WelshBluebird

Finally moved over to the one plan rolling contract today (from Orange). While I am a bit worried about the reports of poor customer service, it doesn't bother me too much as it is only a monthly contract. I certainly would have given more thought about it if I was committing for 2 years.

That being said. I am amazed at the data speeds. Have done a few speed tests today and have gotten 4-5Mbps on them. In comparison, the fastest I ever got with Orange was about 2.3Mbps.

In terms of the 2G issue, currently where I am (somerset) I am getting 4 bars 3G, whereas I could not get a signal on Orange and had to rely on the T-mobile 2G network. Back home in south wales, I can't get 3G signal in my house (on any network), but Three do still have the Orange 2G roaming agreement in place there. Hopefully that will stay, but it doesn't bother me a huge amount as I don't spend that much time at home anyway.

Minardi

2sides2everystory wrote: »

This is developing into an important discussion. Let me balance my earlier comments with an update:

Judging from other comments on this thread, the 2G back-up switch-off perhaps was not as routine as 3 would like us to believe - a lot of my experience of the good remote coverage on 3 was last year when the 2G back-up was still up and running ...

My teenage kids both have iphone4 now and they were unable to contact each other prior to an important appointment today. My son tells me that the signal at his girlfriends house is now mostly unusable. I can track him there on Find My iPhone but calling him is another matter.

I spoke to 3 mobile about the 2G switch off last week ... I too got the brush off - my own handset is a 3 mobile supplied handset but is 2-3 years old ... I was told that was the reason I was getting poor reception.

Interestingly I have been getting a "G" icon in remote areas today but not the roaming triangle that I sometimes got last year when it was piggy-backing on Orange ...

If I get time, I shall speak with them again about this soon.

This is pretty similar to my story. In this area most of the villages have their own 3 mast, which is great. But as soon as you go out and into the hills or the lanes the coverage goes. As a practical proposition for work or use in emergencies 3 is no good in this area. As someone who lives and works in the sticks, it's useless. Having switched, I really miss having 3G (no one else really compares to 3!) but I do like getting calls and texts....

everett_psycho

I was with 3 for a few years and while using their handsets had no problems at all, but when I moved I had to leave them, I had a weird problem where the location 3 network and phone combined just didn't work, other networks worked, other phones worked but my 3 sim in my sim free htc hero at my house just didn't. We've moved again since then and live in an old manor house and the thick walls pose a problem for mobile signal, we are on vodafone and tesco and can occasionally get HSPA but mostly on EDGE and patchy calls at best, I don't think i'd want to risk going back to 3 now as I had countless problems when we used to visit the previous tenants of our flat and it usually left me with no signal at all even with the 2G back up option. If it's cheap your after I would suggest tesco as an alternative, very cheap tariffs and uses o2 so coverage so far has been on a par with my girlfriends who is on vodafone.

Dr_B_2

2sides2everystory wrote: »

...Personally I have found 3 to be as good as any other network in respect
of general coverage in town or out of town. Their blackspots in my experience are just as likely to correspond to blackspots on other networks as they are to be of any unique nuisance to 3 customers. And, just as likely as other networks, you might find 3 has coverage in some tricky areas where the others struggle...

But unfortunately 3, along with Orange/T-Mobile is likely to have more reception issues than o2 and Vodafone, because of the higher frequency they use. I'm not sure exactly how high the frequency 3 uses is, but it's certainly higher than o2 and Vodafone's 900Mhz GSM.

The higher a frequency the more the signal will be absorbed by obstacles and the lower the range. I suspect that for this reason more customers of Everything Everywhere (Orange/T-mobile) and 3 will have problems indoors than those of O2 and Vodafone, regardless of the nominal coverage.

2sides2everystory

WelshBluebird wrote: »

... Back home in south wales, .... Three do still have the Orange 2G roaming agreement in place there...

Can you tell us where we can see that in writing, WBB?

WelshBluebird

2sides2everystory wrote: »

Can you tell us where we can see that in writing, WBB?

Not in writing, but I am back home right now and my phone is connected to Oranges 2G network using my Three sim.