Opinions - using a mobile for everything?

scooby75

Hello all. I'm a fairly hevy internet user and am attracted by 3s All you can eat data plan (unlimited internet). I'm currently with 3 on a £25 month plan thats due or renewal (I actually have 2 contracts the same - the other's for my better half).

I currently have a home bundle with Virgin - TV Broadband and home phone - all medium. I never use the landline and rarely watch TV - a freeview box would do me, plus my internet speed is 2 meg, not 10. And I'm paying £27 a month for it all.

So I'm thinking that I can get rid of Virgin and get a smart phone from 3 for £35 a month. I want to use this as a modem for internet by tethering it to my PC or laptop (her indoors doesn't use it so me not being at home is OK). I'd also like to use it for satnav (saving me the cost of updating my current one) and as a music player to replace my now broken ipod. The missus only wants a basic phone.

I've worked out that doing this will cost me £50 / month (£35 for me and £15 for the her) as opposed to £77 a month now (excluding phone calls - the 2000 minutes will easily cover both our calls).

Also, any tips for 3 retentions on getting a good deal? Ideally, I'd love the Samsung Galaxy S2 when it comes out next month. I think having 2 contracts with them for donkeys years should get me something?

Any tips or advise?

OneADay

Even the unlimited internet may have some limit - though 3 have that all you can eat offering. But browsing internet through a modem is most likely going to be slow and if you wanted to download anything - very slow.

Now sure why you have 2meg broadband with Virgin, their default offering is 10meg now - at least that is what I get. You might be better talking to Virgin to get a mobile offering added for yourself for a tenner extra. Threaten to ditch the landline and they might give you a bit of a discount on line rental for land line.

scooby75

Thanks - what speed do you think I'd get using the mobile as a modem? My current phone doesn't seem to have a problem picking up 3G which I've been told is necessary to get somewhere near a decent speed (between 1 and 2 mb). Downloading quickly isn't essential to me so I'd be happy with 1mb - it's just that I don't want to worry about exceeding a limit which I would do with 1 gb and probably 2 gb as well, and the cost of getting them is the same as unlimited with Three.

Even if Virgin knocked my bills down, I'd still be using my mobile for internet, so I'd be paying for 2 lots of internet when I could be paying for just one. Someone else suggested that I do what I plan but get a dongle - which to me defeats the whole object as again I'm paying for 2 internet services when I only need 1.

The reason btw for me being on 2 mb on Virgin is that I was told by them that I would have to start a new contract which I didn't want. I'm also not bothered about getting extra services as I don't want them - I only really watch a couple of channels that I can get on Freeview and the minutes included in the 3 plan would easily cover all phone calls, so I have no need of a landline.

I'd probably accept a broadband only deal if it was a tenner at most, but I don't think there is anything that cheap - even for just 1 or 2 mb speeds.

OneADay

I don't know about what speeds it might achieve. I have never had the need to tether a phone to a computer but would imgaine it to be far less speed than what I would be happy with. Also the idea of using the mobile all the time worries me as it means the phone is going in use longer and probably harming the battery (might be wrong on this - it may be quite efficient for all I know).

Your choice at end of day, if you do not need speed - and only want basic browsing, mobile internet might work.

grumbler

I remember people reporting 1-2Mb/s for a t-mobile sim card.
BTW, their standard 500Mb limit applies only to downloading and streaming. General browsing is unlimited. Not sure about using it for a PC.

jenniewb

Would the battery be good enough to last constant internet abuse? you'd have to constantly charge it as being online would cost the battery more power then if it were just texting and calling. I don't know if the tethering thing is OK with all mobile services and they could suddenly change their policy on this.

3 also seem to have a nasty habit of cutting network signals which had previously been perfect, its all really not as easy to use as broadband, usable but not as reliable.

scooby75

Three have confirmed that tethering is allowed and comes within the all you can eat plan so that's not a problem.

With the battery issue, the phone would be on charge when internet is being used, plus I'd have a spare battery just in case.

I have heard of 3's connections being nowhere near as good as it used to be which does worry me a bit - I suppose I'd have to make it clear what I'm using it for and return it if not fit for purpose. I'll go instore today and ask a sales rep for clear honest impartial advice :rotfl:

simax

I get approx 5Mbit/sec download and 3Mbit/sec upload on Vodafone 3G

victor2

See what deal Virgin could do for just phone and broadband. They should be able to offer some sort of bundle for less than you are paying now. May mean a new 12 month contract, but that soon passes. You'll probably end up with 10Mb/s, but in my experience their cable service has been good reliable and operates very close to the rated speed.
One problem with doing everything by mobile is the cost for people to call you. Not a cost to you of course, just anyone who wants to contact you. Our children have mobiles only and we have an arrangement where if they get a missed call from home, they will call back, using their included minutes. Not ideal, but it works.

JJ_Egan

Three have confirmed that tethering is allowed and comes within the all you can eat plan so that's not a problem.

For now but if that changes to match other networks on the tethering front ????

jje

scooby75

Have just got off the phone with Virgin Retentions.
They said they would either reduce my entire bill by £5 / month or I could have broadband (10 mb) only for £21/ a month.

Pointing out that this was higher than their advertised rates for themselves and those by other companies fell on deaf ears. So much for customer loyalty!

I think my best bet is to just get the phone after trying it in store, try it at home and see how I go. If it's OK, I'll send Virgin packing. If not, I'll send it back and get a cheap tarrif and remain as one of Branson's Bi**hes.

Simax - I'm a bit of a tech illiterate - what does 5 Mbps translate to (I take it that is 2.5 times faster than than 2 mb I get with Virgin now)?