trying different PAYG SIMS to see which network has best 3G

pigeonpie

I have hell on wheels getting a 3G connection on my phone round here (London!) and call reception/signal is dismal too. I've tried and quit Vodafone and am now with Tesco (O2) and it's no better, only cheaper.

I don't know how to get hold of free SIMs from eg 3, or T Mobile/Orange to try to see if they are any better. How would I get a free SIM and what would be the cheapest way to try out their 3G - I'd only check a few web pages for a day or 2 just to see if it works any better.

Alternatively it's worrying me that it could be the phone. I have a google nexus 4. It's supposedly got lightning fast 3G etc. When my 3G works (sometimes) it's not exactly 'lightning fast' to put it mildly.

thanks

DUTR

Always thought the sims were free, with a minimum top up in store, so what's the problem?

diamonds

Try 3, in London between 2100mhz 3G/buildings/signals and volume of users the others built 2G networks for VOICE and rolled out 3G on that hardware by upgrading, backhaul is not the best.


Bear in mind o2/Vodafone now run each others networks between the border of North England so figure that out, would you trust your competitor to do that and handle capacity on your network whilst they want consumers on their network ?. Another cheap way of Voda saving money to customer detriment AFTER 3rd party customer service provided by the zoo monkeys.

3 built their network with a busy 3G network in mind, then merged with T-Mobile 3G that's now EE, & backhaul for both EE & 3 come from same 50/50 owned company, but 4G really is affecting Orange/T-Mobile customers quality of calls, 3 on the other hand have done a great job on 3G Ultrasfast as they call it and 4G will be provided at 3G prices (subject to change for new customers at launch) for current customers when it launches


99p/£1 sims for payg at most local shops

pigeonpie

I'll try 3. Does their minimum top up include data? I don't want to be paying £10 each time I try to see what a particular network's signal is like.

DUTR

pigeonpie wrote: »

I'll try 3. Does their minimum top up include data? I don't want to be paying £10 each time I try to see what a particular network's signal is like.

Have a look at the 3 website, their PAYG is 321 now, 3p/min voise 2p text 1p/meg 150mb thrown in for 30 days per top up of £10 or more.

diamonds

AS DUTR, register a card on my3 via handset or https://www.three.co.uk/My3Account/Register

and its a £5 minimum top up, £10 else place

d123

pigeonpie wrote: »

I'll try 3. Does their minimum top up include data? I don't want to be paying £10 each time I try to see what a particular network's signal is like.

Try your local unlocker type phone shop, they tend to give the sims away free (my local one will give all networks sims away, I presume they get paid on connections).

As has been said for 3, add £5 by online topup and get 150MB of free data and 3p calls and 2p texts. The £5 should easily outlast any testing you require.

diamonds

d123 wrote: »

Try your local unlocker type phone shop, they tend to give the sims away free (my local one will give all networks sims away, I presume they get paid on connections).

As has been said for 3, add £5 by online topup and get 150MB of free data and 3p calls and 2p texts. The £5 should easily outlast any testing you require.

I dunno, 3's ULTRAFAST could chew away 650MB quite quickly lol

Test data last, switch it on and off manually you don't want background using data up until you can test calling and texting first in places you need it, the try data in these locations too.

3's 3.9G (lol 3's 4G's is next to launch!) Ultrafast network, info:http://www.three.co.uk/Discover/Built_for_internetting

Im_just_careful

In my view, don't bother with T-Mobile in London. The combined T-Mobile/Orange 2G/3G network is dreadful. When it was T-Mobile only 12 months ago it was actually quite good.

For data "3" has been the best for a while. I find Vodafone (Ovivo) good as well for data in the suburbs but can get choked in the city/stations where all their business customers are checking their e-mails.

d123

diamonds wrote: »

I dunno, 3's ULTRAFAST could chew away 650MB quite quickly lol

You've lost me there, your post is heading off tangent quite badly, don't make me question where you've been .

Background services don't take a lot. I run a 3 sim in an iPhone for testing and it easily lasts the month.

Just because its faster doesn't mean it uses more data. It might encourage a person to use more, but it doesn't use more in actual use.

diamonds

d123 wrote: »

You've lost me there, your post is heading off tangent quite badly, don't make me question where you've been .

Background services don't take a lot. I run a 3 sim in an iPhone for testing and it easily lasts the month.

Just because its faster doesn't mean it uses more data. It might encourage a person to use more, but it doesn't use more in actual use.

Might not realise how much streaming uses in HD if they are used to buffering Vodafail and it defaults to low quality