PAYG/Monthly Data hungry, alternative to big suppliers

Atasas

Please see first post first
(no offence anyone, just what is of basic info-deals updating it there, deleting my posts as responses, not to double up no more)

Tony5101 wrote: »

Good luck with Vectone. You think that Voda and 3 C/S are bad...just wait until you need to deal with the Vectone muppets...you'll think that Voda and 3 were a breeze by comparison!
Truly Truly AWFUL company.

I got their SIM too, thanks for shared knowledge.

Lets be honest, all of a"big" networks got used to "printing money and contracts to print money"
The very least I suggest is not to get tied up to none longer than one month.

Last one Voda- truly got my beef, idiots must have had so many issues to deal with- refusing to give email for complaints too. Already launched one with OFCOM, fully documented complaint, all so sudden makaka's answered the phone and upon notice of recording of a call given me PAC without too much of a hassle....

Currently, on order I have EE (for data alone), Delight for everything else, Tello for everything else ( (3'rd one, I know) and to keep one more of my 10-15 years old numbers)

eagle

How about the BT Mobile SIM only for £25/month? You get 20GB data, unlimited texts and mins. Plus it runs on EE's 4G network, which is meant to be the best in the UK right now. If you have BT broadband, you get £5 off every month.

Drawback is rubbish roaming rates, no visiual voicemail or WiFi calling as you do with EE...

Atasas

eagle wrote: »

How about the BT Mobile SIM only for £25/month? You get 20GB data, unlimited texts and mins. Plus it runs on EE's 4G network, which is meant to be the best in the UK right now. If you have BT broadband, you get £5 off every month.

Drawback is rubbish roaming rates, no visiual voicemail or WiFi calling as you do with EE...

Agreed!
Just received my EE SIM, topped up (£10 + txted etc..), got 100GB PCM allowance (on a top of 1GB paid for), we'll see how it will go price ways, as in promotions etc, but my intention to use this one purely for data only as call/roaming costs are silly.

BT is no go, as they want to "chain up contracts", also, their packages and prices are from "20'th century" or "rip-off slayer scene"...

About EE service (Using x3 SIM phone) got 4 bars each (EE and 3.co.uk) and to loading simple video on Youtube - delay on "3"- 5s+, on EE 2sec max- Happy for now!

As for the rest of the calls- I'll wait for the Tello card - that'll be what I'll use for calls, also for the Delight SIM, so finally, I'll have a set up, with load of different networks for the best value of each function.

Next (annoying as hell) transfer all numbers to respective new suppliers (Using PAC numbers)

eagle

Atasas wrote: »

Agreed!
Just received my EE SIM, topped up (£10 + txted etc..), got 100GB PCM allowance (on a top of 1GB paid for), we'll see how it will go price ways, as in promotions etc, but my intention to use this one purely for data only as call/roaming costs are silly.

BT is no go, as they want to "chain up contracts", also, their packages and prices are from "20'th century" or "rip-off slayer scene"...

About EE service (Using x3 SIM phone) got 4 bars each (EE and 3.co.uk) and to loading simple video on Youtube - delay on "3"- 5s+, on EE 2sec max- Happy for now!

As for the rest of the calls- I'll wait for the Tello card - that'll be what I'll use for calls, also for the Delight SIM, so finally, I'll have a set up, with load of different networks for the best value of each function.

Next (annoying as hell) transfer all numbers to respective new suppliers (Using PAC numbers)

Thanks! EE seems good if they give you that much on PAYG. 100GB is massive - I won't getthrough that in 100 years, let alone a month!

Looks like I'm going to EE as well. Though, last time I tried to move to them, they mucked up my number transfer and I ended up losing my number. Had to get a new number and started back on Vodafone again - which as most people know here is totally useless in every way.

Atasas

eagle wrote: »

Thanks! EE seems good if they give you that much on PAYG. 100GB is massive - I won't getthrough that in 100 years, let alone a month!

Looks like I'm going to EE as well. Though, last time I tried to move to them, they mucked up my number transfer and I ended up losing my number. Had to get a new number and started back on Vodafone again - which as most people know here is totally useless in every way.

as long as you realise its temp offer for two months! else its 50min, 50 txt, 1gb... about x10 price, you might need to drop them after all

Atasas

bit of practical update on reception issues between different networks (or network users)
EE Network SIM consistently was showing good reception, 3.co.uk
Network SIM consistently was almost near/almost the same and even Voda Network seemed all-right, until several deliveries today in rural areas, where even calls where failing and I have to admit, EE, with best reception- was not the best in 2G connections- no reception and that was it!, whilst several attempts to make calls on "3" number failed too and all so sudden,( most hated for their CS) Voda 2G calls where best!!! even on one bar of reception)...
data (3G and 4G) is one thing, but in areas, where it is really poor, 2G is different issue all together.

eagle

Atasas wrote: »

bit of practical update on reception issues between different networks (or network users)
EE Network SIM consistently was showing good reception, 3.co.uk
Network SIM consistently was almost near/almost the same and even Voda Network seemed all-right, until several deliveries today in rural areas, where even calls where failing and I have to admit, EE, with best reception- was not the best in 2G connections- no reception and that was it!, whilst several attempts to make calls on "3" number failed too and all so sudden,( most hated for their CS) Voda 2G calls where best!!! even on one bar of reception)...
data (3G and 4G) is one thing, but in areas, where it is really poor, 2G is different issue all together.

Thanks for the info - always good to know real user feedback as oposed to the networks' own inaccurate coverage maps.

This is hardly surprising as the 2G signal on Voda and O2 is on the 900MHz frequency. The signal at this frequency covers larger geographical areas and needs to be repeated less often than the 1800MHz signal that EE (Orange / T-Mobile) use for 2G.

It's understandable that 900MHz will offer better coverage in rural sports than 1800MHz, but totally unacceptable of Vodafone to have zilch reception (2G or otherwise!) in the centre of London.

d123

SnowTiger wrote: »

The networks can't detect tethering. They can guess, but your phone doesn't send out a message saying I'm being tethered. If you're paying for 20GBytes of data a month and use less than that you'd probably sail under the radar anyway.

You are wrong, the networks can detect tethering, and the networks that enforce a no tethering rule have the ability to detect it quickly, as an example, put a new Three PAYG sim in and start tethering and see how fast it is blocked.

Secondly, your phone (if it's on a recent firmware version) does exactly what you think it doesn't, it sends a signal to the network saying "I'm tethered" and uses a secondary APN for data when tethering.

There are some ways around it (mostly needing a rooted or jailbroken phone) but even these aren't totally successful.

Atasas

eagle wrote: »

Thanks for the info - always good to know real user feedback as oposed to the networks' own inaccurate coverage maps.

This is hardly surprising as the 2G signal on Voda and O2 is on the 900MHz frequency. The signal at this frequency covers larger geographical areas and needs to be repeated less often than the 1800MHz signal that EE (Orange / T-Mobile) use for 2G.

It's understandable that 900MHz will offer better coverage in rural sports than 1800MHz, but totally unacceptable of Vodafone to have zilch reception (2G or otherwise!) in the centre of London.

(the particular "dead spot")
http://opensignal.com/coverage-maps/UK/
DOESN'T make any sense any-more :eek:
Reset
2G3G4G
CoverageTowerslogo_networkRank_168x26
Network Overall Signal Download Upload Ping Reliability
EE
9.10 Mbps 2.05 Mbps 89 ms 100.00%
3
6.04 Mbps 1.25 Mbps 98 ms 100.00%
O2
3.23 Mbps 1.12 Mbps 112 ms 92.86%
Vodafone
6.65 Mbps 0.49 Mbps 191 ms 77.73%
All Networks
5.86 Mbps 1.21 Mbps 116 ms 94.33%

2G


2G and 3G


2G and 3G and 4G


London... blah, blah, blah... "population coverage"... blah, blah, blah...
Seems to be miracle, I've had reception still on Voda to make "life-death importance" of a call, as it clearly shows particular Road to be having NONE reception of any kind whatsoever!

MikeWhite

Atasas wrote: »

Seems to be miracle, I've had reception still on Voda to make "life-death importance" of a call, as it clearly shows particular Road to be having NONE reception of any kind whatsoever!

I don't think you can safely assume that from Open Signal.
I think it is safer to read it as:

There is EITHER no signal on that road OR insufficient people have driven down there with Open Signal apps running on their handsets.