Three mobile data

Harald

Three last years turned from great network to pathetic. Just asked for PAC code after 9 years.
Reasons:
- network quality getting worse and worse (for example: try to access internet around Stansted Airport - impossible. EE is working there just fine)
- badly configured traffic shaping, especially when in roaming: it was supposed to slow down other traffic than web/mail/instant messaging. Because it was badly configured, it's unusable, constant 70-90% packet loss etc. I wasn't using any streaming services etc. - was only trying to VPN to my office to check e-mails and VPN home to check security cameras. Not possible. Reported problem many times, answer always the same: "to provide highest quality...." etc
- lack of 4G access when in roaming. They have signed agreements usually with cheapest networks in each country and only 3G available. In many countries you can use only one network of four and suffer from huge coverage holes.
- when they been trying to buy EE, they also tried to secure more money for payments. Mostly by forcing users to pay more. My monthly payments rose 65%. "Your tariff has been phased out..."
- to add insult to the injury, when tried to change my tariff last week to something widely advertised, was told it's not available to me. Only new users or if I take extra contract on top what I already have.
So I decided to became a new user (sometime in the future, maybe) and asked for PAC codes for all SIM cards I have with them. Two already ported out, one more waiting, probably will be ported this week.

Advice regarding mifi on holiday - do not use your main SIM. Spend few quids and wait for deals on data sim, can be found regularly on big auction site starting with e or biggest online retailer starting with a. Sometimes from Argos
3GB pre-paid sim, valid for 1yr can be found under a tenner.
12GB prepaid sim, valid for 3yrs can be found under 25 (normal price much higher).
Recently I seen 1GB pre-paid sims (valid 30 days) for 2.25
Simple, cheap, disposable. If they block one - just use another.
As long you don't need anything more than web/e-mail/instant messaging like Skype - as everything more advanced is throttled beyond reasonable levels.

lfc321

My guess is that it is because they have detected you are tethering. Whether this is allowed or not depends on exactly which plan you're on. http://support.three.co.uk/SRVS/CGI-BIN/WEBISAPI.dll/,/?New,Kb=Mobile,Ts=Mobile,T=CaseDoc,Case=Obj(3536)

Harald

No, I never tethered. Tested both on my phone (with app dedicated to my camera system and VPN) and on Mifi with data-only sim, dedicated to Mifi. Exactly same result - 70-90% packet loss, unusable. Local sim in the same location - boom, perfect connectivity.