3 (Three) Mobile Broadband USB Review - UK

sean1604

csj wrote: »

I recently setup, for my daughter, a new 3 mobile broadband (a dongle acquired some months ago as a "freebie") with a new, previously unopened, 3 sim card. On connecting it to my PC, I was surprised to find that it connected not just, as expected, to 3's web-site (to allow one to register and top-up) but also to other web-sites (Yahoo, Facebook etc).

I then replaced the sim with another new, also previously unopened, sim. This one only lets me connect to 3's web-site and to nothing else. I can't remember where I obtained the 2 sim cards from (possibly one from a 3 shop and another on-line) but can anybody explain why one allows general web access (with no money having been paid nor any contract

I've been using 3 mobile broadband on a contract for about 15 months with varying degree of success. In the last couple of months, using it in Devon in the morning, I get very fast downloads (can be around 3000b/s sometimes) but using it in Nottingham at night it works at a crawl with multiple disconnections.

From my experience I didn't think free sim cards could be used in pay as you go dongles but I could be wrong on that one. Have you purchased a top up voucher for it if it is pay as you go?

What modem/model of modem are you using on the contract?

Magooo

There has been a noticeable drop in service quality since Christmas.

I believe this is due to 3 offering unlimited downloads to smartphone users.

Typical 3 to muscle in on something new at the expense of mobile broadband users.

For anyone who doesn't already know, there are more negative reviews online about 3 mobile broadband than there are for any other network, by a long way. It is extremely well documented online how bad 3's customer services are and how difficult they are to deal with.

If you have a problem, always deal with the Executive Office - their email address is plastered all over the internet so isn't difficult to find

Hutchison 3g UK, owners of 3, believe in a business model of low price, high volume. This is not conducive to a decent standard of service. Now add in that 3 have deliberately and wilfully oversubscribed the network, have failed to improve customer services and are now penalising mobile broadband users even further with the offer to smartphone users and it is easy to see why the only sensible advice here is to avoid this company and choose a reputable network instead - any other network should be a considerable improvement.

Do yourself a favour and stay away from 3.

greektony

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