I drive all around the UK and generally find the coverage excellent.
Slarty
8 Jun 173#23
Topcashback are offering £45 on this £9pm contract and Mobilephonesdirect has it at £6pm via redemption (and there is £10 Topcashback, too).
All comments (40)
megaman666
7 Jun 171#1
this has been around since last year. shame 3 have some of the worst coverage in the country
Jawz32 to megaman666
7 Jun 171#2
3 is fantastic in the major cities. But yes, if you are outside of them coverage can be terrible.
machomansavage to megaman666
7 Jun 17#3
I've always been under impression they piggy off every network.
zx636r
7 Jun 179#4
I drive all around the UK and generally find the coverage excellent.
MusaX
7 Jun 172#5
Everyone would run to that network if that was the case. 100% signal at all times. Be silly other networks giving there masses away so 3 can have the custom...
Prepel
7 Jun 172#6
Add this to your basket and don't go through with the purchase.
They will call you and ask why - tell them you want data roaming and wifi hotspot and they will offer these extras for £10 pm instead of £12.
brainsys to Prepel
13 Jun 17#38
Ahem - doesn't everybody get EU data roaming from June 15th?
machomansavage
7 Jun 171#7
Lol I've worked four three major mvno and I can assure you three piggy off networks. Not new news been that way for years
pengwyn
7 Jun 171#8
Unfortunately you are wrong three have their own masts. It's the opposite where I live ee haven't repaired their 4g mast since October and they won't. There is too much capacity in our local area and the networks have colluded to all use one mast, threes it stinks. Still waiting for three to offer me something in the 30 days since I got my pac code will ring them on the last day then it's bye bye
machomansavage
7 Jun 17#9
You what? No I'm not wrong at all google it! Three piggy off other networks masses!
draeburn78
7 Jun 171#10
I use 3 and signal is fantastic for me other than in my house, people know I'm home when they can't contact me by my mobile.
zx636r to draeburn78
13 Jul 17#40
I had a weak signal indoors and three sent me a signal booster free of charge and I now have a full signal.
mrbond1
8 Jun 17#11
I got these last month through mobile phones direct , after cash back only 5a month , 3 coverage is much better then used to be and I am well impressed by customer service ( not like some other voda or bt)
SirSousa
8 Jun 171#12
TBC is also offering £45 just in case someone wants to give it a shot
dealerxxx
8 Jun 17#13
Every network have their own areas. I've had this deal for almost a year now, topcashback didn't come through which is a disappointment.
2minutenoodles
8 Jun 17#14
I have this and regret it. Service isn't great, even when service shows I am unable to connect to internet half the time but worst of all three harass you with calls a lot trying to upsell because you are a 'loyal customer'.
sm-1991
8 Jun 17#15
Three have a deal with ee to lease some masts, three have 15% of the nationwide spectrum.
stuart_75
8 Jun 17#16
I work on the EE and 3 network, never heard so much guff from some of the posts above.
sadact06 to stuart_75
8 Jun 17#18
Enlighten us please Stuart?
6ixFoot1
8 Jun 17#17
Been with Three since last September and changed my plan twice for better deals. Quite happy with how easy it is to change plans just through a live chat. Just yesterday I got 30GB data 200mins and unlimited texts for £11 on the Advanced plan.
finbaar
8 Jun 17#19
Let me translate that into English: "That is funny, I have worked for a major Three MNVO......"
Well you are wrong. Completely wrong. There are a few areas where there is no Three coverage and they use EE2g as a fall back, but these are very limited now. What you are thinking of is the mast sharing agreement between EE &Three. Both companies have their own signals and backhaul, this is not "piggy backing" off other companies. When Three were first set up they used O2 as a fall back. Actually O2 and Vodafone have a similar mast sharing agreement.
finbaar
8 Jun 17#20
Of course if the signal is crap then this is no good for you. But each network has good and bad areas. My main sim is with Three as it has decent signal in most places I go and is the only viable option at work (EE congested, O2 only 2G, VF no signal). This is a pretty decent deal, I have put my wife and son on a EE deal with same minutes, texts and data for £8.99 - for most people it is enough.
machomansavage
8 Jun 17#21
Yeah MVNO stands for Mobile Virtual Network Operator!
And I stand corrected. But can assure you this never used to be the case. Up until recently we were all advised to tell customers that. Not that anyone would care because a good deal is a deal!
billbennett1
8 Jun 17#22
For anyone confused about who Three shares with for things, search for MBNL and have a read.
Slarty
8 Jun 173#23
Topcashback are offering £45 on this £9pm contract and Mobilephonesdirect has it at £6pm via redemption (and there is £10 Topcashback, too).
eslick
8 Jun 17#24
recently had to cancel our 3 contract we had for my daughter as when she goes into one of the major cities she has no signal at all.
a company who cannot update their coverage checker and tells you that has to be doing something wrong.
audin
8 Jun 17#25
My contract with Vodafone is about to end and i'm looking for a SIM only deal. Is this the best around? Don't really care which network as long as it's at least 4GB data. I live in Barnsley and Three coverage is decent here (my family are on Three).
Delio79 to audin
8 Jun 171#36
slightly better deal is to get the same tariff but as an advanced plan for £10 (free roaming in more countries plus ability to use your phone and data allowance as a WiFi hotspot). If you read further up someone has commented on how to get this.
MacPhisto
8 Jun 17#26
I've been using 3,2,1 sim for a couple of years and not had any issues with the signal so ordered this over the weekend for my wife with £45 Topcashback, sim arrived Tuesday, activated and submitted request to transfer number that evening, although still waiting on Tesco releasing the number, should of happened yesterday but nothing so far.
JL128
8 Jun 17#27
3 is fantastic in the major cities. But yes, if you are outside of them coverage can be terrible.[/q
I would not say 0.5mbps on 4g in Newcastle is fantastic in a major city i am sick to death of complaining to them about the slow speeds and 4g never used to be like that.
Magnets
8 Jun 17#28
The issue with 3 is they have almost no 2g coverage any more so if you're nowhere near a town you get nothing
lionkhan1
8 Jun 17#29
3 = SH*T signal
pengwyn
8 Jun 17#30
You are talking rubbish, when the mast goes down three go bye bye and everyone else is on 2g. Don't tell me masts break at the same time. I live in a little town in middle of knowwhere. I used the ee coverage checker and it says mast broken even though there is a 4g signal. Get some clue before posting
seaniboy
8 Jun 17#31
Nonsense the o2 roaming was replaced with Orange, and the EE coverage is minimal if even existent as where 3 have transmitters you cannot roam on EE. EE&Three own a joint backhaul company MBNL (was T-Mobile/Three owned) that share base station transmitters.
stuart_75
8 Jun 171#32
I work for MBNL the network sharing partnership between EE and 3. The 3G base station equipment is shared along with the backhaul. 90% of the masts are shared with EE retaining a few hundred purely for unilateral use. 4G base stations are not shared. EE use Huawei and Nokia for 4G and H3G use Samsung kit. The backhaul is sharedv BT, VM or microwave links. What else do you need to know?
homebanjo
8 Jun 17#33
I can't seem to be able to transfer my old number using the online form. Any ideas good people?
Btw, 'TCB' appears to be tracking okay.
machomansavage to homebanjo
8 Jun 17#35
Have u had the PAC code from network you're leaving yet?
morty
8 Jun 17#34
Good price funny how you never see o2 deals they have got to be biggest rip off plus love to flaunt the whole price increase every year like they are doing us a favour telling us.
shame can't get a signal in my house from any other network but o2
Delio79
8 Jun 17#37
Three has *interesting* signal. I finding can make crystal clear calls on minimal coverage. Very odd but can't complain.
Prepel
19 Jun 17#39
Dunno, Do they?
Three's at home abroad doesnt just work for EU, Hong Kong for example.
Also hotspot use (y)
Opening post
Top comments
All comments (40)
They will call you and ask why - tell them you want data roaming and wifi hotspot and they will offer these extras for £10 pm instead of £12.
Well you are wrong. Completely wrong. There are a few areas where there is no Three coverage and they use EE2g as a fall back, but these are very limited now. What you are thinking of is the mast sharing agreement between EE &Three. Both companies have their own signals and backhaul, this is not "piggy backing" off other companies. When Three were first set up they used O2 as a fall back. Actually O2 and Vodafone have a similar mast sharing agreement.
And I stand corrected. But can assure you this never used to be the case. Up until recently we were all advised to tell customers that. Not that anyone would care because a good deal is a deal!
a company who cannot update their coverage checker and tells you that has to be doing something wrong.
I would not say 0.5mbps on 4g in Newcastle is fantastic in a major city i am sick to death of complaining to them about the slow speeds and 4g never used to be like that.
Btw, 'TCB' appears to be tracking okay.
shame can't get a signal in my house from any other network but o2
Three's at home abroad doesnt just work for EU, Hong Kong for example.
Also hotspot use (y)