[3GScottishUser]

From The Register (07/09/2005):

3 UK looks set to increase the amount of content its punters can view on the net using their 3G phones.

Following a tip-off by a vulture-eyed reader, El Reg has learnt that the mobile operator is on the verge of providing an internet access service shortly with an announcement to be made as early as next week.

At the moment users can access limited internet content available on 3's portal. Now the mobile operator looks set to allow users to explore beyond this "walled-garden" with the launch of two new services - "Mobile Web" and "Wireless Web".

Details are still sketchy but it's understood that Mobile Web is to give punters access to a limited number of websites which have to be vetted by 3 beforehand. The restrictions are based on 3's keenness to ensure that punters are able to view the sites they want to access.

The last thing the operator wants is for punters to access sites that are slow to load or simply don't work with 3 handsets and its network.

When the product is launched it's expected that up to 200 sites could be accessible to begin with, with others to be added at a later date with punters suggesting sites they would like to see.

The Wireless Web service enables users to plug their 3 handset into their laptop to access the net on the move.

Both services are expected to be made available to contract customers initially although details of how much both services cost are still being kept under wraps.


http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/09/07/3_net_access/

[Ben]

Yeah, I read that too. Looks to be largely based on rumours, but I'd hope that the Reg wouldn't go to press with something unless their source was particularly good.

With The Link's TV ad saying how you can surf the web on Three I'd certainly like to think they know something we don't!

200 sites is a good start, so long as it includes some basics like the BBC then that's great. Ideally it really needs to allow connections to Agile Messenger too... there's going to be much experimenting when these bundles come out!

[3GScottishUser]

I suspect there may be some commercial reasons why they might not want full access. Restricting users to the BBC and other non-commercal sites protects their own content.

[frazzel]

update:
http://www.nma.co.uk/Document.aspx?did=57af0c31-c9f4-4304-9c46-cd2b2366e981


3G operator 3 will this month finally allow its subscribers to access the wider mobile Internet.
The operator, which has long been criticised for restricting access to the mobile Internet, is this month launching Mobile Web, which will give subscribers access to Web sites that have been optimised for mobile.
Mobile Web will be available to subscribers on a flat rate basis. The operator has selected hundreds of Web sites to be available through the service, including BBC, Ebay and Amazon.
However the service does not give subscribers full open access to the Internet. Only those sites that have been optimised for access via mobile phones will be accessible.
In addition, this week 3 will also announce a service giving subscribers full Internet access on their laptops, using their 3 handset as a modem. The service, Wireless Web, will also be offered on a flat rate tariff

[3GScottishUser]

We still have no indication as to what coverage will be available. If its 3's UMTS only it's very limited geographiclly. Perhaps that's the reason why no Datacard is being offered. As a stand alone product 3's Wireless Web would be a poor alternative to the 3G/GPRS/Wi-Fi hybrids their compeditors offer.

[getti]

Info also available at www.todayon3g.co.uk

I am very happy about this offering. Yes full net access would be great but face it, it is expencive on other networks *cough* £7.50 per mb on vodafone *cough*.

At least this way i can access BBC and many more sites than i can now on 3. Adding up the icons on the 3 portal i can see 24 links to content which is better than the 10 it used to be. However adding at least another 100 sites to the list that can be loaded will be a good thing for everyone as we wont be as limited as we are used to.

Ok it's not FULL access but its a step towards it

[Ben]

Note that these suggestions so far are only for contract, as far as we know. You might be a little while away from access on your Threepay yet! Fingers crossed, though.

[3GScottishUser]

No chance of accessing www.jamster.com I suspect.

The whole mobile friendly website thing is an excuse to exclude access to sites that compete with 3's own content provison I suspect.

We shall see.

[gorilla]

Surely the big question is whether or not talk3g, our very own site will be accessible?

On the point 3GSU is making, I don't really mind that they exclude jamster. I don't currently pay for ringtones etc and would gladly have access to news, retail, and chat pages in exchange for not having access to premier content sites.

[Ben]

Surely the big question is whether or not talk3g, our very own site will be accessible?
No, we wont be accessible :( It's specifically mobile-friendly sites that they're allowing, like bbc.co.uk/mobile, which I suppose has its merits but is still rather frustrating.

I think Jamster tones already work to 3 (they opened up premium rate some time ago did they not?) so there's no real call for access to the Jamster site etc, but I think it's access to sites like BBC Mobile that will make the real difference and enhance user experience on 3.

[cyberkid999]

[QUOTE=3GScottishUser]If its 3's UMTS only it's very limited geographiclly. QUOTE]



I travel many hundreds of miles a week around the UK as a professional driver and I have very few coverage problems with Three's 3G network. I even get a signal where some other networks fail. Today I have been in deepest Deven and Somerset and had a signal most of the time.

[3g-g]

It's great to see that you have great coverage with Three as you travel about the UK, it's a shame that it's not the same for everyone. However, I personally have heard things are much better in the 3 coverage camp, it only seems to be their back office support that's lacking. If they can solve those issues they could be onto a winner!

You can see here. (http://www.three.co.uk/three/coverage/coverageChecker.do) that the areas covered by 3's video network i.e. their UMTS network, that it's not overly extensive, in geographical terms their coverage can't be that far ahead of Orange and Vodafone's 3G coverage. The benefit they have over 3 being they have a 2.5G network to fall back on with 99% coverage. I suppose 3 do also with their O2 roaming deal, but the customer experience IMO is not as good as managing to stick to the same operator.

Although you may not share the same opinion as 3GSU you have to remember that there are a lot of older 3 handsets out there, not everyone can keep up with the technology to purchase a new handset as it's released. His experience may be reflected by hundreds if not thousands of users. Please, if you're finding life with 3 great tell us all about it! Let us know what they do that's good for you. Inform us of how they've helped you out if you've ever had a problem. Share with us you're experiences of content and quality, don't be shy! It's always great to hear what the networks do that's good... as it's not often any of them do nice things for the punter!

[3GScottishUser]

The coverage map highlighted in the above post tells its own story.

In Scotland 3 UK only have very limited geographic coverage restricted to major areas of population and trunk routes. Same applies in Wales and Northern Ireland. Engalnd fares better but there are very substantial gaps in the South West and the North. It is highly likley when travelling one wont notice these deficiencies as most of the 'major' routes in England have been covered.

3's UMTS coverage cant compare with GSM now nor will it for many years to come. None of the new UMTS networks will replicate GSM's footprint for some time.

It is a fact that 3's UMTS geographic coverage is limited.

PS: There are a lot of people in areas 3 dont cover with their own network that are 3 subscribers using 02's national network and they are exceptionally happy. They get the use of the 02 network at 3's prices without the hassle of the phone roaming or dropping calls. Sometimes it can be an advantage living in an out of town area!

[cyberkid999]

The coverage map highlighted in the above post tells its own story.

In Scotland 3 UK only have very limited geographic coverage restricted to major areas of population and trunk routes. Same applies in Wales and Northern Ireland. Engalnd fares better but there are very substantial gaps in the South West and the North. It is highly likley when travelling one wont notice these deficiencies as most of the 'major' routes in England have been covered.

3's UMTS coverage cant compare with GSM now nor will it for may years to come.

It is a fact that 3's UMTS geographic coverage is limited.

PS: There are a lot of people in areas 3 dont cover with their own network that are 3 subscribers using 02's national network and they are exceptionally happy. They get the use of the 02 network at 3's prices without the hassle of the phone roaming or dropping calls. Sometimes it can be an advantage living in an out of town area!


As has already been mentionmed the maps are only theoretical and I am commenting on actual coverage as I see it using a Nokia 6630 and Moto v975.

It is highly likely when travelling that I DO notice what coverage I have as I am taking particular note of where I am and what network I have got coverage on. I would aslo like to make it clear I dont go in the major cities nor do I stick to the main roads/motorways. Yesterday for example I was delivering near Honiton in Devon, a small village called Church Green with a population of about 10. Then I went across to Clapton near Crewkerne. Then it was onto Portsmouth and then another small village called Upper Wield near Alton in Hampshire. Check these places out and you will see they are hardly major population areas and yet I had a fully useable Three 3G signal.

So although the coverage may be poor in Scotland and Wales it is certainly NOT the case for the vast majority so posts should reflect this and blanket statements should not be made saying that Three have poor coverage - compared to the 2g networks yes but compared to any other 3G operator they have the best and that is a fact.

[cyberkid999]

Although you may not share the same opinion as 3GSU you have to remember that there are a lot of older 3 handsets out there, not everyone can keep up with the technology to purchase a new handset as it's released. His experience may be reflected by hundreds if not thousands of users. Please, if you're finding life with 3 great tell us all about it! Let us know what they do that's good for you. Inform us of how they've helped you out if you've ever had a problem. Share with us you're experiences of content and quality, don't be shy! It's always great to hear what the networks do that's good... as it's not often any of them do nice things for the punter!


I accept this but 3GSU needs to remember that there a lot of newer handsets out their that perform much better than his older handsets and his experience using these may not be representative of the the real world today using Three in other parts of the UK with much better handsets.
In other words if you live in an area poorly served using old kit you are NOT in a position to give out blanket statements about a network that operates very well in most areas. This is my point and has been since these comments have been made and I will continue to give my experience based on current day handsets using Three's 3G network in the UK as a whole and not in isolated places in the North.
The vast majority of Three users are probably with them for the exceptional value and coupled with the fact that they can roam onto O2 they have the best of both worlds. Data access will again not be important for the vast majority so it wont be a problem to them whether the wall comes down or stays up.

[3GScottishUser]

The point is that most folk really dont care what type of network carries a call or sends a text. 2, 2.5, 3G - it does'nt matter as long as it works.

I have recently travelled along the A9, a main (notorious for speed cameras) trunk route between Glasgow/Edinburgh and Dundee. There is virtually no 3 coverage along that route but I dont care as I can still use the phone on 02's GSM network thanks to 3's roaming agreement.

Coverage only becomes an issue when services are restricted. ie You dont get 3's services in non UMTS areas. You only get preium stuff like ringtones etc. This will be a problem for those who subscribe to the mobile web add-on if it is similarly distributed only on UMTS. Coverage is also an issue in fringe areas as handovers between 3 and 02 are not seamless and if you are unfortunate enough to live in one of these places (like me) it is really frustrating as calls drop whilst the phone switches. The 4 bigger networks dont have this problem as they have seamless handover to their GSM networks and also have seamless data that is available on both UMTS and GPRS/GSM.

3's UMTS has improved greatly over the last two and a half years but it can still appear quite unstable even in cities as the signal is not as robust as GSM. I have had many calls drop in Glasgow close to the city centre because buildings can easily produce blind spots that UMTS seems to find more difficulty with than the older GSM system. This is not an issue for 'seamless' carriers who have both types of network but a big issue for 3 who rely on 'roaming' to cover places where they have little or no useable signal. Given time 3 will have an expanded network, they may even mange to plug the gaps in the cities but I suspect that will be pretty far off.

Mobile networks are very aware of their worth and the price one pays for a service reflects it true value. everyone has to make a choice obased on their own experience and perception of value and I'm sure for some 3 is a real bargain but for many its not suitable as a primary communications service presently.

[3SellerNW]

Hi guys

I have already said my official hello in another thread, but good to sell you all here.

I'm here to help with 3 info / problems, etc, so here goes...

3 "wireless web" is now available - 512mB data limit for £45 a month. It works - I know - I signed up straight away.

I average around 150kbps. seems ok, I suppose it depends on bandwidth / user levels on each specific site.

Anyway, the bottom line is, many of you who wanted "no walled garden" from three have got your wish!

As for "add mobile web sites", the actual list at the mo is between 90 and 120 sites, across different handsets. List for specific handsets below:

Useful links:
http://www.three.co.uk/threefiles/pdf/mobile_[WH]M_01.pdf
http://www.three.co.uk/threefiles/pdf/LG_Handsets.pdf
http://www.three.co.uk/threefiles/pdf/Motorola_Handsets.pdf
http://www.three.co.uk/threefiles/pdf/Nokia_SonyEricsson_other.pdf

You can even "suggest a site". Three will investigate, and providing the site is configured for decent mobile access, three say they will add it. Exceptions are porn, payment sites and subscription services, such as ringtones, etc.

Hope this helps

[3SellerNW]

As has already been mentionmed the maps are only theoretical and I am commenting on actual coverage as I see it using a Nokia 6630 and Moto v975.

It is highly likely when travelling that I DO notice what coverage I have as I am taking particular note of where I am and what network I have got coverage on. I would aslo like to make it clear I dont go in the major cities nor do I stick to the main roads/motorways. Yesterday for example I was delivering near Honiton in Devon, a small village called Church Green with a population of about 10. Then I went across to Clapton near Crewkerne. Then it was onto Portsmouth and then another small village called Upper Wield near Alton in Hampshire. Check these places out and you will see they are hardly major population areas and yet I had a fully useable Three 3G signal.

So although the coverage may be poor in Scotland and Wales it is certainly NOT the case for the vast majority so posts should reflect this and blanket statements should not be made saying that Three have poor coverage - compared to the 2g networks yes but compared to any other 3G operator they have the best and that is a fact.

hear, hear, cyberkid!

very well said.

I would simply add to all users on this forum, that coverage is such a personal issue. Each of us uses our phones in a unique way, ie location, handset type, etc. 3GSU is using outdated (and poor quality) handsets. I am convinced his "issues" are more than coverage problems.

I would like to hear from other scottish users, with "new" handsets, on their experiences.

Speaking as a dealer and 3 user for 18 months now (with 5 three phones in my name), I make / receive 3000-4000 minutes per month, every month, in varying locations across the north, midlands and south. I cannot really speak for all of Wales (except the Wrexham area), or anywhere in Scotland. Call dropping / no service problems occur maybe 1% of the time! 1% - hardly shocking, bearing in mind my MASSIVE useage and extensive area I travel. So, obviously my experiences with 3 are totally different to 3GSUs. If they were the same as 3GSU, I would neither SELL now OWN a 3 phone (or in my case - 5!)

Perhaps other people in those areas could post their coverage opinions?

[Ben]

We're straying off topic, folks. Please keep further posts in relation to the (now old) news article.

[Hands0n]

Completely agree ............ and so I've taken the broadening discussion to a new thread here https://talk3g.co.uk/showthread.php?p=7666#post7666

Please observe the "House Rules" - the thread will be moderated in accordance.