[3GScottishUser]

3 have launched their 3G Datacard at long last.

It's expensive!!!

You pay 100% more on a £45 a month contract for data than with Vodafone and Orange and there is worse news......

You are Restricted to limits when roaming outwith 3's own coverage areas!!!

"3 reserves the right to suspend your use of a 3G DataCard on a roaming network (ie in 2G and 2.5G areas and on international networks) if you exceed the following data allowance on those networks:

Data allowance on roaming networks £20 Plan = 30MB, £30 Plan = 77MB, £45 Plan = 154 MB.

If suspended you may continue to use your DataCard in a 3G area but you will be suspended from using it on roaming networks until the beginning of your next bill cycle. We will contact you by SMS to warn you when your roamed usage has reached 20% of your total inclusive data allowance. We will contact you again by SMS when your data usage on a roaming network reaches your total data allowance for use on those networks, and inform you that your use of the DataCard on roaming networks will be suspended until the beginning of your next bill cycle. 3 reserves the right to amend this DataCard Usage Policy subject to 30 days notice."

Why would you want to pay twice as much and have your use restricted??

A daft offer if ever there was one.

Nice try 3 ..... sharpen your pencils!!

[Ben]

http://www.three.co.uk/handsets/datacardOverview.omp

The good news is that they now claim 88% 3G population coverage, making this card your best bet for 3G speeds. The card also appears, just going from visuals here, to be one of the good ones (Option Quad with 3G).

The bad news is that the pricing is stale and unimaginative. Three could have done so much better, but I think this is the clearest indication yet that the competitive edge that the network brought to UK mobile has now been lost, or is at least being rapidly eroded.

It's a bit of a blow that, if you were to go for the £20 plan for example, you could only end up having a measly 30MB, just one megabyte a day, if you're constantly out of Three's coverage.

[Hands0n]

Again this has to be a "horses for courses" choice. For example, in my area of living and working (North Kent) we have 100% 3G coverage with the 3 network for all practical purposes. Exclude farmers fields and large dips in the terrain not yet plugged with 3G - but then these don't have 2G with any network either!.

By comprison, my Vodafone drops out of 3G many more times than does my 3 handset. I'd be using 2G GPRS frequently unless stationary in a 3G cell, or near a window in an office building, no such experience with 3's 3G signal which is definitely more accessible by comparison at the moment.

Considering 3's wording in the terms and conditions - as far as I have observed to date, all the mobile ops "reserve the right to terminate/suspend ......... services" in circumstances of their choosing. However, in my case, given that I am in such a good 3G area the opportunity for me to roam out to O2's 2G network for data is severely limited, making the risk of termination while roaming negligible.

So, fully accepting that 3's data access charges are entirely non-competitive (silly people, what are they thinking of?) I really do think that the old adage "Caveat Emptor" (Buyer Beware) applies here as well as it would anywhere else. My strongest advice to anyone buying into 3G with any network at the moment is to do their homework carefully. Find out about the actuality of 3G coverage where they intend to use it by trialling the service before committing to buy (make aggressive use of the 14-day rule - if its available on data sales).

That said, with 3's data charges for this card I think that it is going to have to be some very loyal-to-3 people who would pay 100% more than they would possibly need to. Loyalty that would be completely misplaced and inappropriate.

Edit: I note that this is a "Business" offering which means that it is 100% tax deductable in your allowances each year if you are a business or self-employed. This probably accounts for the high charge/low data volume compared with other more mature networks. I'd still not pay anyone 100% more than I'd need to though, even if Gordon Brown is going to refund me against my tax bill. 3 need to introduce some value to this proposition, which so far there isn't any.

[bsrjl1]

"3 reserves the right to suspend your use of a 3G DataCard on a roaming network (ie in 2G and 2.5G areas and on international networks) if you exceed the following data allowance on those networks

I'd love to know how to use a datacard in a 2G area, or are they finally allowing CS-data calls?

[3GScottishUser]

They appear to have limited fallback to 02's GPRS.

Even with 88% population coverage it has to be remembered that UMTS is not particularly robust and handovers inside buildings even between rooms are common. This should not affect data users as badly as data handovers are packet switched and don't drop like circuit switched voice calls but even in some supposedly well covered 3G areas you could find yourself out of alllowance very quickly.

With 1/2 the allowance, no free datacard and the possibility of having your service terminated because you are in the wrong place I suspect this is a very poorly thought out proposition.

Verdict: For cash rich 3 diehards only.

[Ben]

I'd love to know how to use a datacard in a 2G area, or are they finally allowing CS-data calls?
LoL! Well spotted there ;) Even if they were allowing data calls over 2G-only, how the hell would it be charged under a per-MB pricing structure? I think the 2G bit is a myth.

[3GScottishUser]

No Myth..... 3 have a limited GPRS access to 02 and have set limits on Datacard users (as detailed above). Whlst roaming 02 download stats are provided to 3 for charging purposes and that triggers their e-mail alerts to users and ultimately their suspension of service.

Not a good arrangement and such a limit does not inspire confidence in their supposed 88% coverage. (If they were confident about that they would underwrite the GPRS coverage - would'nt they?).

[Hands0n]

Re 88% coverage - you have to bear in mind that in some areas the coverage is ubiquitous, such as in North Kent where I reside. Anecdote: Early 2005 I held a voice call on 3 continuously and without interruption from Dover to Dartford. Since that time more 3 transmitters have appeared. I know that there are areas of UK coverage that can only be described as "dire" and it is in these that one should eschew 3 as a viable contender for any kind of access (telephony or data).

But none of this satisfactorily or adequately explains their extraordinarily uncompetitive, uninspiring and downright put-off-the-customer data tariff.

[bsrjl1]

No Myth.....

No what we meant was that GPRS=2.5G, GSM is 2G.

[Ben]

No what we meant was that GPRS=2.5G, GSM is 2G.
Exactly, data over raw 2G is done via dialup, ie old fashioned WAP, ie not supported by 3 as it's a data call.

[3GScottishUser]

02 have GPRS throughout their entire GSM network.

They have had this for some time.

[bsrjl1]

Yes & that's called a 2.5G network. See http://www.mobilein.com/2.5G.htm (top of a google search) "GPRS represents the first packet-based technology for evolution from 2G GSM networks to 2.5G networks."

[Ben]

02 have GPRS throughout their entire GSM network.

They have had this for some time.
Just keeping you honest with your terminology :P

[3GScottishUser]

Not my termininology, that was a direct paste from 3's T+C's.

9.6Kb/s on GSM with 2G and you have to pay for circuit switched connections....don't think it is used now in the UK by any network for anything other than basic WAP access.

Perhaps someone should tell 3 UK about 2G?