[3GScottishUser]

It had to happen.

As the biggest Mobile Broadband carrier 3 have had to suspend sales in areas where they have high numbers of users. They claim to be building more capacity but the finite wireless resources seem to be buckling under the weight of usage.

The full story is here: http://www.mobiletoday.co.uk/Mobile_Exec/3_suspends_mobile_broadband_sales_in_poorly_connec ted_areas.aspx

[Ben]

Wow. That's actually pretty amazing. 3 UK care about their public image. Who knew.

I've been using my 3 UK MBB dongle lately. The ZTE dongle and software isn't amazing, but I've got to hand it to them - I've found more 3G than I have with my Vodafone one, and it has been very usable to boot.

[3GScottishUser]

Have to agree. In the latter days of my 3 Mobile Broadband I had a very usable service although I think they have integrated their transmission where I live with T-Mobile.

Vodafone is on a different level in terms of professionalisim. Their Mobile Broadband Connect software ticks all the boxes and offers loads of options. Coverage for me has generally been better and more reliable than 3 with higher speeds. Then again, it should be as it's a lot dearer!!

3 have hit the problem that we knew about long ago with Mobile Broadband and despite their bigger bandwidth and HSDPA just a few MBB users can max out a cell site and probably kill voice traffic unless they have ringfenced some capacity for calls and texts.

Are we witnessing the same malarky that plauged 3 when they launched? Unrealistic offerings to tempt buyers, heavy usage (probably by many who are not credit worthy enough to get a landline or cable Internet connection) leading to capacity issues, compalints, Mumbai, etc etc.

They (3) are putting a brave face on it but flooding the market with cheap MBB deals could be the final undoing of them. The retreat re restricting sales is an ominous signal.

Goodness knows what the Walled Garden warden Bob Fuller would have made of all this!!

[Hands0n]

Goodness knows what the Walled Garden warden Bob Fuller would have made of all this!!

Old Bob will be having one of those "I told you so" moments. But it will be short lived.

The problem 3 are facing, in certain areas, is one of capacity planning lapses (to be entirely kind). It all really depends on how capable their capacity planners are, and also whether or not 3 have the financial capability to spend in areas of heavy usage. They are victims of their own success in Mobile Broadband, such as that success is. I couldn't make it work for me at all through a fault in my area - but I cannot face their Mumbai operation ever again so I just walked away. Who knows, they may have fixed it by now.

The problem 3 face now is that in the areas where there is under-capacity there will also be a groundswell of ill-will generated. Those poor 3 customers in that area will be going through the direness that is 3's customer services in Mumbai. I can just hear the calls now. They'll be asked to wipe their SIM with a clean dry cloth, try it in another computer, reinstall Windows, in fact anything at all rather than admit it and tell the punter that there is a capacity issue in their area.

I am truly not surprised at this situation. I am even less surprised that 3 are playing it down. But I think that this could happen to any of the UK's mobile network operators - O2 are struggling well before 3's news hit the press.

[Ben]

As the 3T-Mange ubernetwork takes shape this could be less of a big deal... but then I don't think we know the extent of 3 UK's integration with this new mega-mobop.

More than ever, the next two years are going to be crucial in the UK and in the wider industry. We've got new technologies coming up around 2012, new frequency, and convergence. Gripping stuff!