Got a deal with mobile types Three? Love hopping online with their stack of killer web deals and free Skype access? Course you do. But there’s a sting in the tail to being a thrifty 3G snob – Three’s network won’t let you browse the web, or make VoIP calls unless you’re within the realms of its 3G footprint. Other networks might let you chug along on reliable old GPRS, but not Three, and it’s worth taking note of why that is before splashing out on a new SIM. Read on and we’ll tell you all the details.
Three doesn’t have its own GPRS network, instead falling back onto Orange’s 2G service whenever you hit an area that doesn’t have a super speedy mobile connection. But we were surprised to find that when we did just that, our Three blower wouldn’t connect to the web.
We contacted Three to ask why its customers couldn’t tinker with email or check footie scores when out of range, and why 3G signals seemed to struggle, even inside central London. Three’s spokesperson was quick to explain just what’s going on.
“Three’s network is 3rd Generation (3G). This means our network is designed and built for the mobile internet. We give our customers access to both 2G services (voice and text) and 3G mobile internet access (Skype, Email on Three and Windows Live etc). When 3G coverage isn’t available, our customers roam onto 2G through an agreement we have with Orange. Our 3G network covers 93% of the UK population. Three has already built the UK’s biggest 3G network but by the end of 2010 our customers will have an even bigger, better, faster network – which means more coverage for voice calls, the mobile internet and an even faster service for Mobile Broadband.”
Read our INQ Chat 3G review now
While it’s understandable that Three wants to push 3G access above all else, we’re still baffled as to its decision not to include 2G data as a fallback solution. We took Three’s comments to Orange, who informed us that roaming onto its GPRS network would work just dandy with the web. So we asked Three to explain the obstacles in the way. “You can get online on a 2G network,” said a Three spokesperson.
“However, as a 3G only company we wouldn’t support that as we can’t guarantee the quality of service you would get. Therefore with Orange, we only have an agreement to provide 2G voice and text coverage, where 3G isn’t available. By the end of this year, we will have very limited need of their 2G network as we would have expanded our 3G network so our customers can get online faster, better and in more places. Moreover, we also avoid paying data roaming cost that way.”
When pressed, Three’s spokesperson said, …”the experience wouldn’t be good enough on 2G so we don’t offer it.”
It’s a surprising answer from a company so valiantly championing online access on the move. Is Three really saying that simply not getting online is better than using GPRS for its web-based services?
Three has plans to ramp up its 3G coverage, stating last week that it is upping the number of base stations pumping out 3G signals to almost 13,000 by the end of 2010, with the aim of pushing 3G coverage to 98.5 per cent of the UK’s population.
But before you grab yourself that rather neat INQ Chat 3G, just be aware that you’re buying into Three’s 3G network, with GPRS web access a distinct no no.
Have you had any issues getting online with your Three phone? Would you love GPRS chucked in too, or is 3G just dandy where you are? Let us know in the comments section below.
