3 mobile broadband
3 overview
- Wide range of packages including 1, 18 and 24 month pay monthly contracts with 1GB or 5GB data allowance
- PAYG mobile broadband available in either standard PAYG format, where you buy data as you need it, or buy with 1,3 or 12 months' data included - ideal for gifts
- Great range of laptop specs available 'free' with a mobile broadband dongle on 18 and 24 month contract
- If you're an existing 3 Mobile customer, you get 25% off any 18 month mobile broadband package.
Currently showing the top 3 of 20 results show all»
Best selling 3 mobile broadband deals
| Hardware | Price/mth | Speed(Up to) | Downloads(limit) | Contract | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Dongle info» |
£12.00 £3 per month off for the whole contract use voucher code 3MBB3OFF |
7.2Mb | 5 GBper month | 18 months |
Go |
 Laptop info» |
£35.00 | 7.2Mb | 5 GBper month | 24 months |
Go |
 Laptop info» |
£30.00 | 7.2Mb | 5 GBper month | 24 months |
Go |
Currently showing the top 3 of 20 results show all»
3 road test
- Downloads
2 stars- Uploads
3 stars- Most stable
- 3 stars
- Coverage
- 2 stars
- Feelgood factor
- 3 stars
- Dongle software
- 3 stars
- Overall rating
- 2 stars
May 2009
We spend a lot of time at Mobile Broadband Genie moderating comments made by our users about their experiences with mobile broadband, and it's fair to say we weren't expecting too much from the Huawei E169G dongle 3 popped into the post to us. It arrived in a nice DVD-style box, well packaged and with some funky stick-on skins thrown in for good measure. So far, so good.
The dongle itself looks good too, being as sleek and stylish as its brother the E160 (sent to us by O2, Orange and Virgin Media) with a matt black finish. All you need to do is pop off the cap and install the dongle into a free USB port on the laptop and away you go.
Installation was straightforward and the interface was OK, without ever threatening to win any awards. But as 3 offers the cheapest deals around, no one is going to expect cutting edge software design. It really does look a bit eighties, but shows the relevant stats such as speed and what type of connection you have (3G, HSPA etc), even putting a little message up front in a separate window when the service disconnects, which some others don't.
The early stages of our road trip testing started out OK for 3, as the E169G picked up some reasonably average upload and download results from our Mobile Broadband Genie speed tests: nothing to write home about, but it certainly held its own with the other average performers - in fact it was only beaten by clear winner Virgin Mobile when we ran the speed tests at King's Cross station for download speed. However, in the practical tests (such as streaming audio and video content and downloading podcasts) it repeatedly failed to finish, and performing poorly when it did complete a task.
While the 3 dongle held its connection reasonably well through tunnels, generally coverage wasn't great and there were a disappointing number of disconnects. The relatively low price of the 3 service means many will still opt for it, but consumers should expect to get what they pay for. The provider didn't pick up any gongs in our road trip awards and on this evidence is hard to recommend on anything but price (for a travelling user) in its current incarnation.
Overall analysis of the Mobile Broadband Genie Road Trip 2009
by May 2009
About 3
While 3 may have been late to the party as far as mobile network operators are concerned (being the fifth and final one to gain a licence so far), it has concentrated hard on trying to lead the pack in terms of 3G mobile broadband. UK residents have been bombarded with everything from free 3 mobile broadband dongles to aggressive pricing campaigns. bargain dongle and super-cheap deal does not a good mobile internet experience make: we receive many negative complaints about both speed and customer service.
Launched as a brand of the Hong Kong-based Hutchinson Whampoa corporation, 3 UK's mobile network arrived in 2003. The company launched its mobile broadband in August 2007, undercutting its rivals, while its pay as you go version followed in December of the same year. 3 became the first mobile broadband operator to launch 'free' laptop deals in July 2008 and it now offers mobile internet contracts from £10 per month.
In 2008, 3 signed an agreement with rival network T-Mobile to combine their 3G access networks: at the time the biggest agreement of its type (it has since been trumped by a similar deal between Vodafone and O2). It was set up to improve both quality and coverage across the network, which should impact on the quality of its mobile broadband service - both companies are committed to delivering "true" mobile internet.
3 customer reviews
Show all 323 3 Mobile Broadband reviews»
by Peter
at 22:37 on 6 Feb 2010
Its not as good as my house where I get 2mb but works fine out and about. I have a house in Cornwall with no bars showing at all and it still works quite ok - not brilliant but acceptable.
I think its good, its also very cheap I got a deal for £7.50 for 3gb a month as long as I keep a phone with them.
Come on complainers, this is mobile internet over a phone network, theres bound to be some downside. In my expereince it drops connection frequently when you have a poor signal. In my house in Cornwall I bought a 3G repeater for £190 on eBay and I have 4 bars now and it never drops the signal.
Peter Report abuse
by Richard
at 09:25 on 6 Feb 2010
by John Crittenden
at 13:22 on 1 Feb 2010
by Christian
at 09:31 on 27 Jan 2010
I live in the North West and have had a 1 month rolling contract for 5 months and I can't complain. I get over 3Mb speed for download which is really good I believe, upload speed is down to 30Kb unfortunately.
I visit my parents in the South East now and again and although the signal is better I can hardly connect during the day. So I guess it depends on the traffic in the area were you live. So I would test it in your area first and if not go with other provider. I got a good deal 15 pounds for 5GB on a 1 month contract so can cancel anytime, thank goodness to rolling contracts, while their around never getting into long term contracts again with anything because a better offer may appear.
Good luck. Report abuse
