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3 mobile broadband

3 overview

  • Wide range of packages including 1, 18 and 24 month pay monthly contracts with 1GB – 15GB data allowance
  • PAYG mobile broadband available in either standard PAYG format, where you buy data as you need it, or Starter Kits which come with 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 22 results show all»

    Best selling 3 mobile broadband deals

    Hardware Price/mth Speed(Up to) Downloads(limit) Contract
    ZTE MF627Dongle info» £15.00 3.6Mb 15 GBper month 24
    months    		 Go
    ACER 6920G-583Laptop info» £40.00 3.6Mb 15 GBper month 24
    months    		 Go
    ACER Aspire 150bLaptop info» £22.50 3.6Mb 15 GBper month 24
    months    		 Go

    Currently showing the top 3 of 22 results show all»

    3 road test

    3 Road test
    Three Huawei E17069G dongle
    Downloads
    rating -2 stars2 stars
    Uploads
    rating -3 stars3 stars
    Most stable
    rating -3 stars3 stars
    Coverage
    rating -2 stars2 stars
    Feelgood factor
    rating -3 stars3 stars
    Dongle software
    rating -3 stars3 stars
    Overall rating
    rating -2 stars2 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 Chris Marling 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 229 3 Mobile Broadband reviews»

    unhappy

    by tony edwards
    at 14:33 on 3 Jul 2009

    2 months to go of an 18 month contract. soon be free of the rubbish. tried to cancel contract twice under their poor signal policy, no chance! the indian call centre is appalling, they read from a script and go round in constant circles, untill the customer loses the will to live, and hangs up in despair. 3 coverage checker has me on the edge between exellent and good. rubbish. speeds between 0-150 kbs are normal, with very occasional bursts upto 600 kbs. my advise is avoid 3 at all cost, but if you want to try it, make sure you return it in plenty of time.
    neutral

    by bigorganist
    at 00:36 on 1 Jul 2009

    Got this to fill a gap between broadband provisions. I know exactly where the transmitter is and I can't believe how rubbish it was. The coverage prediction was great, but in reality the dongle could pick up every network except 3 and Vodafone. Took it back to PC World within the 3 day t&c for a full refund without any problems. Either try before you buy or be quick to take it back if it doesn't work for you.
    unhappy

    by Fritz
    at 12:56 on 30 Jun 2009

    I've also got a 3 mobile E220, 2 year contract. I've managed to use it about 3 hours in the 18 months I've had it. It is rubbish (like the O2 PAYG E160 I've also got). I used to get pre-1985 dial up speeds when I worked in Canary Wharf, London. Now I'm in threadneedle street and I get no connection at all - zero bars.

    Mobile broadband is generally rubbish unless your in a high reception area with a low number of users. If you're in a city that is running at 99% of cell tower capacity then just forget it.
    unhappy

    by Alex
    at 07:43 on 30 Jun 2009

    I HATE three mobile broadband. It runs slower than dial-up (and I'm in an area they claim to be HSDPA!!) and it disconnects ALL THE TIME. In the last 20 minutes it has disconnected twelve times. It is overpriced and just doesn't work.
    STAY AWAY.

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    Comments submitted entirely in capital letters, containing advertising or excessive swearing will be rejected; please try to be polite. The best comments are relevant, factual and balanced; think about all aspects of the package, such as speed, connection quality and customer service. We reserve the right to edit comments.