THREE changed their tune on tethering

[bigste]

I see after all the changes that Three have changed again the amount of tethering. Last tethering allowance on AYCE data was 12gb a month. They have now gone to 30gb. I think that may well tempt me but no way would 12gb be enough. Over here in Spain several phone companies have gone the way of 4g mifi for home internet use. The one I'm with were unlimited use for 30€ a month until recently but they have chopped it to 40gb now. They have said they will honour all the unlimited contracts for as long as needed. I'm surprised that no uk companies have jumped on this scheme as it is a very flexible way to get internet.

[john6767]

Thanks for the heads up on that. I think that means I can drop my old One plan and go to a SIM only AYCE data, for £16 per month less. There has to be a catch I feel.

[bigste]

The cheapest AYCE data with 600 minutes was £25 when I looked. 200 minutes was a bit less but still over £20. Contract varied from 1 month to 24 month. No tethering on PAYG

Edited April 20, 2016 by bigste

[Daz555]

I had no idea Three had upped their tethering limits. That is good news. I rarely needed to go over my tethering allowance but on the odd occasions I did need to I used a VPN. By initiating a VPN connection from your phone (in my case to my home server) you prevent the ISP/phone company from sniffing your data to determine if tethering is being used or not.

 

Laptop >>>> Phone >>>> VPN >>>> Home Server >>>> Internet.

 

Works very well if you have a decent broadband connection at home with plenty of upload bandwidth.

Edited April 20, 2016 by Daz555

[Robbo]

I see after all the changes that Three have changed again the amount of tethering. Last tethering allowance on AYCE data was 12gb a month. They have now gone to 30gb. I think that may well tempt me but no way would 12gb be enough. Over here in Spain several phone companies have gone the way of 4g mifi for home internet use. The one I'm with were unlimited use for 30€ a month until recently but they have chopped it to 40gb now. They have said they will honour all the unlimited contracts for as long as needed. I'm surprised that no uk companies have jumped on this scheme as it is a very flexible way to get internet.

 

Three did AYCE tethering and it was abused and the system couldn't cope so now they limit it. 4G whilst very flexible way to get Internet isn't the best for home use.

Edited April 20, 2016 by Robbo

[john6767]

The cheapest AYCE data with 600 minutes was £25 when I looked. 200 minutes was a bit less but still over £20. Contract varied from 1 month to 24 month. No tethering on PAYG

When I looked earlier today, 200 minutes was £20 per month with AYCE data, 12 month contract. With 30gb tethering that seems like a reasonable deal to me.

[Guest]

I have just renewed with Three. 12 month Sim only, 200 mins (I'll never use that, I have no friends) unlimited texts, unlimited data and 30 Gb tethering for 20 quid a month. Not quite as good as the old One Plan but it'll do for me.

[smileypete]

 

Three did AYCE tethering and it was abused and the system couldn't cope so now they limit it. 4G whilst very flexible way to get Internet isn't the best for home use.

 

I wouldn't say it was abused, more like used in the manner advertised, which 3 in their wisdom did not originally anticipate!

[Guest]

 

Three did AYCE tethering and it was abused and the system couldn't cope so now they limit it. 4G whilst very flexible way to get Internet isn't the best for home use.

Abused how?

[Richard10002]

So Three gave us the One Plan with unlimited tethering, so we all sign up and many use it as advertised.. then they throttle it between 3pm and midnight. then they decide they cant cope with the "abuse", so withdraw the unlimited tethering and offer much less - calling it a benefit for us??. Then I guess they see that many have left them, so they up the tethering offer to 30Gb.... what are they going to do when they find they cant cope with people using 30Gb per month..... I wonder if it's still throttled between 3pm and midnight.. if not, that will be their next move.

 

No consistency, an element of deviousness, so I wont be going back.

[Guest]

So Three gave us the One Plan with unlimited tethering, so we all sign up and many use it as advertised.. then they throttle it between 3pm and midnight. then they decide they cant cope with the "abuse", so withdraw the unlimited tethering and offer much less - calling it a benefit for us??. Then I guess they see that many have left them, so they up the tethering offer to 30Gb.... what are they going to do when they find they cant cope with people using 30Gb per month..... I wonder if it's still throttled between 3pm and midnight.. if not, that will be their next move.

 

No consistency, an element of deviousness, so I wont be going back.

That is how I see things (though I have gone back to them for the time being.)

I do not get the "abused" claim if it is advertised as unlimited data. It is either limited or it isn't; it can't be unlimited but at the same time limited. Where are the regulatory bodies in all of this?

My boat licence appears to give me unlimited use of inland waterways (within certain waterways). If CRT suddenly said I was abusing this and could only do 200 miles a year I would be mightily pissed off.

[smileypete]

Seems to me the mistake they made a while ago in the drive to gain customers, was offering unlimited tethering at a generous price that didn't seem to allow enough reinvestment in their (now rather slow?) network.

 

Vodaphone appears to have made a similar mistake in using too much UK revenue to expand overseas leaving the home network rather poorer off than their competitors. (bit like Tesco and their Fresh n Easy in the USA)

Edited April 21, 2016 by smileypete

[rupertbear]

unlimited texts, unlimited data and 30 Gb tethering for 20 quid a month. Not quite as good as the old One Plan but it'll do for me.

 

What is the difference between 'data' and 'tethering' from the supplier's end of the wires? I don't understand, 1Gb is 1Gb whether it's through a phone or a dongle.

[Alan de Enfield]

Not at all happy to hear about the 'new' offering.

 

We have had the old "£15 per month SIM only with unlimited everything" for about 3 years now, they finally caught up with us (although we are not huge data users 12 - 15Gb per month) and told us we had to find another plan by the 9th April.

 

Shopped around and nothing really available to match the 3-offer of £25per month for the 12Gb tethered data plan so signed up for 12 months.

 

Now, a couple of weeks later, they announce this one with 30Gb tethering - 'teapots' !!!!!

 

Anyway - the good news.

SWMBO went into 3-shop yesterday geared up to have an argument which looked to be well on the way when the girl in the shop said that we could upgrade to the new plan but, not at the £30 quoted on internet.

The best they could do with all of their discounts was £31 per month.

Apparently a head of steam started to build up, and eventually the 'shop-girl' phoned "3" - cutting to the punchline - 3 have given us the new £35 per month tariff (unlimited data with 30Gb tethering, unlimited texts and unlimited call minutes) for £28 per month.

£5 per month discount for payment by direct debit (as can be viewed on the online offer)

£2 per month for being a 'loyal customer'

 

The old £15 per month plan was good whilst it lasted, but at £28 per month it is still only half what out land line used to cost us.

 

Mobile phone contracts and mobile phone companies are almost as bad to have as a supplier as the electricity companies.

[Guest]

 

What is the difference between 'data' and 'tethering' from the supplier's end of the wires? I don't understand, 1Gb is 1Gb whether it's through a phone or a dongle.

I have often wondered about this. Perhaps somebody in the know can explain.

[Richard10002]

What is the difference between 'data' and 'tethering' from the supplier's end of the wires? I don't understand, 1Gb is 1Gb whether it's through a phone or a dongle.

Given the small screen of a phone, people don't tend to use it like a laptop, for streaming video, or other data intensive activities so, even if the data is truly unlimited, it doesn't get used in an unlimited way. Whereas once tethered to a phone or a dongle, laptop users can run up some mega usages.

[Guest]

Not at all happy to hear about the 'new' offering.

 

We have had the old "£15 per month SIM only with unlimited everything" for about 3 years now, they finally caught up with us (although we are not huge data users 12 - 15Gb per month) and told us we had to find another plan by the 9th April.

 

Shopped around and nothing really available to match the 3-offer of £25per month for the 12Gb tethered data plan so signed up for 12 months.

 

Now, a couple of weeks later, they announce this one with 30Gb tethering - 'teapots' !!!!!

 

Anyway - the good news.

SWMBO went into 3-shop yesterday geared up to have an argument which looked to be well on the way when the girl in the shop said that we could upgrade to the new plan but, not at the £30 quoted on internet.

The best they could do with all of their discounts was £31 per month.

Apparently a head of steam started to build up, and eventually the 'shop-girl' phoned "3" - cutting to the punchline - 3 have given us the new £35 per month tariff (unlimited data with 30Gb tethering, unlimited texts and unlimited call minutes) for £28 per month.

£5 per month discount for payment by direct debit (as can be viewed on the online offer)

£2 per month for being a 'loyal customer'

 

The old £15 per month plan was good whilst it lasted, but at £28 per month it is still only half what out land line used to cost us.

 

Mobile phone contracts and mobile phone companies are almost as bad to have as a supplier as the electricity companies.

Yes and yes. Like 99% of things, they are after our money pure and simple.

Still cheaper than a landline for us too, which didn't work for 50% of the time, and we can use it when afloat.

Given the small screen of a phone, people don't tend to use it like a laptop, for streaming video, or other data intensive activities so, even if the data is truly unlimited, it doesn't get used in an unlimited way. Whereas once tethered to a phone or a dongle, laptop users can run up some mega usages.

I did consider that, but am I not correct in thinking that one can simply connect an Iphone (or similar) to a TV with a suitable lead? If that is indeed correct, can one can stream away until their heart is content?

[Dave Payne]

 

I did consider that, but am I not correct in thinking that one can simply connect an Iphone (or similar) to a TV with a suitable lead? If that is indeed correct, can one can stream away until their heart is content?

 

 

True dat, i can connect my windows phone to the tv via a cable all use all apps, even plug in a keyboard/mouse, so streaming is easy.

[Guest]

 

 

True dat, i can connect my windows phone to the tv via a cable all use all apps, even plug in a keyboard/mouse, so streaming is easy.

Thought so. I do not understand the difference between doing this, and tethering my laptop (which I do daily.) Does it somehow use more data when tethered to a laptop? If so would it be better getting a lead and connecting to the small boat telly, then using the phone for all functions, get all the data I need and forget the laptop? I have no real need to use the laptop for internet and just use it because I always have done.

[Dave Payne]

The tethering option will use more data yes, or most people will, you will be using full websites and everything that brings with it, more data. plus as already mentioned you end up streaming more, usually in HD so again more data.

 

The windows phone dock only works on Lumia 950 and 950xl i believe, they are not cheap though, phone is about £350 sim free then another £50 for the dock.

 

Apple tv offers something like this i think also.

[Dave Payne]

For iDevices

 

Newer ones

 

http://www.apple.com/uk/shop/product/MD826ZM/A/lightning-digital-av-adapter

 

 

Older ones

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/6FT-30Pin-Dock-Connector-to-HDMI-TV-Cable-Adapter-for-iPad-1-2-3-iPhone-4-4s-/171527580553

 

 

These will project your screen to any tv with HDMI, you can then stream, web, app use whilst avoiding the tethering bit.

[WotEver]

For iDevices

 

Newer ones

 

http://www.apple.com/uk/shop/product/MD826ZM/A/lightning-digital-av-adapter

 

 

Older ones

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/6FT-30Pin-Dock-Connector-to-HDMI-TV-Cable-Adapter-for-iPad-1-2-3-iPhone-4-4s-/171527580553

 

 

These will project your screen to any tv with HDMI, you can then stream, web, app use whilst avoiding the tethering bit.

How come the old one which includes a 2m HDMI lead costs seven quid yet the new one which requires you to supply an HDMI lead cost 40 quid?

 

Tony

[Dave Payne]

How come the old one which includes a 2m HDMI lead costs seven quid yet the new one which requires you to supply an HDMI lead cost 40 quid?

 

Tony

 

 

New one is on the Apple site, have a look on ebay for a non official one, might be a bit cheaper.

 

Its like any tech, newer version are always more pennies.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2M-Apple-Lightning-to-HDMI-TV-AV-Cable-Adapter-USB-Power-for-iPhone-6-6S-5-5S-/371543856234?hash=item5681bd546a:g:dMIAAOSwoudW-5SU

[WotEver]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2M-Apple-Lightning-to-HDMI-TV-AV-Cable-Adapter-USB-Power-for-iPhone-6-6S-5-5S-/371543856234?hash=item5681bd546a:g:dMIAAOSwoudW-5SU

That's more like it, thanks ?

[cuthound]

How come the old one which includes a 2m HDMI lead costs seven quid yet the new one which requires you to supply an HDMI lead cost 40 quid?

Tony

Progress? No more likely marketing boll**s.