3 bans its broadband customers from overseas data usage
3 the European based mobile phone company has today totally banned it customers from using their mobile broadband devices outside their home country.
The surprising move by one of Europe’s most progressive carriers is supposedly in the best interests of their customers. This may affect a number of European telecoms players who are working with 3 to use their IMSI on various products. The story is just breaking and I will update as I get more.
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11 comments...What do you think?
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Think you’ve jumped the gun on this one. Read here http://www.three.co.uk/personal/help_support_/abroad_/going_abroad_pay_monthly.omp
All they are doing are making its customers manually activate roaming first, so they can get a warning on data charges. They are one of the first to do so, and I believe that most of their customers would have roamed onto non 3 networks in Europe (due to their lack of coverage) costing 3 a fair whack in termination fees to vodafone etc.
Dont think so Kevin
£50 maximum is about as handy as an ashtray on a motorbike
“Kevin Russell, chief executive of 3 UK, on Tuesday added that contract customers could still opt in to use their mobile broadband dongles in “non 3 markets”, but said that even in such cases a £50 credit limit would be placed on their accounts to avoid thousands of pounds’ worth of charges accumulating”
In all fairness Pat, a credit limit is usually negotiable particularly if you’re someone who frequently uses data abroad and accept that it may lead to large charges. We bemoaned the huge bill that chap got downloading Prison Break the other day - isn’t this somewhat preferable while data charges remain ridiculously high?
(Disclosure: I’m a 3 customer and the company I work for has a business relationship with 3. Though I think my point is broad enough to avoid bias)
From the 3 UK website:
All you have to do is ensure that you’re using a 3 network. Your headline is **very** misleading.
@james
I have heard possibly ten cases of huge bills amongst the billions of roaming data minutes used.
I am not in favour of any carrier enforcing its rules on its paying customers
The 3 ceo makes it quite clear that £50 is the limit
this is about 2-4 megs if you have moved outside a 3 partner which makes the device beyond useless.
If customers don’t like it, they can go elsewhere. It may end up hurting 3, but I’m sure there are quite a few people like myself who would rather avoid the risk of bill shock.
By the way, will you agree that you are incorrect to say 3 “totally banned it customers from using their mobile broadband devices outside their home country.”?
this is nothing new really. I’ve ran into this problem with 3 as far back as September 2006. Had bought a 3G phone from them and travelled to the UK. Tried to access their 3G service with no luck. When I called customer service I was informed that “for the Irish subscribers their 3G service only works while on the Irish network”.
This was probably even more stupid than their walled garden approach to Internet access…
Hey guys,
I don’t know about you guys but I have just switched from Vodafone over to 3 because I found that I was getting bill shock every single month with my yappy mouth.
I know this has nothing to do with broadband, but I have recently signed up to their 99c a day talk and text and it seems to be great. I get 700 texts and 200 minutes to talk to whoever I want and I am no longer scared of being charged a ridiculous amount because I control everything on prepay.