help me decide my provider in the UK
 

hi all,

I'll be moving to London shortly and will get an N900. I don't care about minutes and texts but will need to be online 24/7 with massive use after office hours.
Any suggestions what provider I should go for?

Thanks

Re: help me decide my provider in the UK
 

fair usage is the big issue with the big five UK networks:

Vodafone: 500MB per month before extra costs. good 3G coverage.
T-Mobile: 500MB per month before extra costs. great 3G coverage.
Orange: 750MB per month before extra costs. good 3G coverage.
O2: No limit. Will cap speed if above 1GB per month good 3G coverage.
Three: No limit. No cap but poor coverage

Beware that O2 expressly forbid video and audio streaming on their 3G network. so that means no skype calls or youtube on the go.

Also note that iPlayer only works with the 3G networks of Vodafone and Three at the moment. But since the N900 is crap at iPlayer, thats negligable. and when they do release flash for the N900, you can always use wifi regardless of network.

Three allow audio streaming including Skype but you have to pay extra for that service on top of mobile internet service

Also if you want home broadband as well, most of the mobile networks discount their home packages if you are a mobile pay monthly customer. For example, my O2 package includes up to 20meg unlimited ADSL broadband for £7.50 per month because I am on O2 mobile, which is half price.

I'm happy with O2 as I don't use video or audio streaming on the go, only from my home wifi, but the advantages and disadvantages of each are something that you need to decide for yourself.

Other networks that I don't know much about (to research) are Tesco Mobile and Virgin Mobile. These use the O2 and T-mobile transmitters respectively, so their coverage should be good and great, respectively.

Re: help me decide my provider in the UK
 

im on T-mobile, their coverage of 3G in my area is better than orange, but vodafone are the best in that department. Ofcourse, that could all change in London!

Youll need the web n walk plus plan from Tmobile if you want to use msn however.

Re: help me decide my provider in the UK
 

Be aware that while O2's terms may disallow audio/video streaming, they don't actually police it - Skype, iPlayer, and Youtube on the N900 all work fine over O2's 3G service.

Re: help me decide my provider in the UK
 

im on 3pay payasyougo. you get 150 free megs 200 texts and free 3to3 with skype and msn free each time you top up. if i want to use more like you, i buy the mobile broadband add on that gives a gig for a tenner. but when at home i use wifi anyway they are recommened.

Re: help me decide my provider in the UK
 

are you sure nidO, cos I get a message saying that I am not on a supported network when i try iplayer on 3G. also, the built in browser can't handle iPlayer without being jerky

i'm on O2 online-30 tarriff with unlimited web bolt on and am curious how you manage it but not me

Re: help me decide my provider in the UK
 

I strongly recommend T-mobile for London :) Great coverage, overall good 3g speeds, and they are cheap! Their fair usage is mostly 1GB/month. My recommendation, get the n900 carrier-free and go for a T-Mobile Sim-only deal. 15/20 pounds a month are the best ones. I went for the 20 pounds one :)

Re: help me decide my provider in the UK
 

I use Three's data service (1GB mobile broadband), with a Nokia S60 phone and an N810, rather than an N900, and have found that coverage is in in populated areas, and A roads is fine. It isn't much behind (if behind at all) anyone else these days.

Also, there are no extra charges for Skype and streaming on Three, other than it just eats though your data allowance more quickly. In fact you can cheerfully use skype over data on Three with no voice allowance. So you could theoretically use a PAYG sim with data only in a N900 on Three.

Re: help me decide my provider in the UK
 

O2 coverage was good for me... Voda is not bad now, but I use 500MB in less than 2 weeks. I am at 602MB at the moment(have been using minimum) and my minutes refresh on the 8th, lol...

I'd definitely choose o2 over vodafone, but they didnt have the n900 then...

Re: help me decide my provider in the UK
 

I use an O2 simplicity contract monthly renewable with "unlimited" internet for £20/month, I preferred to pay the N900 full price (well after cashback and discount around £370) that always works out cheaper than locking myself up on long term contracts.

Forgot to mention that I find the coverage and speed really good

Re: help me decide my provider in the UK
 

Positive. I've been streaming audio/video over O2's network for quite some time, my old E90 could handle it fine as well.

There's a trick to using iPlayer without it jerking, by starting a video, letting it play for a few seconds in it's small little embedded window, *then* maximising it.
Additionally, when viewing over 3G, using the low-bandwidth wii version of the player helps keep it smooth, available here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/bigscreen/

(toggle the lower bandwidth option in the page's settings)

The APN username in use might also be a factor - i'm just using the o2web username (with the mobile.o2.co.uk APN address) and it works fine, but you may want to try changing the username to bypass - This will give you a connection that bypasses O2's image compression within web pages (using the standard o2web or vertigo usernames passes all web traffic through their filters that slightly lowers the quality and size of images), which may or may not help you - As I said though, audio and video streaming work fine for me with the o2web username.

Re: help me decide my provider in the UK
 

im on t-mob good service and coverage . my broadbands been out so useed phone as modem for about a week and got a text today saying id used 80% of my internet allowance, which was nice. my fup is 1gb with them

Re: help me decide my provider in the UK
 

Go for three if you are in London. In central and north the signal is great and its a data centred operator as it only exists on 3G.

Re: help me decide my provider in the UK
 

You can get 1000mb data only for £5 with three. Or a decent minutes and texts and data package at £15.

I am on t-mobile now and the HSPDA signal is very weak in closed spaces.

Re: help me decide my provider in the UK
 

I'm North of Bristol so network experince will differ: O2 great, Orange good, T mobile & Vodafone rubbish.

I have it on *O2* PAYG and if I top up £10 I get 'unlimited' internet for a month which suits me fine - most of the time I'm at home using the wifi.

Re: help me decide my provider in the UK
 

i had good experiences with three-UK as well.
i don't know if they have the same conditions now, as orange-AT has (which is the austrian version of three). over there you can get a real flat without cap or reducing to GPRS. :-)

Re: help me decide my provider in the UK
 

I second that.

I've been with Orange for over a decade but since getting my N900 have been looking for a good data plan so just started trying out O2's Simplicity for smart phones - 1 month, monthly contract @ £20pm. So far I'm very happy so will likely port my number and move to a 12 month contract @ £15pm.

Details here:
http://shop.o2.co.uk/tariffs/simplic...tphone/1_month

As already mentioned although they don't officially permit VoIP, Skype does work fine and I'm not finding anything is currently blocked. FYI, also not allowed is "continuous streaming of any audio / video content." So I would imagine an hour here and there of in-car Last.fm streaming during my daily commute should be fine.

http://shop.o2.co.uk/tariffSmallPrint#PayMonthly
From what I can gather their unlimited data is truly unlimited, without a defined maximum data allowance.

Re: help me decide my provider in the UK
 

just stay away from vodafone woteva u do. id say o2 but if its just data get 3 and topup online as u will get morel for your money

Re: help me decide my provider in the UK
 

Note that with T-Mobile you can get free internet access (1G/month) - aka a "Booster" - which is capped at 3G (384kpbs) speed, or you can pay extra for internet access (Web'n'Walk, starting at £7.50/month for 1G/month) which is provisioned for HSPA (about 1.8Mbps download on the T-Mobile network).

Re: help me decide my provider in the UK
 

i can also attest to the fact that i've been using my N900 on O2 since December with no issues on doing anything i want on my phone. Skype, YouTube, Qik...all work fine

Re: help me decide my provider in the UK
 

Works fine for me too

Re: help me decide my provider in the UK
 

thank you all,
so seems like if I want cheap unlimited internet on the go with the N900 in Central and North London to use for Skype A LOT, I'm best off buying the device alone and then going with 3!
or am I mistaken?
(sorry for the "I'm stupid attitude". where I come from, if you're lucky to have a cellphone, there's only limited provideres, all on 2G structures and only 2 tarrif plans exist. So I have to duble check to see if I've understood everything)

Re: help me decide my provider in the UK
 

well you can get the 3sim for free from the 3uk store. Top up the £10 online like I said and then try it for a month. In some places its not good but if it works in the areas you travel you cant beat it. If its no good o2 simplicity would be my next and only choice.

I live in Croydon which is a main town, I use voda, o2 and 3 mifi. Vodafone is disgusting and im glad I only got a 12 month contract. o2 never fails me and 3 is sometimes patchy but the speeds really are the best.

Re: help me decide my provider in the UK
 

i have a vodafone and i use about 1-1.3 GB a month and not been charge anything over my contract.

my GF has a pay as go o2 and tops up £15 a month and get 500txt and unlimited internet.

Re: help me decide my provider in the UK
 

yet i had a voda contract about a year ago and they tried to triple my bill because i used more than 500mb data in a month on a supposedly unlimited internet tariff. suffice to ssay i paid that contract off (all 300+ quid it cost me) and went to t-mobile

EDIT: also im not sure tmobs FUP is 1gb as i have used way more than that some months without issue (hell ive got a G1 its always online so data useage is usually huge anyway) - i uploaded well over 150mb in about an hour other night, last i heard tmob had a 3gb FUP on web n walk

Re: help me decide my provider in the UK
 

I live in Central London and I use 3.

Generally the 3G speed is super good when you have the signal. The main issue is you might suffer from halved indoor signal.

Once in Gatwick I made more than 30 mins skype call on 3G with smooth and absolute quality, as if wifi. But when I am home (not basement), the 3G is just fine for web browsing. I heard that they are improving the 3G infrastructures in my area and I hope there will be a better coverage.

Oh yes, my frd uses vodafone. It's generally the standard and with good quality at home. But there are not few occasions that 3 > vodafone. It really depends on your area. But you might wish to use 3 if you skype a lot. Because vodafone is quite straight on their limits as I heard.

Hope it helps.

Re: help me decide my provider in the UK
 

You might want to consider giffgaff - they use the O2 network in the UK and in the last couple of days announced unlimited (truly unlimited) data usage for £10/month, rising to £35/month for truly unlimited text/voice calls/data.

It's a PAYG network, but they have "auto-topups" for when your credit drops below £3 - you set the amount to automatically top-up, between £10 and £30. Might work out to be more cost effective than a traditional SIM-only contract, without the risk of running out of credit, and you can cane the internet no worries... :)

http://www.whatmobile.net/News/gener...d_bundles.html

Re: help me decide my provider in the UK
 

i actually found out about giffgaff last night, after checking All About Symbian and finding an article about them there.

i'm currently on O2, but am very strongly considering switching over to giffgaff.

Re: help me decide my provider in the UK
 

Hi

I'm on Vodafone and get unlimited texts, unlimited internet, unlimited voda-voda and voda-land line calls and 1200 minutes x network calls. This is for £40 per month and came with the N900. I'm not sure how they expect to make any money out of this though :confused:

I've been on Vodafone now for 12 years and have never experienced any problems network or bill wise and customer service is second to none! I've had an unlimited internet package for a couple of years now and I can guarantee this: Unlimited means 3GB/month. If you go over that YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED! BUT! Vodafone will call you and tell you to hold back a bit if you go over it month on month. If you continue to go over it, they will write to you informing you of your new lower limit which you will be charged if you go over. Unlimited Texts means 3000 texts and you will be charged if you exceed this. There will be no warning. Although to 99% of Vodas customers, 3000 texts is technically unlimited. The reason Unlimited isn"t actually unlimited is to stop people from abusing the system and sending out millions of spam texts/adverts etc at Vodas expense.

Regards

Akira

Re: help me decide my provider in the UK
 

I'm using t-mobile unlimited plan for £35 a month, but I recently got my misses a pay and go Libara sim

http://www.lebara-mobile.co.uk/en/

free internet, 100 free minutes & texts for every £5 you top up (these rates are as good as most monthly contract tarriffs)

ps: international calls are also as low as skype and other VOIP rates

Re: help me decide my provider in the UK
 

Looks like the free internet is only free until the end of June at Lebara:

http://www.lebara-mobile.co.uk/en/in...your_phone.php

Otherwise, its 50p per day like Virgin.

Re: help me decide my provider in the UK
 

Just to correct it, the iPlayer works on O2's 3g network, no reason as to why it wouldn't, as long as it has a UK IP

Re: help me decide my provider in the UK
 

Vodafone Fair Usage Policy applies - on your £40/month "unlimited" tariff you are most likely capped at 5GB/month, it is most certainly NOT unlimited (although I'd say 5GB/month is more than enough for a N900!)

That's the whole point about the giffgaff goody bag plans - unlimited means exactly that, unlimited.

Re: help me decide my provider in the UK
 

I'm on giffgaff and think it's great. They even pay you a decent amount of credit (I got about a tenner the other day) for making forum posts, and I've only posted a couple of times. Its also got the lowest payg rates available and free internet till the end of may. They haven't announced what it will be after that but they just announced unlimited texts for a fiver and unlimited text+internet for a tenner, so maybe they will have just internet for a fiver too after may. I know I sound a bit like an advert, but I have no complaints at all.

Re: help me decide my provider in the UK
 

WOW, giffgaff sounds great! what's the catch?!

Re: help me decide my provider in the UK
 

There doesn't seem to be one - the only possible catch might be coverage (it piggybacks the O2 network) or speed (might it be capped at 3G speed, or is it full HSPA?)

Edit: Seems it is full on HSPA/3.5G - where available. :)

Re: help me decide my provider in the UK
 

do they not care how you use the network?
I heard Voda doesn't let you skype but still calls it internet!

Re: help me decide my provider in the UK
 

The catch is that they don't really have any support except for their web forum, and they don't sell phones, so they have no call centre. AFAIK you can't call them at all. It's not really a problem for me.

Anyway, once the free internet runs out in June I will probably get the £10 a month goodybag for unlimited texts and internet and 100 minutes. Since they don't block VOIP I also might get an unlimited VOIP thing (eg Skype do unlimited calls for £4 a month). That would mean that I'd get unlimited calls/texts/internet for £14 a month, which is pretty damn good. Does anyone know of a cheaper but still reliable UK VOIP service to bring that down even further?

Re: help me decide my provider in the UK
 

Nope, that is still pretty much the best deal going and would be hard to match. Also, the free internet has been extended until the end of June as O2 can't get their billing system sorted out in time...

Re: help me decide my provider in the UK
 

Actually it isn't, because the skype unlimited landlines and mobiles package includes mobiles in other countries but not ones in the uk according to the small print, which isn't very useful. So the question still stands, anyone know a cheap VOIP supplier? Ideally either unlimited or very cheap to mobiles. Most of them seem to cost more than the 8p a minute giff gaff charge anyway.