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[Sir Tigger KC]

I know that a few of you use them and as my 3 contract is coming to an end, I'm thinking about keeping my existing phone and switching. 

So I'm just wondering what their coverage and internet speeds are like. TIA 

[zirk]

Coverage is O2, Internet is about the same as others on 3G Mobile Sim (Not Broadband Sim), which they all seem to cap at around 4Mb these days (with the exception of EE and Three), 4G plans will be different but very coverage dependent.

Who you with a the moment on Contract and how long for?, hammering them for a Crap Handset and cheap Airtime deal / upgrade. I'm currently with Vodafone have been for a while, Im currently on Vodafone 4G Red+, Unlimited Calls and Text and 4GB of Data a month for £6.50. Ok so your not going to get that deal, but you get the idea if the stick with a Network and give them grief on a ending contract rather the keep swapping Networks. 

[JamesV6CDX]

I pay around £40 month on three. Contract has also ended. Need to give them some grief I think!

[Sir Tigger KC]

I'm pissed off with 3 as my screen went on my phone and all they were interested in was signing me up to a new deal! 

GiffGaff had an unlimited data allowance offer recently for £18 a month!   

[zirk]

£40 quid, sounds like it James, switching to a Contract Airtime Only Plan (Sim Only) can be an advantage, assuming you can screw them for a good deal compared a Mr Brand New Newbie, but the majority are 12 Month Contracts, so Network Dependent theres not always much movement. you might be better off, saying your be prepared to sign up for 24 Months if they can customise a package on a good Airtime deal and a Cheap Shite Handset (Probably worth £50 if sold on the Bay)  .

Other than that, if they dont play ball, then best case its a Top Cash Back Site deal with a new Network (if you do your Homework on the deals, mentioning this to them, sometimes helps as well) 

[Sir Tigger KC]

I pay around £40 month on three. Contract has also ended. Need to give them some grief I think!

I pay about £26 per month with 3 at the moment and get their 'all you can eat' data allowance which I need, as I gobbled up about 18GB last month.    When I went in to see about getting my phone fixed they really didn't want to know, so if I can get an unlimited internet deal elsewhere that's where I'm headed! 

[zirk]

I pay around £40 month on three. Contract has also ended. Need to give them some grief I think!

I pay about £26 per month with 3 at the moment and get their 'all you can eat' data allowance which I need, as I gobbled up about 18GB last month.    When I went in to see about getting my phone fixed they really didn't want to know, so if I can get an unlimited internet deal elsewhere that's where I'm headed! 

18Gb is a fair whack, presumably thats 4G as well, how old is the contract, the old ones let you tether, any new ones now restrict tethering to 2GB, the 'All you can eat' is now only available for Phone use.

For that sort of Data requirement I would do your Homework before jumping in with another Network and New Contract, and a must is to review your Coverage as that can really kill off good or bad Data Throughput speeds.

You only really have 3 choices, when it come to Unlimited, Three, GiffGaff and T Mobile, forget the likes of International UK Sims offering Unlimited (the likes of Libra etc) as you be lucky to get more than old Fashioned 3g speeds (0.3Mbs).

Three, you already know about, GiffGaff offer Unlimited £18 but its capped at 3G /HSDPA only and your have tethering issues, T Mobile again offer Full Monty still (2000min, Unlimited Txt and Data) for £21, which if you shop around you can get for £15pm, again its 3G / HSDPA only (capped at 4Mbs, a bit more between 1am and 8am), good thing about T Mobile, is there not that strict on Tethering, Dongle, WiFi Hotspot use, even though they say you cant.

Other option at the moment (untill end of March 2015) is EE, which are currently offering Double Speed and Double Data on some contracts, ie take out a plan with 10GB and get another 10GB free for the contract etc, plus they give good 4G speeds, and Tethering is allowed (at the moment).

Another Possibility, is if your a Virgin Media Customer (TV, Broadband etc) they offer Unlimited Mobile Data Tarriff (again Tethering is not allowed). Or if you upgrade to EE Home Broadband you get a free upgrade to your EE Mobile Plans, either +10GB or +20GB cant remember which now.

[Sir Tigger KC]

My 3 contract is coming up to 24 months and tethering issues is not something I'd thought of.    I'm getting my phone fixed at the moment so I might be better off staying put! 

[zirk]

My 3 contract is coming up to 24 months and tethering issues is not something I'd thought of.    I'm getting my phone fixed at the moment so I might be better off staying put! 

Well if its up for renewal then no harm in asking them for a deal to stay with them for another 24 months, downside, is they may change your Contract for like for like but with different Terms, so if you can currently do unlimited Tethering on your plan and its important to you, then you may lose this under a new upgrade.

I would do your homework, and look carefully into the new terms and conditions of the word 'Unlimited Data Use' in new contracts, as most of them on all Networks have changed in the last 24 months.

As you say, if your on an old plan, and its working for you and at 4G speeds as well, then might be be worth sticking with it for the sake of a few quid a month, at least that way it will be the devil you know until another deal comes along. 

[Taxi_Driver]

I pay around £40 month on three. Contract has also ended. Need to give them some grief I think!

I pay about £26 per month with 3 at the moment and get their 'all you can eat' data allowance which I need, as I gobbled up about 18GB last month.    When I went in to see about getting my phone fixed they really didn't want to know, so if I can get an unlimited internet deal elsewhere that's where I'm headed! 

Im on giffgaff and im allowed to tether as im on a capped data allowance, when its gone it gone, unless I buy more. If you were on a unlimited data plan with giffgaff (tethering isn't allowed on unlimited) and you went through that much data in a month, they would take a careful look at your usage and if they decided you were tethering....they pull the plug....simples....hth 

[TheBoy]

I've moved all but the carphone away from Giffgaff.

3G coverage (as per O2) is utterly shockingly bad, and I doubt they will invest in that now.

Data throughput was next to useless for most of last year. 2G, forget even trying, 3G gave about a 33% success rate. Rumour, but never confirmed, is they have a very low priority on O2's network for data.

Tesco Mobile (an O2 MVNO) and O2 direct gave much better data throughput, but still relatively poor compared to likes of Three and EE.  In fact, on a good day, O2's 4G often lags behind 3's 3G for throughput.

[TheBoy]

Fantastic call and text coverage though

[zirk]

I've moved all but the carphone away from Giffgaff.

3G coverage (as per O2) is utterly shockingly bad, and I doubt they will invest in that now.

Data throughput was next to useless for most of last year. 2G, forget even trying, 3G gave about a 33% success rate. Rumour, but never confirmed, is they have a very low priority on O2's network for data.

Tesco Mobile (an O2 MVNO) and O2 direct gave much better data throughput, but still relatively poor compared to likes of Three and EE.  In fact, on a good day, O2's 4G often lags behind 3's 3G for throughput.

I hate to admit this, as Im not an EE fan (due to the fact the shafted most of the Orange and T Mobile Channels around here and nicked them for EE use), but was given a couple of 200Gb Voice Data EE Sims to play with and I hammered them to death, outcome was they really have up'd the anti in terms of Signal Strength, Voice Quality and High Data Through Put, so much so there now seem to offer a better Network than the Voda and O2 in London and the South East.   

[Taxi_Driver]

I've moved all but the carphone away from Giffgaff.

3G coverage (as per O2) is utterly shockingly bad, and I doubt they will invest in that now.

Data throughput was next to useless for most of last year. 2G, forget even trying, 3G gave about a 33% success rate. Rumour, but never confirmed, is they have a very low priority on O2's network for data.

Tesco Mobile (an O2 MVNO) and O2 direct gave much better data throughput, but still relatively poor compared to likes of Three and EE.  In fact, on a good day, O2's 4G often lags behind 3's 3G for throughput.

Must depend where you live I guess, my iphone4 rarely says anything other than 3G. Also I think its also dependant on the phone you have. I believe a certain member on here from the Reading area, complained that getting 3G coverage when travelling down the M4 was impossible....my Iphone always gets 3G on the M4 from Bristol to Heathrow. I use Google maps for satnav on my Iphone for pickups outside Swindon and I don't know where im going....only once or twice has it said carnt connect to server....and ive had signal....but just not quick enough for the google app....

[omegod]

I got my daughter an unlimited everything one from Virgin at £16 per month, both mine and SWMBO's Voda contracts end next month and will be switched to virgin