So I’ve been testing the 3 Mobile Broadband service this week, courtesy of the guys at 3Mobilebuzz… This is a long review, but the upshot is: 3 dongle not as good on trains as Vodafone, but 3 = mobile hero and has better contracts.
Blogging for me is something that squeezed into small, spare moments of the day. A bit of reading here, a bit of writing there, an edit and a… publish… lovely. So mobile internet access really does help the whole blogging thing along. And besides, it is a joy to use otherwise potentially boring waiting or travellig time to get stuck into a bit of blogging.
Because of the lack of free Wifi in the UK, an HSDPA dongle with unlimited data is not a bad idea for the road warrior or mobile blogger.
I’ve been using mobile internet in one form or another since BT Cellnet committed one of the greatest over-sells in the not-so-proud history of hyped up tech marketing: surf the BT Cellnet. The WAP reality was far removed from the promise…
Recently I got a Vodafone HSDPA dongle (great name, don’t lose it mobile industry), which was a leap forward in speed and design. They are so much more reliable, carry their own software which kind of installs itself when you plug them in and the speeds are similar – a lot of the time – to a basic home broadband pipe (actually quite incredible when you think of it).
The 3 version is an HSDPA stick modem from Huwawei does the same job, and is newer. Offered the chance to test I was very pleased to do so. Vodafone trampled over my respect for them a little in my dealings with their consumer handset business in recent months so I was up for trying an alternative.
3’s a company I’ve liked the approach of recently too. Not least for their aggressive plays with fixed-price mobile broadband, which has really moved the whole market forward (I can’t believe the industry pretended that a per MB pricing model was realistic for so long).
So I took the 3 dongle into the most demanding testing environment I know for any mobile technology: the Hove to London trainline. I love the train for working – and this hour long trip is perfect getting things done time.
- Testing it first off with reading feeds… Google Reader – I use Google Reader as opposed to an offline editor so having mobile internet’s helpful even with the Google Gears offline function to let me read the text-only version offline.
- The 3 device doesn’t seem to be as quick off the mark on the train to get me connected as the Vodafone one. This is definitely a point against. Fiddling for a few mins is a frustration and a real waste of time. You have to be able to get online immeidately to get into workflow otherwise all you’re really doing on the train is mucking about on the computer and getting a bit stressed.
- Anyway – passing Hassocks (10 minutes into the journey) and I still had no connection. Not being a professional reviewer I’m considering getting my Voda dongle out about now. But a reconnect of the Dongle and moments later we’re away.
- I carry out a speed test at Haywards Heath – there’s a good 3G connection here usually.
- Pretty good, my friend…
- And then it disconnects… This doesn’t happen very often with the Voda dongle on this journey.
- 26 mins into the journey and we’re disconnecting again – why is it doing this? Why not just reconnect next time it gets a chance?
- Annoying…
- Fiddly to reconnect so far. Still dropping.
- If I had moved from Vodafone to this I would be annoyed. Really annoyed. Voda may have mucked me around on my personal mobile, but they are still the most reliable network, so they’re going to remain number one for me.
- Wasting precious train time. Reconnecting. No carrier. Now it needs my password. Now it is connected as I pass Gatwick. Groo…
- Sod this – getting my Voda dongle out.
I’m really not interested in brands when it comes to my mobile services. Despite the far too much money poured into ads trying the express the brand essence, I am interested in the experience of using the device and the network and the data connection and the customer service.
At the moment, though I’ve a lot of goodwill towards 3 – for its disrupting effect on proicing, its embrace of Skype and things that customers actually want – if I was about to buy mobile devices and contracts I would reluctantly head for the red of a Vodafone store.
So on balance so far, Vodafone have the edge if you’re a fast-moving (train bound) road warrior. If you’re more likely to be hopping from cafe to hotel lobby to wherever, 3 may be the one for you as the contracts look a lot better at first glance.
The 3 guys asked me to link to their mobile broadband price plan. Like the rest of the market they are offering a free dongle and £15 a month for a 3GB a month limit, or £25 for 7GB. There’s also a light option at £10 for 1GB, which may actually suit some people more. I’m
However, with 3 you can opt for 12 month contract, which seems more sensible than the 24 months demanded by Vodafone, T-Mobile and Orange demand.
After Vodafone sold me a dodgy bit of Nokia kit and then downgraded me when we both agreed they’d sold me a lemon in the first place, I’m now serving out an 18 month contract with a phone that’s not up to the job I bought it for. It’s an expensive mistake and one I’m keen not to repeat.
Shorter contracts = better.
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