Switching Mobile Network (but which one?)

100

Hi,


I am considering a switch from my current network (three) and looking for recommendations.


Originally, I was with Vodafone – both billpay and payg – for around 10 years, then I switched for following reasons:

• The so-called Vodafone Live distorts the mobile experience by injecting their own header/footer so some websites get all messed up (e.g., m.twitter.com)
• Vodafone blocks all VOIP/SIP products
  • Couple of years ago, during a call to Vodafone level2 support for installation of a voip software, the agent told me, and I quote, “Vodafone will block any software that will try to steal the business away from us”
• If above wasn’t enough, the last straw was that once I was charged, on my bill pay account, a 20 min call from Argentina to Tunisia – neither I was in argentina nor I know anyone in tuninsia.
  • Called customer support and the tone was threatening in a way that "you can do whatever you want but there's no mistake in our records!"

I switched to Three because:

• I "heard" that they have better customer support.
• Encouraged Voip software via Skype and other SIP based services
• Not distorting mobile websites (at least I haven’t seen any!)
• Mobile internet speed is “slightly” better than Vodafone

But the switch was short lived and now, I am considering switching from three and here are the reasons:

• Bizarre credit plan (so-called free credit is used at the end and on top it can ONLY be used for voice/text calls within Ireland!!! – confirmed with three support)
• Free credit can’t be used to buy add-ons (what?)
• Free credit can’t be used abroad (probably in three-network countries but I wasn’t there!)
• Only three’s version of Skype works on my Nokia (whereas the one from skype website doesn’t connect!!)
• No MMS outside Ireland or UK (seriously!?)
• A recent trip to USA was worst roaming experience (even worse than Vodafone) – low coverage, dropping signals, very high data roaming

So, I have decided to try O2, for the sole reason that it’s the only “big” and international network left in Ireland, which I haven’t tried.

Given the above reasons, any thoughts on why I should not switch to O2?

Cheers!

bd250110

Unfortunately the free credit is only used for Ireland calls/texts. That is a shame.
HOWEVER, I see absolutely no benefit to going over to o2. They may be a 'big' international network, but their pricing is very uncompdeitive and there are no real benefits to roaming on an o2/telefonica network, like you get with Voda or 3. Even meteor's roaming deals are a lot better than o2.

I know what you mean about USA roaming. It is poor, this is not necessarily 3's fault. The only GSM networks in the USA are AT&T (utter rubbish) and T-Mobile, who are better, but their 3G frequencies do not match European ones I don't know of any phone supplies in Ireland that has those frequencies. Basically, AT&T is the default on 3 - unless you turn 3G off. Verizon, Sprint and others are CDMA networks, totally incompatible with our phones, unfortunately.

If you want to leave 3, Meteor would be a better option, in pretty much every way than o2.

Walkman

Can I just add I have sent mms back to Ireland from: UK, Spain, France, Czech Republic, USA, Italy and Germany and I'm with 3

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Walkman wrote: »

Can I just add I have sent mms back to Ireland from: UK, Spain, France, Czech Republic, USA, Italy and Germany and I'm with 3

This is interesting! Since my attempts to Sweden (where 3 exists!) failed and a talk with customer support confirmed that MMS can only be sent to Ireland/UK - this was just last month!!

On a related note, while i was roaming in Sweden (on Three Sverige), i could sent to MMS to other countries - i tried, Ireland, Poland, Sweden and Spain! - weird!