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Why is so expensive to use the Internet on a PAYG (smart)phone?

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  • 03-01-2012 10:58pm
    #1
    _AVALANCHE_
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,620 ✭✭✭


    I just bought a new phone on O2 Network , it's like €1 for 50MB, pretty much making it unusable, the other Networks are not much better.

    Am I missing something?


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    #2
    dudara
    Registered Users Posts: 33,519 ✭✭✭✭dudara


    Moved to Mobiles & PDAs

    dudara


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    #3
    _AVALANCHE_
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,620 ✭✭✭_AVALANCHE_


    dudara wrote: »
    Moved to Mobiles & PDAs

    dudara
    LOL, I had it ready to submit there, thought about it and changed it to Consumer Issues.:)

    Unless I'm missing something, their is not much point buying anything over a standard Call and Text phone if you want to remain on PAYG.


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    #4
    griffdaddy
    Registered Users Posts: 3,412 ✭✭✭griffdaddy


    _AVALANCHE_ wrote: »
    I just bought a new phone on O2 Network , it's like €1 for 50MB, pretty much making it unusable, the other Networks are not much better.

    Am I missing something?
    Switch to three. Top up with 20 euro. Enjoy all you can eat data.


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    #5
    Davy
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 19,340 CMod ✭✭✭✭Davy


    How much internet do you want to use?

    Other networks have better options for prepay data, depends on how much you want to use. Three have an option for "all you can eat" when you topup by €20 a month. If you have poor coverage thought its not much use to you.

    Something like tesco might suit you better as they use o2 networks so you know you will have coverage, and the data addon is just €6.99 for 1gb but thats not enough for everyone hence my question :)


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    #6
    _AVALANCHE_
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,620 ✭✭✭_AVALANCHE_


    griffdaddy wrote: »
    Switch to three. Top up with 20 euro. Enjoy all you can eat data.
    Davy wrote: »
    How much internet do you want to use?

    Other networks have better options for prepay data, depends on how much you want to use. Three have an option for "all you can eat" when you topup by €20 a month. If you have poor coverage thought its not much use to you.

    Something like tesco might suit you better as they use o2 networks so you know you will have coverage, and the data addon is just €6.99 for 1gb but thats not enough for everyone hence my question :)
    I somehow managed to spend/waste €8 under the covers before I got up for work this morning, hence the Thread, Internet on the phone is not something I'd generally use, due to cost, I knew it was expensive, I got stung before, untill today I've never even looked at what the charges actually were. I'm about as far from a phone junkie as you can get!:p

    I'd looked at Meteor and Vodafone, never thought of 3, Tesco is abit pricey aswell.

    I didn't want to have to change Network though:(, most people I'd call (all ex Meteor Customers fed up saying "Can you hear me?" for the last few years) are on O2 whose service I could never find fault with, unlike some of the other Providers I had tried.

    I was hoping I was overlooking some package or something, I'd like to set the phone up properly with a few useful apps without getting rode financially for just occasional use.

    Is their an app allowance? For whatever data they, I'm assuming, are using in the background when you download them?

    I'll unlock the phone and see what 3 service and call charges are like in the meantime.

    Thanks guys.


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    #7
    Davy
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 19,340 CMod ✭✭✭✭Davy


    _AVALANCHE_ wrote: »
    I didn't want to have to change Network though:(, most people I'd call (all ex Meteor Customers fed up saying "Can you hear me?" for the last few years) are on O2 whose service I could never find fault with, unlike some of the other Providers I had tried.

    I was hoping I was overlooking some package or something, I'd like to set the phone up properly with a few useful apps without getting rode financially for just occasional use.

    Is their an app allowance? For whatever data they, I'm assuming, are using in the background when you download them?

    Well if you dont want to move from o2, and you want to use more than the 50mb a day, you can get the 700mb addon for €9.99 for 30days. Its not a contract or anything, you get it the months you want it. Their is a shortcode to activate/deactivate like text bundles. Its not as cheap as other networks but if you dont want to switch then its your best option. You wont be eating credit without knowing


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    #8
    Gerard93
    Registered Users Posts: 354 ✭✭Gerard93


    Hi OP,
    Try 3G Watchdog, good app for keeping track of your data usage you can set limits etc on it. Also, use wifi as much as possible, switch off your internet when you are not using it.


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    #9
    Testament1
    Registered Users Posts: 1,580 ✭✭✭Testament1


    _AVALANCHE_ wrote: »

    I'll unlock the phone and see what 3 service and call charges are like in the meantime.

    Thanks guys.

    For the 20 euro top up you get all you can eat data, free texts to any network, free 3 to 3 calls, free any network calls at weekends (Saturday and Sunday). Calls to other networks are 29c a minute on weekdays. Best bet would be to get a SIM card with 5 euro credit on it to test out coverage.


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    #10
    Timmaay
    Registered Users Posts: 11,394 ✭✭✭✭Timmaay


    For 20quid a month I get 350mb free with O2 PAYG, not the most generous, but I use my phone for emails/fb every day and rarely hit that limit. I know the three offer is much better value, but I found the three network hopeless, its 3G was crap and where I live has a very poor reception.


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    #11
    machiavellianme
    Registered Users Posts: 12,481 ✭✭✭✭machiavellianme


    Timmaay wrote: »
    For 20quid a month I get 350mb free with O2 PAYG, not the most generous, but I use my phone for emails/fb every day and rarely hit that limit. I know the three offer is much better value, but I found the three network hopeless, its 3G was crap and where I live has a very poor reception.

    What plan is that on or how'd you manage it?


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    #12
    Timmaay
    Registered Users Posts: 11,394 ✭✭✭✭Timmaay


    machiavellianme wrote: »
    What plan is that on or how'd you manage it?

    Hmm I'm just after looking into it properly now ha (I probably should have before, but meh, I've bigger worries in life then 20quid a month on call credit), but anyways they gave it that offer when I ported over to O2, and supposedly its only available to customers who have ported, and the offer only lasts for the 1st 3months, with the usual pay 20quid a month to get the 30days free 350mb.


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    #13
    JTMan
    Registered Users Posts: 5,539 ✭✭✭JTMan


    Timmaay wrote: »
    Hmm I'm just after looking into it properly now ha (I probably should have before, but meh, I've bigger worries in life then 20quid a month on call credit), but anyways they gave it that offer when I ported over to O2, and supposedly its only available to customers who have ported, and the offer only lasts for the 1st 3months, with the usual pay 20quid a month to get the 30days free 350mb.

    Yeah it was a short term promotion for certain customers.

    As the above posters said, 3 is the best deal.


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