Tag Archives: gprs

Why can’t you access internet on 3 (Three) Mobile without 3G available?

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I love 3 (Three), they are fantastic. Calls and texts are cheap as chips and generally it’s an all round good network.

I have just one bone to pick though. Their 3G coverage in the UK is generally good but in my area there isn’t very much. If you live in a city, it’s a slightly different story as most cities have consistent 3G signal. But I, for one and many others, don’t.

So it becomes a problem when I can only get GPRS and EDGE where I live, as Three restrict access to the Internet so that you can only get to it when you’re in 3G. Try and get to it on 2G or 2.5G, and you’ll just get a timeout when going to an external site (any site other than Planet 3).

It’s a pain in the backside and I’ve made countless calls to Three about not being able to get Internet in 2G, but they won’t do anything about it other than repeatedly sending me Internet settings I already have.

Why can’t they just allow internet access in 2G signals? Is it only me that can’t get internet in 2G? If you are on Three and can get internet access (other than Planet 3) please post a comment so I can contact Three and investigate this further.

It just annoys me… why have mobile Internet if you can’t access it most of the time?

Update: I have recently been able to get internet on a 2G connection which is somewhat strange. It suddenly seemed to start working as soon as 3 introduced the free mobile internet when you top up. Can anyone else now get an internet connection from their phone when they are in 2G, and browse the web?

Is mobile internet usable?

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Well, believe it or not, I’m writing this post through a GPRS connection on my phone which is connected to my laptop. And, although being slightly slow, its OK. I can browse GEEK! absolutely fine and general websites/email is fine. 

I mean I wouldn’t use it for anything durastic, since file download speed on GPRS is a little short of 10kbps which is generally useless. But for light browsing and the odd email, it’s absolutely fine. It’s a shame I don’t get 3G here, because that would be more like 4 times the speed and light downloads might be possible.

I’m not one who regularly uses mobile broadband, only because it means I have to use USB to connect to my phone (don’t have bluetooth on my laptop) and then it drains battery like a rocket. It’s not a rip off since I can pay £1 and have full access (no limit whatsoever) for the whole day. Or I can pay £5 and have the week. I’ve never been told off for downloading excessively and I will use whatever I pay for quite thoroughly.

Do you use the mobile internet regularly? What are those dongles that you plug your SIM into like? I’ve never tried one myself – are they any good?