Best UK network for internet on mobile

[starbuck]

Which network offers the best download packages on mobile.
I don't want mobile broadband, I want to use it on my phone.

I currently am on t-mobile web & walk plus which gives me 3gb per month for about £12 on top of my flext package(gives me £60 usage per month). It lest me do anything except voip(so I can tether my mobile sometimes if I need to, and download as many videos and tunes I want within that limit).

My contract is up and I'm looking round different networks and different phones(like the look of the Xperia 2 coming up).

Is there any network that offers anything similar for roughly the same price.
Vodafone's standard one is 500meg which is nothing really. O2 don't specify a limit but say "fair usage" and don't like you downloading videos etc.

Any suggestions?

My current bills are £35-40 per month for phone and internet so would like something the same or cheaper.

[Spud1]

Well it depends on how well you can negotiate in my experience.

All the networks seem to have at least one price plan which is based on "fair usage" with an estimated cap of 500mb-5gb or so, monthly. These are their "unlimited internet" addons. I currently have that deal with o2, and I think the official cap is something like 1gb a month, but tbh i've used much more than that as I tether my phone to my laptop for internet on the train etc, and do tend to use about 2-3gb a month.

I seem to remember that Orange had a reasonable offering where it was a 1gb per DAY cap, but I think it was on a deal where you paid £1 per day for the internet service..can't quite remember and it doesnt exist anymore i don't think. So i've not really helped you there - possibly worth trying to haggle with TMobile to get them to give you that web 'n 'walk free?

[Bunjiweb]

Having looked at the pdf's available from Ofcom it seems that 3 & Orange have the best spread of 3G/HSDPA speeds, with O2 coming off the worst.

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/radiocomms/i...erage_maps.pdf

Orange's "fair usage" is set at 500meg, don't know about the other providers, but I don't personally use more than this / month by making good use of Wi-Fi hotspots.

Ben

[CrazyMonkey]

I seem to remember that Orange had a reasonable offering where it was a 1gb per DAY cap, but I think it was on a deal where you paid £1 per day for the internet service..can't quite remember and it doesnt exist anymore i don't think. So i've not really helped you there - possibly worth trying to haggle with TMobile to get them to give you that web 'n 'walk free?

They still offer the £1 a day unlimited browsing package. You pay the £1 when you want to browse and then you have unlimited internet for that day. There is most likely a catch somewhere. They always try to con me out of an extra few pounds.

[burn-e86]

o2 do the same by having a default of 87p per day for unlimited browsing, means you don't have to bother with a bolt on. though with some contracts you can select unlimited internet for free ( I think for 35 a month bt i'm not sure) or if you've got a cheaper contract I think it's around 8 quid a month extra

[spoon_]

One thing for sure - Vodafone has the best coverage

Not sure how much you care about that, might be worth looking before buying?

[Biscuit]

u can easily get internet for free with o2 just bargain with them and say u can get it cheaper elsewhere.

I get my internet free on o2 but ihavent been using it much sinse my touch doesnt wortk with my macbook on a BlueTooth PAN

[Betty_Swallocks]

3 has some of the best deals. I get "unlimited" internet as a £5 addon for my contract.

The down side is that their network is so slow as to be virtually unuseable.
Most web pages take several minutes to load, and I just don't bother with anything that is likely to have more than a couple of pictures on it.

The upshot of it is that it is easy for them not to wield the "acceptable use" policy stick because it would be next to impossible to exceed any limits no matter how small they might be.

I won't be staying with 3 when my contract ends.

[Flibb]

I have been with t-mobile for over 2 years now and I use the internet on my touch diamond 2 plus the kaiser before. Push email is always on, I browse then net a fair amount, and use various apps that need internet connection. I did originally look at Orange but when I looked they charged if you went over the 500mb limit, rather than warned like t-mob do. Speed wise I am in the South East and get pretty good connection, in town I get HSDPA, in the villages its 3G, obviously get no data when really out in the countryside.

[Bunjiweb]

One thing for sure - Vodafone has the best coverage

For voice calls maybe but not 3g / hsdpa.

[spoon_]

Something changed recently then? I was always under that impression together with bunch of people... Maybe it just me - everywhere I got Vodafone is brilliant. T-Mobile for example is utter crap.

[Bunjiweb]

have a look at the Ofcom assessment from July, Vodafone is very patchy. Of course it depends where you are, but overall 3 are the best and Orange 2nd...

Ben

[starbuck]

T-mobile should be fine for coverage then when they finally sort themselves out with orange and become one.Think they already share masts don't they?

[j.o.s.h.1408]

Having looked at the pdf's available from Ofcom it seems that 3 & Orange have the best spread of 3G/HSDPA speeds, with O2 coming off the worst.

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/radiocomms/i...erage_maps.pdf

Orange's "fair usage" is set at 500meg, don't know about the other providers, but I don't personally use more than this / month by making good use of Wi-Fi hotspots.

Ben

dont forget Orange and T mobile will merge soon

[starbuck]

Just thinking about that, when orange and t-mobile merge, who's usage limit do you think they'll use as t-mobiles is 1gb at the moment on web & walk, orange's is half that.

[ernestlai]

like the sig starbuck ^_^

personally i think 3's HSPDA SUCKS either that or the N95 8gb is REALLY slow at using the bandwidth. Pages load much slower than my dad's blackberry on vodaphone.