3 Broadband

3's latest mobile broadband deals offer tremendous value for broadband on the move. Plans start from just £10 a month

Special offer! Get free, next day delivery on all online orders

In this section

• 3 online shop
• 3 packages
• 3 awards
• 3 features
• 3 news

Services

Services

• Mobile broadband
• Free laptop
• Support
• Mac compatible
• Free connection
• Mobile phone
• Pay as you go
• Webspace
• calls

Company history

Company history

3 started life as Hutchinson 3G in 1990 and, at the time, it was one of only a handful of companies given the license to run third generation wireless services. These services used revolutionary technology which allowed for the transmission of polyphonic ring tones and photographs from mobile to mobile. Since then 3 has led the way in pioneering mobile technology and it introduced the first video mobile network in the UK in 2003.

The 3 network now has over 10 million customers and extends over 8 countries including Australia and Hong Kong, in the UK alone its customer base stands at 3.5 million.

3 has now branched out to mobile broadband, the newest telecommunication venture which unites broadband and mobile technologies to bring you broadband on your laptop anywhere that has mobile network coverage. So with 3’s 99% call coverage this is the broadband freedom you’ve been waiting for.

Customer service

Customer service

Expect great service typical of 3. Calls answered promptly, customer service emails answered succinctly with your queries answered in full. As a progressive company, 3 offer new ways to get in touch with online support, 24 hour phone lines and email help whenever you need it.

Equipment

Equipment

The free 3 mobile USB modem slots straight into your computer to help you get mobile broadband surfing in minutes.

Software features

Software features

Installation software comes with the 3 mobile broadband package. 3 have promised to develop their mobile broadband products further and future support and software upgrades are and will be available.

3 news

• 3 happy with appointment by Irish government
  1st December 2008
  The chief executive of 3 has expressed his delight with the broadband contract handed out to the...
• 3 subscriber flags up incomprehensive coverage
  17th November 2008
  A contract holder with mobile broadband provider 3 has been forced to cancel his contract after...
• 3 makes mobile broadband business offering
  3rd November 2008
  Mobile broadband provider 3 has unveiled a package aimed at small-to-medium enterprises...
• 3 mobile broadband network disrupted
  28th October 2008
  Mobile broadband customers belonging to 3 have been offered two months free rental after the...
• 3 scoops four broadband gongs
  15th October 2008
  3 has scooped four prizes at the Broadband Expert 2008 Mobile Broadband Awards. The...
• 3 to launch mobile broadband router
  14th October 2008
  A wireless router which allows up to four people to connect to the internet using mobile...

Customer reviews

• This is the fastest ADSL service I've ever had - BT say I can get 500k max on my line, so I switched to O2 and I now get 2.5 meg and sometimes over that.

  chris, 24th November 2008

• Virgin are terrible and a waste of money. The current advertised price of 2Mb b/band with phone line is £9.00 per month for b/band then £11 per month for the phone line which should come to £20. So why have I just been charged £18 for the b/band plus the cost of the phoneline?! This isn't just a one off either, I have been overcharged 6 times since January 08! I think they hope people wont notice and just pay the extra. I was previously on the 20Mb b/band package and it was very slow. What a con. I am taking my business elsewhere.

  Louise Wilson, 23th November 2008

• I just did a speed test on my new mobile broadband. I got 0.12Mb. It takes about 30s to load a web page, and it won't play Youtube videos without buffering every few seconds. I have a signal strength of 3 out of 10 bars, so maybe that's the problem. I have a 3 mobile too, and their signal coverage is far from good, so I imagine it's slow most places. I think I'll be sending mine back.

  Matt, 08th November 2008

• Unbelievably bad. No faster than dial-up, and less reliable. My friends are astonished by just how dreadful my 3 mobile broadband service is. Avoid at all costs. I hope 3 mobile goes out of business. Companies like this are a disgrace. To associate this product with broadband is ridiculous - but who would buy this junk if these liars actually told the truth?

  Mike, 04th November 2008

• This has got to be the best service ever! Is what I thought first hand. I'm a student and at 17 I cannot get a hard wired sytem. Mobile broaband is the only choice for me. For the first few weeks it was great, no trouble. Now; every other web page I click it disconects. What a waste of money, DON'T BUY THIS.

  Adam, 29th October 2008

• I wish I'd never bought it, I'm tied to paying for an 18 month contract and 60% off the time it won't even connect. On the rare occasion it does it's slower than dial-up. Absolutely appalling!!!!

  Melissa, 03rd October 2008

• Is a bit of a joke. I can't even get gmail to load 90% of the time. It is slower than dial-up on average, which at least provides a minimum service at worst. I live in London in a 'turbo' zone.

  Laurence, 14th September 2008

• I sympathize with Ritam: you are not alone! Careful you don't spend the 18 month contract on the 0870 number to technical support. I wish I'd never heard of 3, let alone signed up. In short, it's theft: they take your money and don't provide a service; the smug 3 executives are creaming it in at our expense. Try Orange next time.

  Richard Egerton, 12th September 2008

• By far the best mobile broadband package out there - the dongle goes very nicely with my macbook pro.

  Tim , 10th September 2008

• I live in Ireland, yes 3 is as bad here.

  It runs reasonably fast when you sign up then slows after a few months.

  I have called them and emailed them getting no answers to emails.

  Don, 09th September 2008

• 3's download speed is not quick enough.

  PETER J SMITH snr, 14th August 2008

• Really disappointed. My 3 broadband never works. They did not let me return it within the 14 day period and said they would repair it. Now that I have missed the 14 day mark they want me to pay the entire 18 month contract cost for something that doesn't work. In my eyes, they are effectively cheating their customers.

  Ritam Gandhi, 06th August 2008

• When I first got 3 mobile broadband I got consistent speeds of 1Mb I don't know what changed because now my signal is at between 0 to 200kbps. Whenever I try to download a file my signal stops. I can only assume that 3 is throttling my broadband for using peer networks. I'm on a pay-as-you-go broadband plan - I pay for my allowance and I expect to be able to use it.

  tom, 23th June 2008

• It's rubbish, the connection is slower then dial-up, it disconnects, there is never a signal and customer service is awful.

  I am tangled up in a 2 year contract paying money for an internet connection that works well once a month.

  milo, 20th June 2008

• My wife and I are working in Italy. So we decided to get 3 broadband, the dealer promised that we have full receptionin Italy, this made our desicion easy. This was a big mistake as there's no reception where we are.

  michael mueller (Letchworth exchange), 26th May 2008

• Over two weeks I only averaged 400kbps from 3 Mobile even with a full strength signal and the speed frequently dropped to zero.

  If you buy a dongle from any ISP my advice is to check the speed immediately so that you can return it if you're not satisfied.

  Tony Braime, 29th April 2008

• Absolutely rubbish, waste of money! Customer services are absolutely no help! DON'T GET THIS SERVICE!

  paula waumsley (Grimsby exchange), 22th April 2008

• I've had lots of problems with the service disconnecting/not being able to connect.  Also, download speed varies considerably and it's never gone over 120 Kbps. I'm not impressed - not a happy customer.

  Peter Burns, 21th April 2008

• I am a Photographer and need a brodband service I can trust. I am in Scotland on a photography trip and the dongle doesn't work.

  Broadband on the move is not a broadband anywhere. All I am getting is a white flashing light and a steady white light saying I am signed on when I am not.

  Frank Middleton (Trowbridge exchange), 14th April 2008

• 3 broadband is a rip-off, I have had it for a month now and my first bill came in at £100. I'm disgusted with them and I can't cancel my contract.

  clint stanners (Torquay exchange), 08th April 2008

• I upgraded my 3 package on the 1st April and I haven't had one single problem. The connection and speed are fine. I would recommend 3 mobile I'm very happy with it.

  Thank you 3 yippee.

  paul chiocchi (Cressington exchange), 07th April 2008

• 3 broadband is disgusting, I've had nothing but trouble from day 1! I was put on the wrong broadband & still charged, bills aren't being taken from my bank properly! I'm always being charged too much! It constantly disconnects!!! Customer services never answer the phone, I'm on there for at least 40 minutes at a time and when I do get through I can't understand them! It feels like you can't get any help from 3 at all!

  sarah wood (Castle Bromwich exchange), 29th March 2008

• I signed up and received a dongle a few weeks ago, I set it up but have never been able 2 use it. I have phoned on many occasions just to get passed from pillar 2 post, HELP!!!!!

  anita (Peterborough Central exchange), 23th March 2008

• The service is very inconsistent. I live in Marble Arch and the connection and speeds are quite poor. I get timed-out frequently especially when the weather's bad and on Sundays when it's busy. I will not renew this service in 11 months time if it does not improve.

  SC (Marylebone exchange), 21th March 2008

• The service is terrible. I am keeping a diary of lost connections and poor performance so that I can terminate the agreement ASAP. It is mpossible to use between 19:00 and 22:00 regularly, and often poor at other times too. When it works it is fine. It just does not work at the right times for me! Avoid.

  Spoonhunter (Hove exchange), 12th March 2008

• This has been excellent for me - so much better than a poor dial-up connection.

  freddie, 07th March 2008

• I have had 3 broadband for a few weeks it was ok to start with but now I keep losing the connection. It's useless and I'm realy unhappy that I'm payin for something that I can not use. If it is not fixed soon I'm going to see what I can do to terminate my contract and get a refund on any moneys I've payed.

  thomas lee (Blackburn exchange), 06th January 2008

• This is rubbish - unless you're in a very strong signal area don't bother. Only had it a couple of weeks and I'm sick to death of losing the connection half way through whatever I'm doIng and having to wait for reconnection before I start all over again - fast Broadband? I don't think so. It's a complete pain. Unless you really need on the move internet access stick with a hard wired system.

  Trevor Craddy (Leeds exchange), 18th December 2007

• What more needs saying, broadband access pretty much anywhere you go, this little device has been excellent, I don't know how I coped without it now!

  Neil Windsor, 26th October 2007

• 3 mobile broadband has been great for me. Broadband on the move without any fuss. when I moved house I had nothing to do! Awesome.

  Rich Dawson, 22th October 2007