3 Mobile Broadband USB Modem

The broadband modem offered by 3 works well if there is a decent 3G signal. It also works with Linux, such as the Asus eee. However, it should also work reasonably quickly using GPRS and it does connect but the data transfer is so painfully slow it is useless.
Another point which 3 don't advertise is that if you want to activate it for international roaming, they demand a £150 deposit, repayable after 12 months!! This isn't visible in any of their terms and conditions. Roaming data is charged at £3 per MB, which is rather prohibitive too....

I have been stuck with a 3 mobile broadband contract for the last 6 months. The service is hopelessly unreliable, rarely faster than dial-up, and often struggles to maintain a connection for more than a few seconds (according to 3's website I am in a strong signal area, and they have told me the same on the phone). The useless and frustrating internet service is coupled with some of the worst customer service I have come across. Avoid

I am a new user to 3's mobile broadband but, thankfully, went down the PAYG route initially rather than committing to a contract. Boy!!! How pleased am I that I decided to do this. Their customer service is bad, ......really really bad, with no hint of customer care. The maximum speed in a good coverage area that I have so far achieved is 42kps. On initial set up 3's website was down so I couldn't even activate my voucher as they offer no facility to do this other than online. I wouldn't ever consider using this service on a regular basis and it is just not man enough for the job. Buyer beware.....

You reviewer has been amazingly lucky. I have tried to use my modem in a wide variety of areas and on different computers - rarely reaching dial-up speeds, and often not maintaining a connection - including in areas the website says are 'high speed'.

I notified them in time that I wished to cancel under the terms of the contract, and have since spent over 15 hours talking to the extremely aggressive and rude customer services staff, having to explain the situation repeatedly. The matter has now had to progress to legal action from myself as several months on, they are trying to claim an extortionate cancellation fee.

Appalling.

I can confirm that 3's coverage charts are hopelessly optimistic. Believing that the two locations I'm most likely to want were fine I signed up for 18 months £15 for 5GB and a free Huawei 169G modem. Indoors downstairs at home it wouldn't connect and stay connected at all. Upstairs with the modem dangling out of the window on a cable it did connect just but speeds were abysmal. From the office it connected but was terribly slow.

The one thing I did do before ordering was make sure where I stood if a return was needed - currently this is return within 14 days with no more than 3 consecutive days connected. An information sheet detailing the procedure is included with the modem. I have had no problem getting a returns authorisation so I can send it back. The person I spoke to to get the return underway was polite and efficient. Of course I haven't completed the process yet but I don't forsee any major problem.

Avoid at all costs!

I took out a contract and started using the service in July. During the first month, the network was out for 7 days. This month so far, there's been a network failure for 10 out of 19 days. That, by anyone's standards, is appalling delivery.

Do not be swayed by the low cost or special offers; I'm stuck with 17 months of an 18 month contract remaining for service that's an absolute P.O.S!!!

I bought the 3 dongle about 4 months ago. Thankfully I chose PAYG and wasn't faced with contract obligations. This has been a total wast of time. In 4 months I have successfully accessed the Internet on one occasion for about 5 minutes. I have not been able to get online for the last 3 months or so. This is a complete and utter waste of money. I feel sorry for those who are tied into contracts. Final advice steer clear of this and save your money and stress levels.

AVOID this product at all costs. It may be cheap in theory - but you'll be paying for a service that you NEVER RECEIVE. I've been using this for about 8 months, and - possibly due to increased take-up of the service over that time - the service has massively deteriorated in that time. Well over half the time, it's impossible to connect at all. Days and days will go by without any joy. Then, when it *does* let you connect, the 'line' usually 'drops' within 5 minutes. You will never - EVER - get any further than checking your emails with this service. Actually downloading anything is a literal impossibility. Often, when connected, you can access nothing beyond Three's own webpage (which adds insult to injury, really - since most of that's devoted to lauding the virtues of its mobile broadband service...). The call centre - intended to be a 'helpline' - is in India, and (not wishing to be rude, here) I've not yet spoken to anyone there who speaks coherent English. If this was a tangible product instead of a so-called 'service' - ie., something you could take back to the shop - then Three would have been out of business months ago. It's THAT BAD. If I've made one person save their money and take their custom elsewhere, then I consider this post worthwhile. PLEASE don't sign up - and if you do, don't say you weren't warned.