Disappointing Mobile Broadband Service from “3” UK

On a purely statistically unsubstiated guesstimate, I would say that as a “3” customer I see the image on the right about half the time.

For the past 10 months or so we’ve been subscribed to 3’s mobile broadband service in the UK. And so far, the service pretty much sucks.

I do not know how it compares with other services, but here’s what mobile broadband from 3 means to me:

• The service disconnects itself often enough to piss me off and write about it
• Speeds are atrociously slow despite claims that it should be 2Mbps
• The device hogs battery power horribly: full battery life (5 hrs on new MacBook) goes down to 1.5hrs the moment you plug it in!
• The software that runs it is terribly designed, does not integrate well with Mac OS X, and regularly “resets” it configuration
• The administrative website from 3 “my3.three.co.uk” is regularly down (seems like it can’t cope with traffic, but you’d think 3 can afford a load balancer no?)
• The account data balance (Mbytes) lags hours behind real data usage (which wouldn’t be a big problem but of course, 3 will charge you exorbitant rates the moment you go over the limit… even if you didn’t know because the software doesn’t tell you quickly enough)
• Oh, and coverage sucks (in Aberdeen at least). Hardly ever get more than “1 bar” of reception

Anyway, I’m sure there are people who have completely opposite experiences but that’s mine for what it’s worth. We’re stuck with the contract for another 8 months or so, but don’t think we’ll be renewing!