Guest Confucious Posted August 20, 2006 Report Share Posted August 20, 2006 Ok, now I've finally read this read thread from start to finish and can confidently say I am more confused than before I started. From what I gather, there are two types of unlimited data packages: 1. A bolt on for the expensive animal packages that appears to be unlimited off-peak only 2. The mysterious 8 squid a month package that may or may not expire at the beginning of September and may or may not cover GPRS/3G usage. So where does that leave us? Square one. I'm sick of Orange. They don't deserve my money... I think you've summed it up quitenicely :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest NikLP Posted August 20, 2006 Report Share Posted August 20, 2006 I think you've summed it up quitenicely :D Yup that's about yer lot! Best bet is do what the others (and myself) have done and keep phoning retentions every day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Confucious Posted August 20, 2006 Report Share Posted August 20, 2006 (edited) Yup that's about yer lot! Best bet is do what the others (and myself) have done and keep phoning retentions every day. Or, if you want cheap data, just go to T :D Edited August 20, 2006 by Confucious Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jimbouk Posted August 20, 2006 Report Share Posted August 20, 2006 The only correction I would suggest is that some people have been told that the panther 75 isn't offpeak data only and that the orange world unlimited 8 quid bundle has now been offered to about six or seven of us...with verbal confirmation that its for the life of the contract...and that Voda are entering the fray in a week or so with their new tariffs and data bundles... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MARKUKCOUK Posted August 20, 2006 Report Share Posted August 20, 2006 Or, if you want cheap data, just go to T :D ...and suffer piss poor 3g coverage, and slow GPRS if you're lucky. I'll stick with Orange all the same Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest spacerace Posted August 20, 2006 Report Share Posted August 20, 2006 ...and suffer piss poor 3g coverage, and slow GPRS if you're lucky. I'll stick with Orange all the same I have to agree - I have Voice/Data tariffs with Orange and Vodafone, and a Data Only tariff with T-Mobile using their laptop card. Where I live, and the area I go to work in, I get good 3G signal on both Orange and Vodafone, but GPRS only with T-Mobile. Their 3G coverage is simply not as extensive in comparison with other networks. I for one am trying for the Orange service rather than switching as I would rather have usable 3G coverage, even if it costs a bit more. If I can get the Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Confucious Posted August 21, 2006 Report Share Posted August 21, 2006 I'm sure there are some areas where T has poor coverage just as there are ome areas where O has poor coverage. I've found T's coverage to be at least as good, if not better than Os in the areas I visit. For those of you that can't get T coverage, I guess you'll just have to keep playing the O lottery! Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MARKUKCOUK Posted August 21, 2006 Report Share Posted August 21, 2006 I'm sure there are some areas where T has poor coverage just as there are ome areas where O has poor coverage. I've found T's coverage to be at least as good, if not better than Os in the areas I visit. For those of you that can't get T coverage, I guess you'll just have to keep playing the O lottery! Good luck. Since there are some blatent T-Mobile fanboys on here these days, who seem to suffer the same problems as other groups of fanboys, such as distinguishing reality from hope, I've decided to become an Orange fanboy. Orange are great. Oh and the CS lottery is getting better odds - more and more people have heard of it :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Confucious Posted August 21, 2006 Report Share Posted August 21, 2006 hehe I have no particular loyalty to anyone but for me T's unlimited data and prices just make them a bargain for me. If you can find a deal trhat's better for you then great. But I have no probs with T. Good Luck Orange Fanboy :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest paul1664 Posted August 21, 2006 Report Share Posted August 21, 2006 Okay... just spoke to retentions re. upgrading to 3100 with unlimited data (ie. threatening to move to TMob!) Basically... if I keep my current talk plan (Talk 120 @ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest NikLP Posted August 21, 2006 Report Share Posted August 21, 2006 Push until they push back! :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rickwookie Posted August 21, 2006 Report Share Posted August 21, 2006 (edited) Since there are some blatent T-Mobile fanboys on here these days, who seem to suffer the same problems as other groups of fanboys, such as distinguishing reality from hope, I've decided to become an Orange fanboy. Orange are great. Oh and the CS lottery is getting better odds - more and more people have heard of it :D Why exactly are you such an Orange fanboy? I have pretty much zero orange signal at work but full signal at home. So far I've manged to get HSDPA in both locations on T-Mobile. That's just the way mobile coverage is in the UK. Have you tried for a T-Mobile signal in so many locations in the country that you can say unreservedly that there's no hope of getting a reliable signal? I really don't understand your position. Let people see for themselves if they get a decent signal. I've just ditched Orange after a long time being their 'fanboy'. The reason I was with them was certainly not for the quality of their signal/coverage. And now T-Mobile has made me a better offer and taken the lead in offering a decent flat-rate data package, and so far I can't complain about the signal. Give them a break. Edited August 21, 2006 by rickwookie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jimbouk Posted August 21, 2006 Report Share Posted August 21, 2006 I think the Orange supporting posts were more a response to some of the "why on earth are any of you still with O" posts. Whilst I agree that coverage for all of the networks varies all over the UK and thus its impossible to state which network is better, I have been with O for about 12 years and the only times I have had issues was with dodgy handsets, ie some come out with less transcieve power than others. Historically (ten years ago), if you were in an area that O covered, its coverage was significantly better than the other networks. I think as they rolled out 3G, they cut back on investment in their 2G network and it started to show. Conversely once their 3G network was "completed" the signal strength was second to none. There have been a number of posts on here and elsewhere commenting that T's 3G coverage isnt as good. I have no scientific basis for my comments here - purely what I have heard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Confucious Posted August 21, 2006 Report Share Posted August 21, 2006 Rick, give him a break! He can't get T reception so is stuck with O Don't take life so seriously, I'm sure he doesn't :D Without reception it doesn't matter how cheap a deal is....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Pondrew Posted August 21, 2006 Report Share Posted August 21, 2006 Without reception it doesn't matter how cheap a deal is....... Unfortunately so. Which is why I'm now with O2 even though they're not the best value in any way shape or form! Orange have no signal where I live and T-Mobile's wasn't quite good enough either. Certainly not compared to the five bars I get on O2. Now I wonder why they have full signal where all the others struggle to get three bars... :D Truly shocked tho as just been told by O2 Business customer service that there is no way to get my remaining minutes online nor from any automated service. Apparently I can speak to a customer services bod but even then I've been told it could be upto 2days out of date! T-Mobile provide upto the hour online info and even Orange provide a figure (which admittedly often seems a day behind). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MARKUKCOUK Posted August 21, 2006 Report Share Posted August 21, 2006 (edited) Why exactly are you such an Orange fanboy? I have pretty much zero orange signal at work but full signal at home. So far I've manged to get HSDAP in both locations on T-Mobile. That's just the way mobile coverage is in the UK. Have you tried for a T-Mobile signal in so many locations in the country that you can say unreservedly that there's no hope of getting a reliable signal? I really don't understand your position. Let people see for themselves if they get a decent signal. I've just ditched Orange after a long time being their 'fanboy'. The reason I was with them was certainly not for the quality of their signal/coverage. And now T-Mobile has made me a better offer and taken the lead in offering a decent flat-rate data package, and so far I can't complain about the signal. Give them a break. Are you american? Anyway.. I do firmly believe that overall Orange is a more mature and stable "product" - but then again, it SHOULD be. I can't condone the price hikes or the lack of proper data tariffs, but as someone else said, its more an arguement against the Tmobile fanatics because Tmobile ISN'T the answer to everything. For the record, in my house, TMobile has the best 2g signal, but as soon as I'm outside, tmobile starts to flake out in calls, whereas orange is stable. Weirdly as well, 3G Orange seems a lot more stable in my house than Orange does on my C600 - Can someone confirm if this is possible, or if its in my head! Edited August 21, 2006 by MARKUKCOUK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rickwookie Posted August 21, 2006 Report Share Posted August 21, 2006 Are you american? Anyway.. I do firmly believe that overall Orange is a more mature and stable "product" - but then again, it SHOULD be. I can't condone the price hikes or the lack of proper data tariffs, but as someone else said, its more an arguement against the Tmobile fanatics because Tmobile ISN'T the answer to everything. For the record, in my house, TMobile has the best 2g signal, but as soon as I'm outside, tmobile starts to flake out in calls, whereas orange is stable. Weirdly as well, 3G Orange seems a lot more stable in my house than Orange does on my C600 - Can someone confirm if this is possible, or if its in my head! Don't get the american reference. :D Anyway, it's sad that there's no real solution to this problem. For anyone traveling about a fair bit (or just walking outside their house in some cases :D ) there's no network that covers it all. I think Orange do claim to have the best 3G network in the country, which makes it all the sadder that they haven't enabled HSDPA yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jimbouk Posted August 21, 2006 Report Share Posted August 21, 2006 It is completely possible to get different signal strength between two identical models and even more likely that you will get very different signal strengths between 3g and 2g in the same location with the same network. As I understand it, the networks are investing in their 3G infrastructure and limiting expenditure on their 2g network (simply maintaining the gsm masts rather than installing new ones). Which is what I would do, if I'd spent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rickwookie Posted August 21, 2006 Report Share Posted August 21, 2006 Which is what I would do, if I'd spent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MARKUKCOUK Posted August 21, 2006 Report Share Posted August 21, 2006 It is completely possible to get different signal strength between two identical models and even more likely that you will get very different signal strengths between 3g and 2g in the same location with the same network. As I understand it, the networks are investing in their 3G infrastructure and limiting expenditure on their 2g network (simply maintaining the gsm masts rather than installing new ones). Which is what I would do, if I'd spent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jimbouk Posted August 21, 2006 Report Share Posted August 21, 2006 I wonder if they'll all be a bit more cautious this time around with the bidding for the 4G licences? I suppose they don't really have a choice. The next round of radio licences are not expected to get anywhere close to the money raised at 3G. The networks are getting together and even asking Oftel if they can have 4g licences for free as they paid billions for a 3g one. Although Voda are trying to avoid it, the other networks have already written off huge amounts of the 3g bids on their books. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest StGeorge Posted August 21, 2006 Report Share Posted August 21, 2006 Well after following this thread (or at least trying to!) for the last x days, I have now phoned Orange 3 times to try and get a similar deal to those above along with the alleged Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jimbouk Posted August 21, 2006 Report Share Posted August 21, 2006 You have come up against their rules. These rules are set by O to meet their aims and have to be based on the majority of clients. So it sometimes seems a little weird in individual cases. I can see them wanting to get you onto a Panther plan. You say "no incentives" on the legacy premier plan". Do you mean no included texts or whatever? Surely that would be because they have decided not to improve the deal on legacy plans in order to move people on to new plans? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest StGeorge Posted August 21, 2006 Report Share Posted August 21, 2006 You have come up against their rules. These rules are set by O to meet their aims and have to be based on the majority of clients. The problem does seem that they are not applied in the same way and depending who you speak to you may or may not get a favourable response. If there was not a chance of a deal then I would gladly jump ship but while others are getting offered a package I would be more than happy with (not to mention with the nicer phone) it is just frustrating! I can see them wanting to get you onto a Panther plan. You say "no incentives" on the legacy premier plan". They basically presented me too options - 1) Stay on the Premier plan and I would have the OWU + 400 minutes for Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Saif Posted August 21, 2006 Report Share Posted August 21, 2006 The problem does seem that they are not applied in the same way and depending who you speak to you may or may not get a favourable response. If there was not a chance of a deal then I would gladly jump ship but while others are getting offered a package I would be more than happy with (not to mention with the nicer phone) it is just frustrating! They basically presented me too options - 1) Stay on the Premier plan and I would have the OWU + 400 minutes for Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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