Hi, 3 4G Broadband is now unusable.

[Maurice24]

Hi, 

My Three mobile broadband has become unusable since the start of January this year. Right now I'm getting 0.4Mbps Downloads and 0.08Mbps upload. is so bad right now, I cannot even sent basic emails for work. 

I'm in direct line of sight of the 3 mast, just over two km away with no obstructions. 

To confirm, This is not a router issue, the router has been done to death. I also have a Three package with my phone, the same story there, the 4G on by phone has also dropped off a cliff since January. 

I have contacted customer support several times, including phoning and using the online chat. I have been told my case has been escalated and I will be updated, but when I contact again for an update there is no record. This has happened several times sense the start of the month. I was on the customer support again today and the same story, they had no record of my previous issues.  What information I get is that " 4G service is partially down" in you area as there is an "issue" with the mast and switch to 3G instead. 3g is no better. 

I'm not looking for super fast speeds, not complaining cause I can't get  YouTube or Netflix, I simply need some basic level of broadband so I can work form home and use seesaw to upload homework for the kids. It is maddening to pay for something and actually not get a service. 

can you confirm that there is a issue with the mast in my area and actually give me some indication of when it will be fixed. the reason I'm frustrated is simple, if I can't work form home, I cant work period. 

thanks in advance

[Three_Deborah]

@Maurice24 I appreciate the level of detail you've given here. And thanks a million for sharing your experience with online chat/messaging. I assure you that we will note your contact with Community on your account 👌

In relation to the dips in speeds in your area, it does sound like that the mast in your area is being worked on and there's extra traffic on our 3G bandwidth because of this. I'd like to reach out to our tech team and see if there is a fix in place for the near future and any other info that could be useful here.

Can you pop me a PM with your personal details - full name, broadband number, may as well include your mobile number too, I need your address and date of birth. Our aim is to do our best to keep you connected 💪

[Vin_C]

I have exactly the same problem.
There were times last year when I could get 30-50 Mbps but mostly this month at best I am getting 1-2 Mbps but right now - and for most of this week - I'm getting 0.49 Mbps.
There is no point in having 'unlimited' internet at these speeds so I shall be looking at other providers.

[Vin_C]

I empathise  with you Maurice24... since writing my earlier comment my download speed has dropped to 0.14 Mbps 😞

[Three_Deborah]

@Maurice24 I've checked the local mast in your area of Castleisland, and you mentioned yourself, there are reports of alarms regarding the 4G signal. I'm sending your details that you send in PM to the relevant team 👍 If you know anyone else experiencing this in your area, let them know to comment here and I'll see them 💪

@Vin_C Are you in Castleisland too? Had you previously been on to Customer Care and done some troubleshooting? Let me know if you're experiencing this on your phone and/or broadband. We'll go from there then  👌

[Three_Deborah]

@Maurice24 Good morning, I've sent your details as examples in your area. Right now I don't have any updates. But can you let me know how your speeds were over the weekend and were you on 3G only? 

[Vin_C]

For the majority of last year, 2020, I had 'acceptable' to 'good' internet
speeds (sometimes in excess of 50.0 Mbps).

So far this year, 2021, the service has become very frustrating. I live in
the Terryglass area of north Tipperary. My internet speeds were again
unusable over this last weekend. Despite logging 30.0 Mbps on Saturday
morning on Saturday and Sunday evenings the speed was below 1.0 Mbps and
frequently below 0.20 Mbps.

On Sunday afternoon I asked Three.ie support for help and was put on me on
a new service which 'might' improve matters. My mobile router then received
an SMS message:

>>>From Three: Your 24,806.4 MB NATIONAL has been successfully applied to
your account. Allowances will be renewed on next monthly allowance date.<<<

This did not make any difference even after several switches between
4G-only and 3G-only combined with several soft and hard power-cycles.
Average speeds were below 0.50 Mbps.

I contacted Three.ie support again. This time I was told that the solution
was to avail myself of a FREE UPGRADE:

THREE SUPPORT: I'll surely check and help you to get best data speed.

18:48, Jan 31

Vin_C: Thank you

18:48, Jan 31

THREE SUPPORT: You're welcome, I can see that you are eligible for an
upgrade to get a brand new high speed device for free.

18:49, Jan 31

Vin_C: That would be a start to resolving these problems... there is no
point in having 'unlimited' BB at speeds of 0.20 Mbps

18:50, Jan 31

THREE SUPPORT: That will be a new high speed device Huawei B535 which you
are getting for free.

18:50, Jan 31

Vin_C: Last year I regularly got over 10.0 Mbps at any time and often over
20.0 Mbps

18:52, Jan 31

Vin_C: Will that make a difference if I am only getting 0.20 Mbps now???

18:53, Jan 31

THREE SUPPORT: Yes you'll surely get best data speed with new high.

18:53, Jan 31

THREE SUPPORT: device***

18:53, Jan 31

Vin_C: Okay... thank you... how quickly can that be delivered???

18:54, Jan 31

THREE SUPPORT: Once I place an order now, the device will get delivered in
2 working days.

What the agent was slow to point out is that this is not a FREE UPGRADE it
is actually a new 18-month contract with a new router thrown in. I told the
agent that I cannot be tied to an 18-month contract at speeds of 0.20 Mbps
but the agent kept pointing to this webpage...

https://www.three.ie/legal/terms/mobile-network-speeds.html

...which I find thoroughly confusing but the agent would not confirm the
minimum speed that I should expect with this new router.

Coincidently or otherwise, since agreeing to give the new device a 14-day
trial my internet speed with my existing HUAWEI B525 router have shot up to
30.0 Mbps.

I will give the new router a try but in all honesty, I will probably switch
to EIR with their HUAWEI B618 router and a 12-month contract as the FREE
UPGRADE from Three.ie is a sham.

PS: Neither of the two THREE SUPPORT agents even tried to diagnose my
problem!

[Vin_C]

PPS: I have just read the new contact from Three.ie which says that my
"FREE UPGRADE" as offered by the Support Agent is actually a new 24-month
contract 😞

[Maurice24]

Hi Deborah. 

over the weekend, there was a big improvement, on 4G I had anywhere between 2-7Mbps download and upload was around 10mbps. For me Historically, that is normal. 4G on the Phone was about the same.

However, this morning, 4G fell off a cliff. The 4G single is only only two bars on the router an 3 on the phone. The router timed out trying to do speed tests, the best i could get was 0.02Mpbs and 0.03Mps upload. The phone is pretty dismal as well. Switching over to 3G get about 2Mbps down, 1.2Mps up this morning. 

[Maurice24]

Hi Deborah,

Just an update, since morning, 4G on both Phone and Router are dead. 3G is now struggling at 0.5Mbps Download / 2.1Mpbs upload. Not sure if it's a contention Issue. Seems the quality and signal strength  significantly degrades as the day goes on. hopefully the resolution will come soon.