Three UK

Last updated

Hutchison 3G UK Limited
Three UK
Company type Limited company
Industry Telecommunications
Founded3 March 2003;21 years ago (2003-03-03)
Founder Hutchison Whampoa
Headquarters Reading, England [1]
Area served
 United Kingdom
Key people
Robert Finnegan (CEO)
Products
RevenueIncrease2.svg £2,590 million (FY 2023) [2]
Number of employees
4,800 [3]
Parent Three
Website three.co.uk OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

Hutchison 3G UK Limited, trading as Three UK, is a British telecommunications company based in Reading, England. It is an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of CK Hutchison Holdings, a limited liability Cayman Islands company registered and listed in Hong Kong. [4] Three is the fourth-largest mobile network operator in the United Kingdom, with about 10.9 million subscribers as of August 2024. [5]

Contents

The company was launched on 3 March 2003 as the UK's first commercial 100% 3G network. It provides 3G, 4G and 5G services through its own network infrastructure.

In June 2023, it was proposed that Three will merge with Vodafone UK. As of July 2024, the merger is undergoing review by the Competition and Markets Authority.

History

The Three mobile service was launched in the UK on 3 March 2003, [6] with handsets going on sale later that year. Three was the UK's first commercial video mobile (3G) network. [7]

Three was the first network to meet its regulatory requirement of 80% population coverage in the UK, meeting this by 9 December 2004. [8]

A Three store in Royal Tunbridge Wells, England Three UK Store in Tunbridge Wells.jpg
A Three store in Royal Tunbridge Wells, England

Three's first retail shops, called 3Store, opened at the same time as the network launched, on Oxford Street and Kensington High Street, both in London, and at the Birmingham Mailbox. Three also sold handsets, devices and contracts through independent and online retailers at the time. In 2005, Three expanded, and stores opened in larger shopping centres throughout the UK. [9] On 24 October 2006, Three announced that it had purchased 95 high street shops from O2 and The Link. [10]

Three launched SeeMeTV, allowing its customers to submit their own video content that other subscribers could watch. Users would make a small micropayment (the price decided by the video's creator) to watch these videos. The user who created the videos would get paid 10% of the amount of money paid by other users to watch the video. Users were paid once they had accrued £10. [11]

In 2010, Three became the fourth network in the UK to launch the iPhone 4 after O2, Orange and Vodafone. [12]

In July 2014, Three introduced the 3 inTouch app, [13] allowing customers to place calls through a Wi-Fi connection. Three customers can also access the Virgin Wi-Fi network implemented at over 130 London Underground stations. [14]

On 24 March 2015, Three's parent company Hutchison Whampoa announced it intended to acquire the UK operations of rival mobile network O2 for £10.25 billion, subject to regulatory approval. [15] On 11 May 2016, EU commission blocked the deal on the grounds that it would affect competition in the UK market. [16] [17]

In November 2016, three men were arrested after a data breach at the Three mobile network allowed fraudsters to access personal data and steal phones. The company said that while names and addresses were accessed, some financial information might be compromised. Fraudsters were understood to have used authorised login information to order upgraded phones, including iPhone and Samsung handsets, to be sent to customers before intercepting them. Three, which had 9 million customers, said it believed around 400 phones had been stolen. [18]

In early 2020, CEO of Three UK, Dave Dyson, resigned after nine years at the helm. He was replaced by Three Ireland's CEO, Robert Finnegan, who now manages both companies. [19]

Three was the main shirt sponsor of Premier League club Chelsea since the 2020–21 season. [20] [21] On 10 March 2022 Three announced it was ending its sponsorship deal with Chelsea immediately, and asked the club to remove the company's logo from its kits. [22]

On 14 June 2023, it was announced that subject to regulatory approval Vodafone UK and Three UK will merge to create Britain's biggest mobile network, with Vodafone owning 51% and CK Hutchison Holdings owning 49% of the new service. [23] [24] The merger is expected to be finalised before the end of 2024, and would create a group with a combined 27 million mobile customers. [25] As of July 2024, the regulatory approval investigation is ongoing. [26]

Network

In order to provide coverage parity with other networks in the UK, Three initially maintained a national roaming agreement with an established 2G network operator. Initially O2 [27] operated this service for Three customers. However, Orange was selected as the new national roaming partner from 10 May 2006. [27]

In the early period of the 3G network, Orange 2G (acquired by EE in 2010) [28] [29] was adopted in areas as a fallback where 3G wasn't available. In 2010, this 2G fallback coverage began to be removed, meaning older phones that support only 2G lost access to the Three network. [30] From 2013, Three no longer provides a significant 2G fallback for most of the United Kingdom.

On 18 December 2007, T-Mobile and Three launched a 50:50 joint venture called Mobile Broadband Network Limited (MBNL) which aimed to combine both of their 3G networks and provide almost-complete 3G population coverage by the end of 2008. [31] On 12 November 2010, MBNL announced that the network had reached a total of 12,000 combined sites. [32]

In 2022, Three announced its intention to decommission its 3G network by the end of 2024. [33]

4G

Three's 4G Ready logo Three UK 4G Ready Logo.jpg
Three's 4G Ready logo

Three began a limited rollout of 4G LTE services in December 2013 in London, Birmingham, Manchester and Reading, [34] expanding to over a further 450 locations by the end of 2014. [35] [36] In August 2012, Three was given permission to use part of the 1,800  MHz spectrum used by EE's 4G network. [37] In February 2013, Ofcom announced that Three had been awarded 2 x 5 MHz (10 MHz) of 800 MHz to use for 4G. [38] Three planned to launch 4G in the second quarter of 2013 but it delayed the rollout until Q4, saying that it wanted to analyse the performance of other networks' 4G coverage first. [39] The network provides LTE and DC-HSDPA service as a standard feature to all its subscribers using "Ultrafast" to describe both technologies, making it (at the time) the cheapest price for 4G and the only unlimited 4G in the UK. [40] [41] In April 2015, Three announced that VoLTE would be rolled out along with 800 MHz spectrum from September. [42]

Network upgrades

In November 2018, Three UK announced a £2 billion investment programme to support the rollout of 5G across its network. [43] This included the acquisition of spectrum for 5G by buying Relish Broadband [44] to gain 40Mhz of spectrum across the 3.4GHz, 3.6GHz and 3.9GHz bands. Furthermore, it involved the creation of a dark fibre network to connect 20 new data centres, alongside deploying carrier aggregation across 2,500 sites, improving performance on 4G.

Roaming at domestic prices

"Go Roam" countries and territories where Three UK customers can roam at UK domestic prices (2021) Map of Three UK "Go Roam" countries and territories.svg
"Go Roam" countries and territories where Three UK customers can roam at UK domestic prices (2021)

Until 2009, Three subscribers in the UK, Ireland, Austria, Italy, Denmark, Sweden, Hong Kong and Australia could use their service on Three networks around the world for no extra charge with "3 Like Home". [45] The service was relaunched on 30 August 2013 as "Feel At Home" for UK customers visiting Australia, Austria, Denmark, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy and Sweden, where calls, texts and data could be consumed without roaming charges; meaning they cost the same as for communication within the UK. Additional countries were subsequently added to "Feel At Home" including Finland, France, Indonesia, Israel, Macau, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, Sri Lanka, Switzerland and the United States. [46] The service was expanded to a further 24 European countries in September 2016. [47] Three changed the name of its roaming proposition from "Feel at Home" to "Go Roam", which now covers 59 countries and territories since 2017. Three advertises that the service covers "71 destinations" because it counts several countries more than once. For example, Three counts "Ireland" and "Republic of Ireland" as two destinations, counts Åland in addition to Finland, counts two parts of Spain in addition to Spain, counts two parts of Portugal in addition to Portugal, and counts eight parts of France in addition to France. [48] "Go Roam" only covers roaming, and does not include non-roaming services such as international calls made from the UK.

Despite promising to keep EU roaming free of charge, Three UK changed its terms and conditions in September 2021. Customers acquiring new contracts or updates after that date will no longer have "Go Roam" free of charge. This benefit costs £2 per day for roaming in EU countries (except Ireland) and £5 per day when roaming outside the EU. [49] [50]

Frequency allocations

Frequencies used by the Three UK network
FrequencyBandProtocolClass
2,100 MHzB1
n1		 UMTS/HSDPA/HSPA+ [51] /LTE/LTE Advanced
5G NR 		3G/4G/4G+
5G
1,800 MHzB3 LTE/LTE Advanced 4G/4G+
800 MHzB20 LTE/LTE Advanced 4G/4G+
700 MHzB28
n28		 LTE/LTE Advanced
5G NR 		4G/4G+
5G
1,500 MHzB32 LTE Advanced [52] 4G+
3,700 MHzn77 5G NR 5G (unused) [53]
3,500 MHzn78 5G NR 5G

Virtual operators

The Three network is used by a number of mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs).

In May 2015, Currys plc launched its iD Mobile network. [54]

In August 2017, Three UK launched its SMARTY network. [55]

In June 2018, Three UK and its sister company, Superdrug, launched its Superdrug Mobile network. [56]

Merger proposals

In 2015, Three UK proposed a £10.2bn merger with O2 UK, which would reduce the number of UK networks from four to three. [57] The deal would involve O2 owner Telefonica selling O2 UK to CK Hutchson (Three UK's owner) for £10.2bn, [58] and would have created the largest mobile network at the time. However, the plan was quickly blocked by the European Commission as it was expected to drive up prices and reduce competition. [59]

In 2023, Vodafone UK struck a deal with Three UK to merge their UK businesses, subject to approval by the competition regulator. The combined company would have 27 million customers, which would make them the largest mobile network in the UK, surpassing O2's 24 million and EE's 20 million. [23] The deal would give Vodafone Group a 51% stake in the new business, with CK Hutchison owning the remaining 49%. The companies claim that the deal would lead to £11bn of investment into 5G over the next 10 years. [23] [60] Consumer group Which? raised concerns that the merger risked lowering the quality of service and increasing prices due to reduced competition. [23] In March 2024, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) decided that the merger may lessen competition in the United Kingdom, [26] and it was therefore referring the merger to a more detailed 'phase 2' investigation. [26]

SMARTY

In August 2017, Three launched a no frills SIM-only brand called SMARTY to compete against O2's giffgaff [61] and Vodafone's VOXI.

Unlike Three, which offers telephone support, SMARTY instead opted to only offer live chat, community forums and help pages; the live chat service is provided by Three UK customer support teams. [62] Instead of fixing customers into a contract, SMARTY offers a rolling 30-day contract, allowing customers to cancel at any time. They offer free EU roaming and MMS. [63] Furthermore, SMARTY does not complete credit checks, [64] making it an option for people with a poor credit score. Unlike Three, eSIM is not supported on SMARTY. [65]

From 2019 to 2024, SMARTY won a number of Best PAYG Network and Best Value SIM Only awards from comparison service uSwitch. [66] [67] [68] [69] [70]

Awards

In 2010, Three was voted Best Network for Mobile Broadband in a YouGov survey for the second year in a row. [71]

In 2018, Three was awarded Best Network for Roaming and Most Popular Mobile Network at the uSwitch Broadband and Mobile Awards 2018. [72]

In 2019, Three was awarded Best Network for Roaming at the uSwitch Broadband and Mobile Awards 2019. [73]

In 2020, Three was awarded Best Network for Roaming and Most Popular Mobile Network at the uSwitch Broadband and Mobile Awards 2020. [74]

From 2021 to 2024, Three has won four of the six-monthly Speedtest Award for the Fastest 5G Mobile Network. [75] [76] [77] [78]

In 2021, Three was awarded Best Network for Data, Best Network for Roaming, Best SIM Only Network, and Most Popular Mobile Network at the uSwitch Broadband and Mobile Awards. [79]

In 2023, Three was awarded Best Network for Business at the Mobile Industry Awards. [80]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">3G</span> Third generation of wireless mobile telecommunications technology

3G is the third generation of wireless mobile telecommunications technology. It is the upgrade to 2G, 2.5G, GPRS and 2.75G Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution networks, offering faster data transfer, and better voice quality. This network was superseded by 4G, and later by 5G. This network is based on a set of standards used for mobile devices and mobile telecommunications services and networks that comply with the International Mobile Telecommunications-2000 (IMT-2000) specifications set by the International Telecommunication Union. 3G is used in wireless voice telephony, mobile Internet access, fixed wireless Internet access, video calls and mobile TV.

Meteor Mobile Communications Limited was a GSM and UMTS mobile telecommunications company in Ireland. They operated a GSM/GPRS/EDGE/UMTS(HSPA+) and LTE cellular communications network under licence from the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg), and were the third entrant in the market, after Vodafone Ireland and Three Ireland. The company was a wholly owned subsidiary of Irish telecoms network Eir, having been purchased for €420m in 2005. Meteor was the only Irish owned mobile operator in Ireland. Meteor once issued new numbers with the prefix code 085. Since the introduction of full mobile number portability in Ireland, access codes have become less relevant as mobile telephone users may now retain their mobile telephone numbers when moving between mobile network operators. As a result, Meteor customers could have numbers starting with the codes 083, 085, 086, 087, or 089.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vodafone Ireland</span> Irish telecommunication company

Vodafone Ireland Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Vodafone Group, is a mobile phone network, broadband and TV provider in Ireland. It was created when the Vodafone Group bought Eircell, the mobile arm of Telecom Éireann. As of September 2019, Vodafone has 26% of broadband subscribers, and 43% of mobile phone subscribers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">JT Group Limited</span> Bailiwick of Jersey telecommunications company

JT Group Limited is the parent company of several subsidiaries including Jersey Telecom Limited and Wave Telecom Limited. Jersey Telecom is the former monopoly operator in the Bailiwick of Jersey. JT provides telecommunications, Internet access and other services, mostly within the Channel Islands.

Vodafone Limited, trading as Vodafone UK, is a British telecommunications company, owned by Vodafone Group, the world's eighth-largest telecommunications company. Vodafone is the third-largest mobile network operator in the United Kingdom, with 18.5 million subscribers as of July 2024, after O2 and EE, followed by Three. The country's first cellular phone call was made on the Vodafone network in 1985.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tele2</span> Multinational telecommunications company

Tele2 AB is a provider of mobile and fixed connectivity, telephony, data network services, TV, streaming and global Internet of things services, amongst others, to consumers and enterprises. It is headquartered in Kista Science City, Stockholm, Sweden. It is a major mobile network operator in Sweden, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The company initially founded Tele2 Russia, but later sold all its operations, only leasing the use of its brand name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">One NZ</span> Telecommunications company in New Zealand

One New Zealand, is a New Zealand telecommunications company. One NZ is the largest wireless carrier in New Zealand, accounting for 38% of the country's mobile share market in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vodafone Italy</span> Italian telecommunications company

Vodafone Italy is the Italian subsidiary of the UK-based telecommunications company Vodafone Group. The company's headquarters are in Ivrea (TO) and Milan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virgin Mobile (UK)</span> Former mobile phone service provider

Virgin Mobile UK was a mobile phone service provider. The company was launched by Virgin Group and One2One in 1999 as the world's first mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), initially using the One2One network. Virgin Mobile offered contract mobile packages, as well as mobile broadband services. It sold its services directly, as well as through price comparison sites.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">3 (company)</span> Global telecommunications brand

Hutchison 3G Enterprises S.A.R.L., trading as 3 (Three) and Hutchison 3G, is the owner of several originally UMTS-based mobile phone networks and broadband Internet providers, which operate in Hong Kong, Macau, Austria, Denmark, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spark New Zealand Mobile</span> UMTS and LTE mobile network run by Spark New Zealand

The XT Network was a brand name for a UMTS and LTE mobile network run by Spark New Zealand . The network was initially built nationwide on WCDMA/UMTS 850 MHz, with 2100 MHz infill in major urban areas. The UMTS network is HSPA+ enabled, with a maximum downlink transmission rate of 21.1 Mbit/s and an uplink rate of 5.2 Mbit/s attainable for capable hardware. HSPA+ has a theoretical maximum of 56 Mbit/s download speed and 22 Mbit/s upload speed. Then under Spark 4G LTE is being built out. The network is not 2G capable, Telecom never operated a public GSM network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2degrees</span> Telecommunications company in New Zealand

2degrees is a New Zealand full service telecommunications provider. It’s the third-largest wireless carrier in New Zealand, with 1.3 million subscribers as of July 2015. Since launching its mobile network, 2degrees broke up the New Zealand mobile duopoly halving the price of Prepay overnight. 2degrees offers services across mobile, broadband, business and power.

giffgaff British mobile virtual network operator

GiffgaffLimited is an MVNO, marketed as a budget service provider and flanker brand of Telefónica UK. The stylised 'giffgaff' brand was founded by Gav Thompson a former marketing executive for Telefónica UK and was launched online only, on 25 November 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">O2 (UK)</span> British telecommunications provider

Telefonica UK Limited, trading as O2 (stylised as O2), is a British telecommunications services provider, headquartered in Reading, England which operates under the O2 brand. It is owned by VMED O2 UK Limited, a 50:50 joint venture between Telefónica and Liberty Global. O2 is the UK's largest mobile network operator, with 23.8 million subscribers as of July 2024.

EE is a British mobile network operator, internet service provider and a brand of BT Consumer, a division of BT Group. It was established in 2010 and is the second-largest mobile network operator in the United Kingdom, with 21.2 million customers as of September 2022.

3G mobile telephony was relatively slow to be adopted globally. In some instances, 3G networks do not use the same radio frequencies as 2G so mobile operators must build entirely new networks and license entirely new frequencies, especially so to achieve high data transmission rates. Other delays were due to the expenses of upgrading transmission hardware, especially for UMTS, whose deployment required the replacement of most broadcast towers. Due to these issues and difficulties with deployment, many carriers delayed acquisition of these updated capabilities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Three Ireland</span> Telecommunications provider in Ireland

Three Ireland (Hutchison) Limited, commonly known as 3 Ireland or Three Ireland, is a telecommunications and Internet service provider operating in the Republic of Ireland as a subsidiary of CK Hutchison Holdings, operating under the global Three brand. The company launched in July 2005 and provides 2G GSM, 3G UMTS, 4G LTE and 5G NR mobile phone services. Three's former holding company, Hutchison Whampoa, acquired O2 Ireland in June 2013, and the company was fully merged into the operations of Three Ireland in March 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SMARTY</span> UK communications brand

SMARTY is a mobile telephone flanker brand operated by Three UK. It aims to attract customers primarily looking for cheaper deals than those available direct from Three, by offering a monthly rolling SIM-only service, limited to online-only support. On some plans the operator offers to buy back unused data by means of a bill discount, a practice which is not widespread in the UK but is exhibited elsewhere such as by US carrier Ting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vodafone Australia</span> Australian telecommunications brand

Vodafone Australia is an Australian telecommunications brand providing mobile and fixed broadband services. Vodafone’s mobile network covers more than 23 million Australians, and Vodafone has commenced the rollout of its 5G mobile network. Vodafone NBN fixed broadband services are available in capital cities and selected regional centres. Vodafone is the third-largest wireless carrier in Australia, with 5.8 million subscribers as of 2020.

References

  1. ↑ "Office locations". Hutchison 3G UK Limited. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
  2. ↑ "Three UK publish 2023 full year results". www.threemediacentre.co.uk. 21 March 2024. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  3. ↑ "About us". Hutchison 3G UK Limited. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
  4. ↑ "HUTCHISON 3G UK HOLDINGS LIMITED - Filing History" . Retrieved 2 February 2024.
  5. ↑ "Three UK publishes H1 2024 results". www.threemediacentre.co.uk. 15 August 2024. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
  6. ↑ "3G goes live in the UK". BBC News. 3 March 2003. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
  7. ↑ "Three: A network of firsts". Hutchison 3G UK Limited. 19 June 2017. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
  8. ↑ "Three first to hit regulatory requirement for 3G coverage" (Press release). 9 December 2004. Archived from the original on 22 July 2012. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
  9. ↑ "3 brings next generation of mobile stores to life" (Press release). 18 November 2005. Archived from the original on 11 August 2014. Retrieved 25 February 2005.
  10. ↑ "3 acquires 95 prime-location stores from the Link and O2" (Press release). 24 October 2006. Archived from the original on 17 July 2012. Retrieved 25 February 2011.
  11. ↑ "People's channel 'SeeMeTV' tops 4 million downloads" (Press release). 8 March 2006. Archived from the original on 11 August 2014. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
  12. ↑ "Three UK will launch iPhone 4" (Press release). Three UK. 10 June 2010. Archived from the original on 22 November 2011. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
  13. ↑ "Three inTouch". Three UK. Archived from the original on 22 October 2014. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
  14. ↑ "Free Wi-Fi on London Underground". Three UK. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
  15. ↑ "Telefonica finalises £10bn sale of O2 mobile phone firm". BBC News. 24 March 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  16. ↑ "EU blocks Three's takeover of O2". BBC News. 11 May 2016. Retrieved 4 April 2017.
  17. ↑ "EU blocks Three's takeover of O2". Europa. 11 May 2016. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  18. ↑ "Three mobile data hack leaves 9 million customers at risk" . The Independent. 18 November 2016. Archived from the original on 7 May 2022. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  19. ↑ "Three Ireland boss Finnegan to also lead operator's UK business". Irish Times. 5 March 2020. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
  20. ↑ "Chelsea announces Three as new official shirt partner". Chelsea Football Club. 24 January 2020. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
  21. ↑ Gwynn, Simon (24 January 2020). "Chelsea FC unveils Three as next shirt sponsor". CampaignLive. Haymarket Media Group. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
  22. ↑ "Chelsea's Jersey Sponsor Makes Shocking Decision Hours Before Norwich Clash". 10 March 2022.
  23. 1 2 3 4 "Vodafone Three deal to create UK's largest mobile firm". BBC News. 14 June 2023. Retrieved 1 July 2023.
  24. ↑ "Three and Vodafone are merging. Here's what that means for your phone". The Independent. 14 June 2023. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
  25. ↑ "Vodafone and Three agree UK merger to create biggest mobile player worth £15bn". Sky News. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
  26. 1 2 3 "Vodafone / CK Hutchison JV merger inquiry". Competition and Markets Authority. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
  27. 1 2 "3 selects Orange as new national roaming partner" (Press release). 10 May 2006. Archived from the original on 17 March 2012. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
  28. ↑ Wray, Richard (11 May 2010). "Orange and T-Mobile settle for Everything Everywhere". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 22 October 2010.
  29. ↑ Clark, Nick (12 May 2010). "Mobile giants promise Everything Everywhere" . The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 7 May 2022. Retrieved 22 October 2010.
  30. ↑ "3 starts killing off 2G coverage". The Register . 8 November 2010. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
  31. ↑ "T-Mobile and 3 create Britain's largest 3G network" (PDF) (Press release). 18 December 2007. Retrieved 25 February 2012.[ permanent dead link ]
  32. ↑ "Three and Everything Everywhere joint venturereaches 12,000 shared 3G sites" (PDF) (Press release). 12 November 2010. Retrieved 25 February 2012.[ permanent dead link ]
  33. ↑ Mark Jackson (11 May 2022). "Three UK Confirms Plan to Switch-Off 3G Mobile Service by 2024". ISPreview.co.uk. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  34. ↑ Orlowski, Andrew (5 December 2013). "Three offers free US roaming, confirms stealth 4G rollout". The Register. Retrieved 6 December 2013.
  35. ↑ "When will I get 4G". Three. Retrieved 30 April 2015.
  36. ↑ Woods, Ben (28 August 2013). "Three finally unveils 4G rollout plans: The stage is now set for UK's 4G future". The Next Web. Retrieved 28 August 2013.
  37. ↑ "4G timetable agreed by UK mobile network operators". BBC News. 2 October 2012.
  38. ↑ "Ofcom announces winners of the 4G mobile auction". Ofcom. 20 February 2013. Archived from the original on 5 September 2013. Retrieved 28 August 2013.
  39. ↑ "Three UK Delays 4G Mobile Broadband Launch to Q4 2013". 27 March 2013. Retrieved 31 March 2013.
  40. ↑ "Get ready for 4G at no extra cost". Three UK. Archived from the original on 11 December 2013. Retrieved 6 December 2013.
  41. ↑ "Three to offer latest technology as standard with no price premium" (Press release). Three UK. 4 February 2013. Archived from the original on 5 February 2013. Retrieved 4 February 2013.
  42. ↑ "VoLTE comes to Three". Three UK. 23 April 2015. Archived from the original on 28 April 2015. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
  43. ↑ "Three UK Committed to Invest Over £2bn into 5G". Three Media Centre. 7 November 2018. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
  44. ↑ "Three UK agrees to buy PCCW-owned UK Broadband Limited in £250m deal". Capacity Media. 7 February 2017. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
  45. ↑ "3 has no place Like Home". The Register . 20 May 2009. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
  46. ↑ "Feel At Home". Three UK. 15 October 2014. Retrieved 15 October 2014.
  47. ↑ "Three says auf wiedersehen to roaming charges in even more destinations". Three UK. 11 August 2016. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
  48. ↑ "Three Support - Roaming Abroad - Destinations" . Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  49. ↑ "Three Go Roam: what's changed for new and existing customers". Sim Sherpa . 1 October 2021. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  50. ↑ "Three brings in EU roaming charges and ends global scheme". BBC News . 9 September 2021. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  51. ↑ Jackson, Mark (29 February 2012). "3 Mobile Upgrades UK Network with 42Mbps Capable Evolved HSPA Tech". www.ispreview.co.uk. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  52. ↑ Jackson, Mark (26 August 2015). "Three UK and Vodafone Grab 1.4GHz Band to Boost 4G Speeds". www.ispreview.co.uk. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  53. ↑ Jackson, Mark (20 May 2024). "Three UK Seeks to Harness 3.9GHz for Faster 5G Wireless Broadband". www.ispreview.co.uk. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  54. ↑ Knapman, Helen (12 May 2015). "Carphone Warehouse launches mobile network. But is iD any good?". www.moneysavingexpert.com. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  55. ↑ Team, SMARTY (31 August 2023). "SMARTY turns 6: the journey so far". smarty.co.uk. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  56. ↑ Brigden, Steve (20 June 2018). "Superdrug launches new mobile network - here's how it stacks up". www.moneysavingexpert.com. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  57. ↑ "Ofcom casts doubt on O2/Three merger". BBC News. 8 October 2015. Retrieved 1 July 2023.
  58. ↑ "Telefonica finalises £10bn sale of O2 mobile phone firm". BBC News. 24 March 2015. Retrieved 1 July 2023.
  59. ↑ Farrell, Sean (11 May 2016). "Three's takeover of O2 blocked by Brussels on competition concerns". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 1 July 2023.
  60. ↑ Office, Press (14 June 2023). "Merger of Vodafone UK and Three UK to create one of Europe's leading 5G networks". Vodafone UK News Centre. Retrieved 1 July 2023.
  61. ↑ Fildes, Nic (10 August 2017). "Three brings Smarty to the low-cost mobile party" . Financial Times. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  62. ↑ "Getting the help you need | SMARTY Help Centre". help.smarty.co.uk. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
  63. ↑ "About us | Contact us". smarty.co.uk. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
  64. ↑ "No Credit Check SIM only Deals". smarty.co.uk. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
  65. ↑ "SMARTY and eSIM". help.smarty.co.uk. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  66. ↑ "SMARTY scoops two prizes at uSwitch Broadband and Mobile Awards 2019". smarty.co.uk. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  67. ↑ Jackson, Mark (7 February 2020). "Uswitch 2020 Awards Name Best UK Mobile and Broadband ISPs". www.ispreview.co.uk. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  68. ↑ Jackson, Mark (22 February 2021). "Uswitch 2021 Awards Name the Best UK Mobile Operators". www.ispreview.co.uk. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  69. ↑ Jackson, Mark (18 February 2022). "Uswitch 2022 Awards Reveal the Best UK Mobile Operators". www.ispreview.co.uk. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  70. ↑ "Uswitch Telecoms Awards 2024". www.uswitch.com. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  71. ↑ Parker, Joe. "Three tops latest independent YouGov survey". blog.three.co.uk. Archived from the original on 24 July 2010. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  72. ↑ Jackson, Mark (9 February 2018). "uSwitch 2018 Awards Name the UK Best Mobile and Broadband ISPs". www.ispreview.co.uk. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  73. ↑ "Broadband & Mobile Awards 2019". www.uswitch.com. Archived from the original on 6 January 2021. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  74. ↑ Jackson, Mark (7 February 2020). "Uswitch 2020 Awards Name Best UK Mobile and Broadband ISPs". www.ispreview.co.uk. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  75. ↑ "Fastest 5G Mobile Network – Q3-Q4 2021 Speedtest Awards". www.speedtest.net. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  76. ↑ "Fastest 5G Mobile Network – Q3-Q4 2022 Speedtest Awards". www.speedtest.net. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  77. ↑ "Fastest 5G Mobile Network – Q3-Q4 2023 Speedtest Awards". www.speedtest.net. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  78. ↑ "Fastest 5G Mobile Network – Q1-Q2 2024 Speedtest Awards". www.speedtest.net. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  79. ↑ Jackson, Mark (22 February 2021). "Uswitch 2021 Awards Name the Best UK Mobile Operators". www.ispreview.co.uk. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  80. ↑ "Three Business wins Best Network for Business at Mobile Industry Awards". www.threemediacentre.co.uk. 22 September 2023. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.