Slow 3G Speed?

By: John Gray

Mobile network o2 have admitted that their customers are not getting the full maximum 3G speed as standard. The technical limit of a 3G connection is 384Kb/s, however o2 have recently admitted that personal customers are only getting a 128Kb/s connection, with business customers being the lucky ones to be upgraded to 384Kb/s connections. However, even business customers are not guaranteed the maximum speed as o2 could decide that you only warrant the slower 128Kb/s.

On their website o2 do manage to talk about 3G without actually mentioning a specific speed, so there isn't actually any wrong doing going on. But there will surely be many customers out there who are looking for the maximum speed that they can get.

According to o2 those customers who are wanting the maximum 384Kb/s connection can call o2 and ask to be considered for the higher speed, but acceptance depends on your 'profile' - and sadly there is know way of knowing what your profile is and if your profile will qualify for the upgrade. But it is always worth a shot if you are currently unhappy with your 3G speed.

As far as I know none of the other mobile networks limit their 3G connection speed like this, so if you are experiencing slower speeds than you currently need it could be worth moving to a different network.

Of course there is an argument for o2's limiting, as this may provide a more steady and stable connection across the network, benefiting those who are happy with the 128Kb/s speed.

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