Dual SIM phones was:Worker killed by Southern train was coveringfor brother
 

On 22/07/2019 10:41, Natalie Amery wrote:
In article ,
Anna Noyd-Dryver wrote:
Usenet is social media ;)

More like antiocial media :-D

Right on, comrade..!


--
Ria in Aberdeen

[Send address is invalid, use sipsoup at gmail dot com to reply direct]

Dual SIM phones was:Worker killed by Southern train was coveringfor brother
 

On 22/07/2019 10:16, Rolf Mantel wrote:
Am 19.07.2019 um 00:19 schrieb MissRiaElaine:
On 18/07/2019 22:32, Anna Noyd-Dryver wrote:

I have a landline installed but it’s never had a telephone connected
to it.
In the previous place I lived, I did have a telephone connected, and the
only calls I ever received were for previous users of that number.

If you have a landline, surely it's cheaper to use it for calls than a
mobile..? For us, it's still cheaper to use our landline than a
mobile. As I said, a mobile is an emergency device for us, 99.9% of
the calls we make can wait until we're home.

In Germany, this is not the caseany more.Â* You can have a mobile
contract with free calls and SMS to all German numbers for €6 per month;
an land line with free calls to all German land lines and expensive
calls to German mobiles costs €20 per month.Â* My mother-in-law now has a
mobile instead of a land line in her OAP home.

So how do you get broadband..? *Reliable and fast* mobile broadband is
still some way off, certainly here in the UK.


--
Ria in Aberdeen

[Send address is invalid, use sipsoup at gmail dot com to reply direct]

Dual SIM phones was:Worker killed by Southern train was coveringfor brother
 

On 23/07/2019 17:27, Clank wrote:
MissRiaElaine Wrote in message:
calls to German mobiles costs ?20 per month. My mother-in-law now has a
mobile instead of a land line in her OAP home.
So how do you get broadband..? *Reliable and fast* mobile broadband is still some way off, certainly here in the UK.

That's because the UK has ****ing terrible infrastructure.

I just did a quick speedtest.net test of my mobile broadband:

https://www.speedtest.net/my-result/a/5143807298


Unfortunately the UK population seems more interested in blaming
foreigners and electing clowns than actually doing anything about
said woeful infrastructure, so ¯\_(?)_/¯.


23-07-2019 16:38:46 (GMT) 10.4 Mbps 0.5 Mbps EE
23-07-2019 15:54:27 (GMT) 8.2 Mbps 0.5 Mbps EE
23-07-2019 15:52:52 (GMT) 8.0 Mbps 0.6 Mbps EE
23-07-2019 15:51:23 (GMT) 3.1 Mbps 0.6 Mbps EE
23-07-2019 15:49:57 (GMT) 9.1 Mbps 0.6 Mbps EE
23-07-2019 15:41:25 (GMT) 6.1 Mbps 0.6 Mbps EE
23-07-2019 15:38:20 (GMT) 7.7 Mbps 0.6 Mbps EE
23-07-2019 15:23:15 (GMT) 1.3 Mbps 0.4 Mbps EE

This is my crap broadband this afternoon.

Dual SIM phones was:Worker killed by Southern train wascovering for brother
 

Roland Perry Wrote in message:
When we got the first three last year the 12-month minimum version
was £1 pcm cheaper (so we took it); but when I got the fourth one a
couple of months ago the prices were identical and the staff member
flat out told us that they could see no reason why you'd take the
12-month.
I can only assume they are softening up their users to have a rather too fuzzy impression of what the term "contract" means, and wean them off the idea of "PAYG".

Since I always buy my phones unlocked, with cash, I have had this
type of contract (30-day) from Vodafone for *at least* 7 years,
probably more like a decade. If they're "softening up" their
users, they're taking a ****ing long time over it.

The only person making this complicated is you. It's really very
simple - they have two fundamental offers - Contract (post-pay)
and Pay As You Go (pre-pay).

The contract offering comes with a variety of minimum terms, from
30 days (for SIM only) to 2 or more years (if you also want a
phone subsidy). The choice of minimum term does not change the
nature of the contract. (I just checked, and the name of the APN
for my Voda 30-day SIM - automatically configured by push config
message when you put the SIM in a new phone - is even "Vodafone
Contract Internet".)

(Equally, setting up a monthly automated top-up on pre-pay doesn't
suddenly turn that into a contract, any more than my monthly
scheduled bank credit to Funda?ia Conservation*Carpathia means I
have a contract with them.)


--

Dual SIM phones was:Worker killed by Southern train wascovering for brother
 

MissRiaElaine Wrote in message:
calls to German mobiles costs ?20 per month. My mother-in-law now has a
mobile instead of a land line in her OAP home.
So how do you get broadband..? *Reliable and fast* mobile broadband is still some way off, certainly here in the UK.

That's because the UK has ****ing terrible infrastructure.

I just did a quick speedtest.net test of my mobile broadband:

https://www.speedtest.net/my-result/a/5143807298


Unfortunately the UK population seems more interested in blaming
foreigners and electing clowns than actually doing anything about
said woeful infrastructure, so ¯\_(?)_/¯.

--

Dual SIM phones was:Worker killed by Southern train was covering for brother
 

In message , at 18:59:17 on Tue, 23 Jul
2019, Clank remarked:
Roland Perry Wrote in message:
When we got the first three last year the 12-month minimum version
was £1 pcm cheaper (so we took it); but when I got the fourth one a
couple of months ago the prices were identical and the staff member
flat out told us that they could see no reason why you'd take the
12-month.
I can only assume they are softening up their users to have a rather
too fuzzy impression of what the term "contract" means, and wean them
off the idea of "PAYG".

Since I always buy my phones unlocked, with cash, I have had this
type of contract (30-day) from Vodafone for *at least* 7 years,
probably more like a decade. If they're "softening up" their
users, they're taking a ****ing long time over it.

Have they always called it a "contract", despite being only for 30days?

The only person making this complicated is you. It's really very
simple - they have two fundamental offers - Contract (post-pay)
and Pay As You Go (pre-pay).

And then there's the hybrid deals which are a bit of both, but mainly
PAYG (post-pay).

--
Roland Perry

Dual SIM phones was:Worker killed by Southern train was covering for brother
 

In message , at 14:47:53 on Fri, 19 Jul
2019, Recliner remarked:
Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 08:14:45 on Fri, 19 Jul
2019, Recliner remarked:
Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 19:31:24 on Thu, 18
Jul 2019, MissRiaElaine remarked:
On 18/07/2019 15:18, Roland Perry wrote:

Networks have tried hard over the years to introduce their equivalent
of "standing charges" to fight back a little bit. One I'll be writing
about later (in more detail) in another subthread, is the O2
requirement that PAYG phones wanting to use the tube Wifi are topped
up at least once a month.

A standing charge equals a contract. Making someone top up monthly is
effectively forcing them onto one in all but name.

It's a slight discount, because the typical top-up would be £10 and the
typical contract £30.

A £30 monthly contract will usually include the phone as well, so you can't
compare it with a PAYG top-up.

I'm contrasting them.

No, you were comparing them when you said that it was a slight discount.

I might have been comparing the price (where is the Meercat when you
need him) but contrasting the T&C - most obviously is there a "free
phone" involved.

You need to compare the latter with SIM-only contracts, and they're
typically around £10pm.

You are skirting round the half-way house:

And because you can stop any time you like (apart from some more
recent hybrid plans that include a partly-subsidised phone) it's not
in any sense a "contract".

For example Tesco plans which will sell you a locked phone combined with
a minimum of 12 month pay-monthly SIM for less than a true unlocked
SIM-free one.

So PAYG only works out cheaper if you don't top up every month.

That depends entirely on the underlying cost[s] of the phone hardware
and the respective monthly payments.

No, I was correctly stating that, "PAYG only works out cheaper [than a
SIM-only contract] if you don't top up every month". No phone hardware is
included in either, so its cost is irrelevant.

Sadly, that ignores the specific case I mentioned of Tesco subsidised
hardware on a PAYG deal.
--
Roland Perry

Dual SIM phones was:Worker killed by Southern train wascovering for brother
 

wrote:
On 23/07/2019 17:27, Clank wrote:
MissRiaElaine Wrote in message:
calls to German mobiles costs ?20 per month. My mother-in-law now has a
mobile instead of a land line in her OAP home.
So how do you get broadband..? *Reliable and fast* mobile broadband is
still some way off, certainly here in the UK.

That's because the UK has ****ing terrible infrastructure.

I just did a quick speedtest.net test of my mobile broadband:

https://www.speedtest.net/my-result/a/5143807298


Unfortunately the UK population seems more interested in blaming
foreigners and electing clowns than actually doing anything about
said woeful infrastructure, so ¯\_(?)_/¯.


23-07-2019 16:38:46 (GMT) 10.4 Mbps 0.5 Mbps EE
23-07-2019 15:54:27 (GMT) 8.2 Mbps 0.5 Mbps EE
23-07-2019 15:52:52 (GMT) 8.0 Mbps 0.6 Mbps EE
23-07-2019 15:51:23 (GMT) 3.1 Mbps 0.6 Mbps EE
23-07-2019 15:49:57 (GMT) 9.1 Mbps 0.6 Mbps EE
23-07-2019 15:41:25 (GMT) 6.1 Mbps 0.6 Mbps EE
23-07-2019 15:38:20 (GMT) 7.7 Mbps 0.6 Mbps EE
23-07-2019 15:23:15 (GMT) 1.3 Mbps 0.4 Mbps EE

This is my crap broadband this afternoon.


Is that mobile (4G), WiFi or wired data?

Dual SIM phones was:Worker killed by Southern train was coveringfor brother
 

On 23/07/2019 22:21, Recliner wrote:
wrote:
On 23/07/2019 17:27, Clank wrote:
MissRiaElaine Wrote in message:
calls to German mobiles costs ?20 per month. My mother-in-law now has a
mobile instead of a land line in her OAP home.
So how do you get broadband..? *Reliable and fast* mobile broadband is
still some way off, certainly here in the UK.

That's because the UK has ****ing terrible infrastructure.

I just did a quick speedtest.net test of my mobile broadband:

https://www.speedtest.net/my-result/a/5143807298


Unfortunately the UK population seems more interested in blaming
foreigners and electing clowns than actually doing anything about
said woeful infrastructure, so ¯\_(?)_/¯.


23-07-2019 16:38:46 (GMT) 10.4 Mbps 0.5 Mbps EE
23-07-2019 15:54:27 (GMT) 8.2 Mbps 0.5 Mbps EE
23-07-2019 15:52:52 (GMT) 8.0 Mbps 0.6 Mbps EE
23-07-2019 15:51:23 (GMT) 3.1 Mbps 0.6 Mbps EE
23-07-2019 15:49:57 (GMT) 9.1 Mbps 0.6 Mbps EE
23-07-2019 15:41:25 (GMT) 6.1 Mbps 0.6 Mbps EE
23-07-2019 15:38:20 (GMT) 7.7 Mbps 0.6 Mbps EE
23-07-2019 15:23:15 (GMT) 1.3 Mbps 0.4 Mbps EE

This is my crap broadband this afternoon.


Is that mobile (4G), WiFi or wired data?

Sorry. Wired internet.

The amazing thing is I've managed to persuade EE something is wrong!

Dual SIM phones was:Worker killed by Southern train wascovering for brother
 

wrote:
On 23/07/2019 22:21, Recliner wrote:
wrote:
On 23/07/2019 17:27, Clank wrote:
MissRiaElaine Wrote in message:
calls to German mobiles costs ?20 per month. My mother-in-law now has a
mobile instead of a land line in her OAP home.
So how do you get broadband..? *Reliable and fast* mobile broadband is
still some way off, certainly here in the UK.

That's because the UK has ****ing terrible infrastructure.

I just did a quick speedtest.net test of my mobile broadband:

https://www.speedtest.net/my-result/a/5143807298


Unfortunately the UK population seems more interested in blaming
foreigners and electing clowns than actually doing anything about
said woeful infrastructure, so ¯\_(?)_/¯.


23-07-2019 16:38:46 (GMT) 10.4 Mbps 0.5 Mbps EE
23-07-2019 15:54:27 (GMT) 8.2 Mbps 0.5 Mbps EE
23-07-2019 15:52:52 (GMT) 8.0 Mbps 0.6 Mbps EE
23-07-2019 15:51:23 (GMT) 3.1 Mbps 0.6 Mbps EE
23-07-2019 15:49:57 (GMT) 9.1 Mbps 0.6 Mbps EE
23-07-2019 15:41:25 (GMT) 6.1 Mbps 0.6 Mbps EE
23-07-2019 15:38:20 (GMT) 7.7 Mbps 0.6 Mbps EE
23-07-2019 15:23:15 (GMT) 1.3 Mbps 0.4 Mbps EE

This is my crap broadband this afternoon.


Is that mobile (4G), WiFi or wired data?

Sorry. Wired internet.

The amazing thing is I've managed to persuade EE something is wrong!


Is that ADSL or VDSL (ie, FTTC)? It would be mediocre for the former, but
terrible for the latter.

For a period I was getting similar poor performance from my FTTC line. I
kept complaining, and each time they sent an Openreach technician who
usually got me back up to 50Mbps download/10 upload, but it didn't last.
Finally, I told BT that I'd had enough, and demanded that they release me
from my contract. They reluctantly agreed, and I've changed ISP. I've now
got my final BT bill with the hefty cancellation charge, which I hope they
will cancel as promised.

With my new ISP, I now get completely consistent speeds on a wired
connection (it's more variable on WiFi). You probably don't want to look at
the speeds I get now…
https://www.flickr.com/photos/recliner/48239986081/in/dateposted-friend/lightbox/

If I want faster, it's readily available, with no hardware changes, but the
price goes up. However, I really don't think I have any conceivable need
for more.