Awful awful service

[Disappointed]

Purchased a 2 year Unlimited BB contract with the Zyxel NR5103EV2 around February 2024.
This was to be used at our static caravan, where Three has, surprisingly, a 5G as well as 4G service. All good so far...

First weeks showed - using Ookla Speedtest - around 30-50Mbps for where we are in relation to the mast. That's the same as my Three phone service - thus as expected (even on 5G, as the mast is some distance away)

About 3 months into the contract, suddenly we get only 1-5Mbps. Hardly usable for anything other than email most of the time.

So I then fired up my VPN and behold, 30-40MBps - on EVERY device, iPad, Laptop, Phone, etc. connected by VPN to the router - which is obviously using the same mast and the same equipment. (I got the Cell ID too!)

Conclusion? I think this PROVES throttling is being used. Am I correct?

Secondly, I contacted support to find out what was going on and why I even needed to use the VPN to get near to the speeds I think I am paying for? Big mistake!

"There's work going on at the mast" was the excuse - but no reply as to why the VPN speeds were almost 'normal'. I had checked the 3 website earlier and there was no work going on - yet after I told them in the chat - suddenly, there was work going on, on the website, for my postcode! Co-incidence? 

Furthermore, after the 'checks' with support, which included confirming my IMEI(!), now I find that my VPN doesn't work at all on ANY device connected to this router.

My 3 phone service currently shows similar 'clean' speeds of 1-5Mbps - until I fire up the VPN on that, and then it goes up to 40-50MBps. Thankfully that hasn't been blocked from using the VPN - yet!

So my questions are...
1) Are Three throttling? I think very much so!
2) Are Three blocking VPN use, if they know of it, to get around the throttling - of this I am 100% certain.

The worst thing about this is the deceit - they cannot even come clean about it and be truthful.

Unless of course, I have it all totally wrong and you guys here know what is really going on and can put me straight.
At the moment though, Speedtest numbers are not lying, as far as I am concerned...

What would OFCOM say given that Three's advertising claims they don't throttle Unlimited BB users?

[Anonymous]

We’re mostly customers like you and I’m aware Three use something called “Trafficsense” which I’m led to believe is used if people are using inordinately large amounts of data on a regular basis. In theory that shouldn’t be applicable to you. The problem you’ve got is that if the status page says there are issues in your area then customer service will obviously default to that story.

You should be able to get a definitive date on when the work will be completed by calling tech support on 333 option 4 option 3 and option 3 again. I realise this doesn’t address your VPN question but that’s the best I can do.

[Disappointed]

Support did say 31st May to be fair, so let’s see… I appreciate your reply. Hopefully this will resolve in time.

I am generally only at this place weekends and holidays, but will use a lot of data during that time on certain occasions.

I also appreciate that the mast itself may also well be under more pressure at weekends and Bank Holidays and that some regulation of traffic may be necessary at busy times to keep everyone happy.

1Mbps though? Yet simultaneously 20+Mbps with VPN?
It doesn’t quite add up to me…

Mobile BB is not inexpensive, even on Three, and a minimum service should surely be what Three need to promise to provide? (As long as it is not 1Mbps! 😂)

[Anonymous]

Hard to disagree with you! Good luck.

[Disappointed]

Thank you. 👍🏻