Three coverage: is it still bad or worse than other networks?

Three were historically the smallest UK mobile network

Three are the youngest of the main UK networks (the others are EE, O2 and Vodafone). They were only launched in 2003, when the others were already well established. That means they’ve had to catch up with mast building.

For a long time, Three had the weakest coverage. They came behind the others for 3G/4G data and had no 2G for calls at all. To compensate, they’ve always had cheaper deals. But this can knock some customer’s confidence.

Three’s best current SIM only deals

A lot has changed in the meantime though. Three have spent billions investing in their network. And the result is they are now basically on par with other networks for signal (check your coverage here).

Technology has also helped. Where Three customers once moaned about poor indoor calls coverage, they now have excellent WiFi calling and 4G calling in place, in the UK and abroad.

Useful link: Read about Three’s network improvements on their website

Check coverage using their signal map, it’s pretty accurate

For our review of Three we checked coverage in different locations and found it lined up well with what their signal map showed. It’s worth checking around your workplace or on your commute, not just at home.

That’s a great way of seeing if Three offer good coverage near you. If you’ve checked in the past and found that signal wasn’t good in your area it’s worth checking again as this has likely changed since.

You can also use coverage checkers from independent sources like Ofcom or Opensignal just to be sure. But all of these maps show a massive improvement for Three’s 4G, putting them on close to EE and Vodafone.

Three’s best current SIM only deals

But you will see that Three have shut off their 3G call signal, but the other networks have largely done this too. You can still make calls with 4G and their weaker indoor signal is patched up by their WiFi calling.

Useful link: Check Three’s signal map here

You can try out their network cheaply with no commitments

The best way to see if Three are right for you is to try them for yourself! You can take out a payg bundle on Three with no commitments. There’s no contract. And you can upgrade to a contract later if you’re happy.

And if you find they’re not for you then you can just cancel your bundle before it renews itself. These tend to be pretty cheap, so it’s a good way to try out Three’s network experience before making up your mind.

Best current PAYG monthly bundles on Three

Or you can take a monthly plan from SMARTY. They’re owned by Three and offer identical coverage to them on flexible 1-month plans that you can join and leave as you like. They’re a cheap way to try Three’s network.

Best 1-month SIM only deals on SMARTY

Useful link: See all of Three’s PAYG monthly bundles

Three’s 5G is the best of any mobile network

A big part of Three’s network expansion has been focused on their 5G network and the results are genuinely impressive. They have the fastest 5G speeds by far and excellent coverage on top of that.

You’ll get 5G in these 580+ UK towns and cities. While they’re in third place for the number of 5G locations of all networks, their coverage within these places tends to be as good or even better than the others.

And what really sets Three apart is their 5G speeds. Opensignal measured typical 5G speeds of 208.9 Mbps while Speedtest got typical speeds of 260.22 Mbps and amazing peaks of 680 Mbps.

Best current 5G SIM only plans on Three

Notably, Three don’t yet offer standalone 5G, meaning 5G is most often attached to their 4G masts. But this is something that may change in the future with Three’s merge with another main network, Vodafone.

Useful link: Read Three’s guide to their 5G network

Three’s merge with Vodafone will change things

You may have heard about the upcoming merger between Three and Vodafone. This is an upcoming development where Three and Vodafone will merge into one network, but we’re not exactly sure how this will take effect.

We do think this will have a very positive effect on coverage. You’ll effectively be getting access to both Vodafone and Three’s networks, which should put them ahead of the other networks for signal.

If you join Three on a longer contract then it is likely the merger will come into effect for you mid-contract. So your network experience will get a lot better as you’ll get access to Vodafone’s network as well.

Three’s best current SIM only contracts

This should also lead to standalone 5G becoming more common, meaning you’ll get the best out of 5G where available. It’s definitely something to keep in mind, but it should only be a good thing once it happens.

Useful link: Read about Three’s merger with Vodafone here