Appalling 4G signal strength. Disappointing!
4 reasons why I moved from Vodafone to Smarty: Price (very competitive for unlimited calls/texts + 40GB of data/month); SIM-only contract terms (1-month rolling contract; in EU, no roaming charges and 12GB/month of data without charge); Signal strength on Three's network; Customer service.
3 reasons have been fulfilled. But, an essential one - signal strength, is a complete failure. Getting no or 1 bar of signal isn't acceptable; people end up calling me on WhatsApp to ask if I've changed phone number or if my phone is broken. Since nothing has changed on my end since my transfer to Smarty, I can only conclude that Three's 4G network isn't as good as advertised and reviewed, and/or Three gives substandard signal to its Virtual Private Operators.
What a pity, because all started well with Smarty, particularly an excellent price, good and flexible contact terms, and commendable customer service. However, at the end of the day, the key use of phones is for calling and receiving calls; if this doesn't work, then all other factors are worthless, and I can't afford to lose business calls.
In conclusion, I'm happy to pay a few £s more if Smarty solve their problem of signal, or I'm out at the end of the month.