Unfortunately, this deal has expired 12 August 2022.
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Posted 13 July 2022

Three 5G Home broadband - ZTE MC801A 5G router + £85 Topcashback (premium members), £10 for first 6 months then £20 (24m) = £420 @ Three

£420
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Topcashback offering £85 cashback on this deal (for Premium members - maybe bit less for standard)
So after cashback it will be £13 95pm for 5G unlimited broadband


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Edited by a community support team member, 13 July 2022
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143 Comments

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  1. thedvdmonster's avatar
    thedvdmonster
    Annoyingly I’m sitting here on smarty with 5G showing yet three say I can only have a 4g hub.
    Toejoe's avatar
    Toejoe
    Yes same with me I just used another postcode of a street right next to a 5g tower on the checker then ordered with my own address it works fine once you have passed the checker
  2. JC7's avatar
    JC7
    Good 5G in west of London, 4 bars at home. Currently use my 5G personal hotspot for my home Internet. Speeds of 30-40mbps, usage is about 500GB a month. Live TV streaming good, iplayer/itv etc. Netflix/prime/disney all work fine. Need to charge my phone twice a day due to the power the phone consumes. (edited)
    Call_me_dragon's avatar
    Call_me_dragon
    Get yourself a router (Asus are good) that supports USB dongles. Enable USB tethering on your phone. All other devices will just connect to the router and your phone won't feel the pressure. Plus it keeps the phone charged It's what I'm doing at the moment. Bit of a pain when I need to use my phone though as I can't keep it on me.
  3. Ian_D123's avatar
    Ian_D123
    I have a 5g contract with Three. Had it for a couole of months. Great speeds where I live and been reliable so far. The hub is only loaned to me by Three, while ever I have the contract.
  4. hkphooey's avatar
    hkphooey
    Shame only 10% of the UK are on 5G
    hkphooey's avatar
    hkphooey
    Yes
  5. Popeye_the_Sailor's avatar
    Popeye_the_Sailor
    Has anyone got an external antenna connected to one of these?
    Popeye_the_Sailor's avatar
    Popeye_the_Sailor

    Replying to

    I live in an area not advertised as having 5G but I do get 5G with 3 lights showing for signal strength. I was averaging anywhere between 100-170 MB speeds. Thought I’ll try an antenna and bought an omnidirectional one. I’m not seeing any increase in speeds. From reading other peoples threads they talk about the signal strengths decibel reading from the modem settings, reporting better readings. Looking at mine there are no changes in the decibel reading with or without the external antenna connected. I have also activated the antenna setting from the hidden menu. Rebooted modem several times but no change. The antenna is brand new but wondering if it’s faulty or I’ve not done something correct in the settings.

    Just wondering what others had to do if attaching an external antenna and which settings they changed
  6. Ashish_Gargqal's avatar
    Ashish_Gargqal
    threebroadband.co.uk/hel…hub


    If you cancel during the 14-Day Money Back Guarantee period, you’ve got 14 days to return the hub or you’ll be charged the full cost of replacing the hub, currently £350.

    If you cancel your contract after the 14-Day Money Back Guarantee period, you’ve got 90 days to return the hub to avoid a non-return charge of £105. Even if you’re asked to pay a non-return charge, you’ll still need to return the hub. For any questions please give us a call on 0330 686 8000. (edited)
  7. gtd65's avatar
    gtd65
    The last time I used Three for internet, I had to hang the router out of the window, in a plastic bag to get signal.
  8. chickdem's avatar
    chickdem
    Had this installed last week, same deal via topcashback. No fibre in my area, only copper wiring - quoted up to 10mb by BT. On 3, I get speeds between 300mb - 500mb. 5G area. Really happy. (edited)
    GGMI's avatar
    GGMI
    Are you still getting on well with this? I can't get fibre either so am considering it..
  9. Ricky's avatar
    Ricky
    This is my quickest result so far 558 down and 80 up.
    47797452-dJfsa.jpg
    steamer1145's avatar
    steamer1145
    How is it like now? Did you face any problems?
  10. Feverdawg's avatar
    Feverdawg
    Currently on VM 200 and gave my notice in.....was paying 38 due to rise to 50. I actually borrowed my neighbours 5G hub this morning for a couple hours to stress test it, as just a cpl mins walk to the new tower, plus wanted to confirm ok with the work VPN......Speeds everywhere between 350 and 980 on speed tests....mostly 6-900.. and other similar app tests seemed to max themselves out in think between 40 and 55 mbyted per sec for me.....not sure if that's the peak the servers can do here or not per person.....loaded up 3 or 4 torrents as test, best reached was 75mbytes.....these were on an nvme to ensure no HDD bottleneck

    WiFi signal seemed just as poor as my superhub 5 but expected that

    Retentions outbound calls have offered me 21 for 350mb speeds now tho....so torn between trying something new that may fluctuate little more and not tested on peak, Vs "what I know and used to" for 18month deal......work from home now so reliability is critical more than the speed itself (edited)
    Bowler_man's avatar
    Bowler_man

    Replying to

    When I swap I always have a overlap and run both in place - in your case it will cost you £15 but have 14 days to send it back and with virgin you can accept the offer from them up to 24 hours before termination. To me it's worth the lose and not burn my bridges.
  11. xanoas's avatar
    xanoas
    Just got mine in the mail, set it up and tested a few places around the house.

    Max I’ve gotten as of now is 550Mbps down and 71Mbps up.

    UPDATE: Moved the hub again and I’m now getting 700Mbps down and 80Mbps up. (edited)
    xanoas's avatar
    xanoas

    Replying to

    Unfortunately had to return mine, tested it for 5 days, but it either kept restarting the hub randomly, or dropping down to 4G even though it hadn’t been moved.

    Tried to install an antenna as I don’t live too far from my 5G mast and it didn’t work.

    I will say three support were unhelpful and rude with the returns process.
  12. synasla's avatar
    synasla
    Why am I buying stuff that i dont need damn.. ordered thanks.
  13. p44's avatar
    p44
    5G? Three haven’t mastered 4g yet
    Frankie_Quinn's avatar
    Frankie_Quinn
    Surprisingly I'd say their 5G coverage is better than 4G. I use this and get 900 down 100 up in Liverpool.
  14. cd0nc's avatar
    cd0nc
    You have to return the hub. I've ended up buying an identical hub myself outright to give 5G a whirl using a ID mobile SIM on the same network. Read reports of people deciding quit and send the hub back during the grace period and not being provided a label in adequate time to cancel with no fees, then being chased by credit/debt collectors.
    I think if you already have a 5G phone on three network with good signal it's less of a risk, but I still wanted to see how much upload speed is provided before committing, it looks like it will be between 8-20mb.
    GGMI's avatar
    GGMI
    How you getting on?
  15. BrianButterfield's avatar
    BrianButterfield
    My internet was out for a month in May and it's out again now and they keep saying "doing work in the area"..... the worst broadband I've ever had.
  16. m3gt2's avatar
    m3gt2
    So is anything stopping you using this in a car?
    Feverdawg's avatar
    Feverdawg

    Replying to

    Mind sharing what adapter you bought? would be interesting option to take with me for a drive once in a while
  17. rkl's avatar
    rkl
    I've ordered this because my fibre broadband is rubbish (35 Mbit/sec download), pricier than this offer and my postcode finally has Three 5G coverage (they claim you can get 100 Mbit/sec typically, but where I am I doubt that...).

    Be warned that although they claimed you could pick between a DPD courier delivery of the router to your home address or pick a Three store to pick it up from, the ordering process never gave me that choice (neither did Vodafone's ordering process which is my current ISP).

    I ended up phoning Three and after being passed around, they finally took the postcode of my workplace and then picked the closest Three store to deliver it to (only 100 yards away - handy!). Be warned that they say they want photo ID on a store pickup (which is ludicrous, IMHO - Vodafone were the same too!), but they said a bank statement and the matching debit card used during the ordering process should be good enough.

    I'll probably find it won't get anywhere near to the 100 Mbit/sec they claim and I'll have to send it back, but it's worth a punt.
    Ashish_Gargqal's avatar
    Ashish_Gargqal
    Just wondering, since this router can installed anywhere i.e. at any postcode. What proof you will submit to claim low speed at your post code.
  18. rkl's avatar
    rkl
    That's a good question! Maybe a video of a location-based Google Maps, followed by an Ookla Speedtest? BTW, my router delivery never got redirected to a Three shop, so I've delayed the DPD delivery to Wed, when I'll be working from home.
    rkl's avatar
    rkl

    Replying to

    That's impressively cheap, though you may have to shop around for a similar offer in 12 months of course. I think this Three 5G deal is pretty good, though the monthly price will go up twice by 4.5% each time mid-deal (April 2023 and April 2024) which is something the OP should have mentioned (I've had confirmation of these rises via e-mail when I got the deal).

    It's still a lot cheaper for me than my current Vodafone deal (which will be getting even bigger rises each April) where I probably don't own the Voda router either. Many ISPs "lease" their router to you, but in most cases, it's not worth getting the leaving customer to send it back at the end of the contract. I've still got a really crappy Technicolor router+Opernreach modem from Plusnet from years ago - handy if the Voda router breaks down. (edited)
  19. nigelwill's avatar
    nigelwill
    Just noticed that my Virgin Media broadband is coming to end of contract, currently paying £29 for 50Mbit with £11.50 discount that expires in September. The Three coverage checker has always been awful, pretty sure I would get 5G where I live.

    Tempted to give this a try, can also use this as negotiation material with VM.
  20. Ian_D123's avatar
    Ian_D123
    47940005-0G2AU.jpg47940005-cGzXc.jpg

    Try pugging cat6/5e/5 cable into router and connecting laptop or pc and speed testing that to see without WiFi what speeds you get

    If your mobile phone is 5g, be near the router, make sure you select the 5g band when connecting your phone (edited)
    UKScottDeals's avatar
    UKScottDeals
    Surely, to test connection of the router on a phone you need to turn mobile data off (completely), and ensure you are connected to the WiFi on the router and be close to the router. I found 5 cm distance gave me ~600 Mbit down.
  21. Ian_D123's avatar
    Ian_D123
    I have called it a router above but it is actually a modem-router.
  22. Feverdawg's avatar
    Feverdawg
    Issue resolved - was reading through the net on a large thread, when the router rebooted and the lights started swirling....after a few minutes its on b09

    And now getting between 400 and 800mbps47940341-Dd556.jpg
    So I can stop stropping about it so much now. I wonder if he pushed the update forcibly, though I'd checked for updates within it many times

    However, what is odd is I asked what the current latest firmware was and he said b07 because b09 is bad (random reboots), and devices were either on b04 or b07 (maybe just maybe its going to downgrade to a revised version of b07 with fixes applied - who knows)
    UKScottDeals's avatar
    UKScottDeals

    Replying to

    Use the phone app only. I stopped using the website years ago as it is so much harder to find my alert-based deals. Even if sat infront of a PC a revert to using the app...

    Edit: Oh damn, they've made the change to the phone app too... Indeed, how do I get back to see other responses from being in the reply thread... (edited)
  23. wakkaday's avatar
    wakkaday
    What appends do you get ?
  24. PaulandPam's avatar
    PaulandPam
    I'm sure these 3 broadband deals only loan you the hub while you're a paying customer, once you finish the contract you have to return the 5G hub or has this changed now? if it has surely the 30 day deal would be a bargain.
    fishtastic's avatar
    fishtastic
    This never been the case.
  25. Fumar's avatar
    Fumar
    I have a 5g phone and download speeds are mental, can't wait for my voda broadband to end so I can get this deal
  26. jezzer's avatar
    jezzer
    Are you limited to a single postcode when using this?
    Popeye_the_Sailor's avatar
    Popeye_the_Sailor
    No. Use it where you like…even in mainland Europe with roaming charges I believe
  27. koi's avatar
    koi
    Had the 4G hub before and they let me keep it when the contract was up.
    jnm21's avatar
    jnm21
    Yes, that is why the comment on their site says if you are on 5G. Difference is the demand for 5G routers is still high, so resale value is decent. Chances are that in 2 years, they may let you keep this.
  28. Ashish_Gargqal's avatar
    Ashish_Gargqal
    Is there a way to buy our own zte router?
  29. InForAPenny2021's avatar
    InForAPenny2021
    Thought it was another aircon unit when I saw the pic while scrolling
  30. Feverdawg's avatar
    Feverdawg
    What actually happens come end of the 2year contract if want to continue? Can you keep paying the 20? (Plus whatever it is afer RPI) Or do you have to return it regardless?
  31. purplefleece's avatar
    purplefleece
    My phone shows fab 5G speeds on Three. When I check for this item on the Three website it tells me I can only have 4G. Any thoughts?

    Next question: if I took out the one month trial do you think I’d lose out on this deal if I wanted to extend the contract?
  32. tipperman's avatar
    tipperman
    I notice Three are offering 1 month trial of 5G including for £24 - can't find mention of the router return policy for the 1 month offer ?
  33. purplefleece's avatar
    purplefleece
    WARNING: Common drop out problem on recent ZTE MC801a 5G routers.
    Lots of discussion on ISPreviews.
    It is not a signal or mast problem. My Three phone sim is consistent and fab download speeds.
    It is most likely a firmware problem.
    Moving the settings to 4G apparently removes the drops but cuts speeds to about 115mbps.
    Still better in some places than BB. (edited)
    Smitheeeee's avatar
    Smitheeeee
    Been getting this recently, thought they'd been disconnecting me for high usage (although a restart usually resolves it for a while). Hopefully fixable as it was fine for the first couple of months.
  34. UKScottDeals's avatar
    UKScottDeals
    When I try to sign up I get
    "Sorry, something went wrong.
    We're having issues from our side. Please try again or get in touch to speak to someone."

    Anyone know what is causing this?

    Edit: cleared cookies/used different browser didn't work, but using another PC did. (edited)
    Ashish_Gargqal's avatar
    Ashish_Gargqal
    May be you were connected to vpn or work network
  35. GGMI's avatar
    GGMI
    I can't get fibre. Is this a good alternative for me?
    Ian_D123's avatar
    Ian_D123
    Yeah, if you can get a decent Three 5g signal at your home.
  36. thomas.luxton's avatar
    thomas.luxton
    If I have 1 month of the £24 to test it out, can I switch back to £10 per month at a later date? I understand that if I have the 1 month contract, I'd need to send back the equiptment if I cancel.
  37. Ashish_Gargqal's avatar
    Ashish_Gargqal
    Also top cash back is offering £16 on one month deal of £24. So effective £8 for trying.

    5G Unlimited Hub - 1 month, £24 per month
    £16.00
    Exclusive
    (edited)
  38. Ashish_Gargqal's avatar
    Ashish_Gargqal
    Instead of buying a zte router I have ordered Xiaomi Poco F3 which also contains same 5g modem as ZTE i.e. x55 from Snapdragon.

    I will use it as hotspot... an alternative to ZTE 5g router and would be handy to carry around London as a 5g hotspot if required.

    Not sure how much successful this plan would be although it sounds promising to me as of now.
    What do you say guys? (edited)
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