Three UK launched on 3 March 2003 as the UK's first 100% 3G network. On 31 May 2025, Three merged with Vodafone UK to create VodafoneThree — the UK's largest mobile operator with 28.8 million combined customers, backed by £11B over 10 years. Three's Go Roam covers 163 destinations worldwide on Complete plans. From 19 April 2026, new Three Pay Monthly plans are speed-capped at 100 Mbps, with a £4/month Full Speed Add-on available to remove the cap.
⚠️ April 2026 Speed Caps
From 19 April 2026, Three introduced speed limits on all new contracts.
- New Pay Monthly plans: capped at 100 Mbps download
- New PAYG plans: capped at 25 Mbps (50 Mbps with Auto-Renew)
- Full Speed Add-on: £4/month removes the cap entirely
- Lite+ plans: Full Speed bundled in
- Existing in-contract customers NOT affected until they re-contract
🌍 Go Roam — 163 Countries
Three's international roaming on Complete plans — UK's widest by destination count.
- Go Roam Europe: 49 EU destinations (Value & Complete)
- Go Roam Around the World: USA, Australia, Brazil, Hong Kong + 19 more
- Around the World Extra: India, Japan, UAE, Canada, Kenya + 89 more
- Fair use: 12GB data, 3,000 minutes, 5,000 texts per month roaming
- Non-Go-Roam from April 2026: £2.75/day EU, £8/day worldwide
💰 Three Plans (2026)
SIM Only on 30-day rolling, 12-month, and 24-month contracts.
- Lite: from ~£6/month — no Go Roam
- Value: mid-range with Go Roam Europe (49 destinations)
- Complete: full Go Roam 163 destinations
- PAYG 30-day bundles: 25 Mbps cap from April 2026
- No-contract rolling plans available — most flexible
🎁 Three+ Rewards
Free loyalty app for all Three Pay Monthly and PAYG customers.
- £1 weekly coffee at PAUL, Caffè Nero, Cooplands
- £3 weekend Cineworld cinema (Fri–Sun) + 95p booking fee
- GDK doner box for £5; £5 off £10 restaurant orders
- Nike, HelloFresh, Uber discounts
- Presale concert & event tickets via Ticketmaster
🔀 VodafoneThree Merger
UK's largest telecoms event since the 2021 Virgin Media O2 merger.
- Completed: 31 May 2025 — CMA approved Dec 2024
- 28.8 million combined customers
- £11B 10-year investment pledge
- May 2026: Vodafone announced £4.3B buyout of CK Hutchison 49%
- MOCN: both brands share best available signal
📋 Your Ofcom Rights
Legally protected rights for all Three Mobile customers.
- Text PAC to 65075 — free code within 60 seconds
- Annual price rise must be stated in £/p at sign-up (Ofcom Jan 2025)
- 30-day penalty-free exit if rise was undisclosed
- Maximum 24-month contract term
- Phones unlocked at full payment — mandatory
🏷️ SMARTY & iD Mobile on Three
MVNOs using Three/VodafoneThree at lower prices.
- SMARTY: from ~£5/month; data refund on unused GB; EU included
- iD Mobile: run by Currys; data rollover; EU included
- Both use identical Three network towers
- Typical saving vs Three direct: £5–£15/month
📊 Three Network Performance
Independent data — not Three's own marketing.
- umlaut 2026: Three 799/1000 (3rd in UK)
- Opensignal Jan 2026: 5G availability 38.9% (3rd)
- Average 5G download: ~187 Mbps pre-cap
- VodafoneThree targeting 99% 5G SA by 2030
