3 all day long for me,was with Vodafone but got a lot better deal with 3,you got the odd blip with the network but no different to any other network
Imo it all depends on what you want from a phone. About 6 months ago I got sucked into the “newer is better” way of thinking and got myself a Samsung S4 mini on Vodafone. A bit silly really as I have an I pad which caters for all my interweb needs, so I ended up with a smartphone that took nice pictures, gave me instant ■■■■ etc but as a phone was bloody useless. I’d have calls drop through lack of signal, glance at the cabphone (also VF) and find it had full signal.
So I phoned VF and got them to send me a big sim card and resurrected my £10 Nokia. The result is that I’ve never since lost a call through a bad signal, I mock my mates with smartphones who drop calls for fun, I no longer beat up my GF, no longer torture my children and am generally a happier bunny.
So to sum up; i think that networks don’t matter much, if you need to make calls then ditch the smartphone and go retro. You know it makes sense. 
3’s coverage abroad is decent as well.
France & Italy are now part of the " at home " list so my phone bill has dropped no end, you can’t do tethering abroad but they do a deal £5 per 24hrs unlimited internet.
Maoster you make me laugh, i’ve still got an old style simple phone too, the battery of which has a month life on standby and never drops a call, its water/dustproof and built strong enough to act as wheel chock.
Nearly everyone i know now has these super new internet toy phones which are brilliant for games films friggin apps and having a library of photos, as phones bloody useless, drop calls constantly and the rest of the time speech comes through patchy at best.
you could alwaysjust get a double sim phone,best of both there.
Im on 3 and get decent signal and internet although i rarely leave london
Deal done at 3, iPhone 6 and Air-pad 2 coming Tuesday, the guy i dealt with was most help full, and explained everything in a professional manner.
(Castlepoint Bournemouth store)
Bye bye Vodafone
Thanks again for all the replys
Both the wife and myself were on Vodafone, when i rang to cancel the wifes and port the number over Vodafone did match and beat 3s price but i still told them where to go, much to the surprise of the Vodafone guy who said i must be barmy not to accept his deal!, I told him i had principles and also intended to swap mine come Feb when it is due. The Vodafone guy told me he could offer up to 50% discount on your present deal and thats what he offered me.
The wife has had no probs with 3 and dont forget guys they also do a “free to 3” calls package which the wife was offered due to the oldest lad being on 3 too.
No prizes for guessing who i`d be with in the new year! 
The only issue I have with three is it’s very much an outdoor network, you can be outside with a full signal but walk into a building and it drops off. The other night I set off from Brighton and called a mate he’s also on three, he set of from Exeter and we spoke for nearly 3 hours without one dropped call, I’m not saying it’s 100% but I find it better than others I’ve used
We live in a small village where the landline internet is garbage,we persevered with BT who effectively thieved from us for two years providing a crap service which was confirmed when Sky who we approached as alternative said they would be unable to guarantee the level of service so would not even price for it although we have got the landline phone with them.
We started off using a couple of 3 dongles for internet 15gb limit and they were great although the kids soon ran them out.We currently have a 3 mobile contract mobile phone with tethering and all you can eat data to which you can connect up to 5 devices for £24 per month it is bloody brilliant. Would recommend them over any of the others.
Had three net work about three years ago, the signal was never brilliant but never without a signal .
went over to Vodafone on my next contrac, found It difficult to finish the contract ties with three, even had them phone me a couple of days later offering me contract package as i had with them before at eight pounds …& summat pence, after i had previously been paying them twenty five pounds a month!!
Vodafone has gone very bad for signal over the last three to four months.
Just jumped ship from EE/Orange was with them for over 15yrs signal seamed to be getting, worse since they took over T mobile, Three offered better deal , new I phone 6, unlimited everything.
£45 inc vat!
so far so good
I’m on 3. Get unlimited internet and txt and calls and free 4g can’t fault it like everyone else said !!!
I’ve just switched to 3 from O2, who were an absolute waste of time!
Can’t fault 3 at the moment. Didn’t want to commit to a contract so bought a cheap S3 Mini off ebay and got a payg sim from 3. And for what I’m getting I don’t think I’ll bother with a contract - £10 top up every month gets me 100mins, 3000 texts, 500mb and also 3 to 3 calls are free. This is plenty for me.
The best bit though is the ‘three in touch’ app which allows you to make and receive calls and texts over your wifi if you don’t have a signal. Our house is in a dead area so we don’t get a signal from any provider. O2 do a similar app called ‘tu go’, but I found it was useless. Three in touch is so much more reliable.
Update:
Seriously can’t fault 3 Network, dropped calls a thing of the past, on all you can eat data text’s and calls and free 0800 calls on an iPhone 6.
Also get a signal on the A31 through the New Forest, and other places where Vodafone failed
Mobile data on air pad 2 15GB data, 4G rocks when available, 3G has also been better then Vodafone.
Bills are simple no hidden charges
3Network fully recommended
Since 3 gave us ‘free’ 0800 numbers, I’ve made exactly zero calls to an 0800 number! 4g isn’t all it’s cracked up to be…great if your in a city or major town that has it but up and down the m/ways…waste of time. Used the unltd tethering quite regular before but now I’m only ‘working’ 6hrs/night, I don’t really have the need for it but would rather have it than be able to call some bloody 0800 for nothing!
Unlimited minutes
Unlimited text
Unlimited data
Unlimited Europe
USA and Canada
3g and only 20 pound a month
And 3 want to buy o2 have you seen how much a sim only contract is in Ireland now since the took over o2 their equivalent to the all in one plan.
So glad I got out of three before they do the same here