Tesco Mobile performance vs native Three network

[fullofquestions]

Hi everyone, as the title mentions. I only have excellent 3 coverage in my area. My entire family is already on Tesco Mobile and I’m wondering are we getting the same 4G speed as Three customers. (I’m aware of no 5G)

[Seán]

Tesco Mobile and 48 both operate on a Liffey Telecom APN (Tesco uses tescomobile.liffeytelecom.com and 48 uses 48months.liffeytelecom.com) and share the same mobile network code 272-11. Although it's been a few years since I last tested Tesco Mobile, they very likely perform about equal with the main difference being their price plan offerings and allowances.

I currently use 48 and have compared it against a native Three SIM in my dual SIM OnePlus Nord 2T phone in various places including Dublin city. In 4G both perform about equal and I reckon this will be the case with Tesco Mobile. 48 occasionally gets 5G access which I reckon Three does for load balancing as the most common time I had 5G with my 48 SIM was in the evenings while on trips to Dublin. Whenever I had 5G access the speed was clearly capped at about 400Mbps as the speed tests would max out close to 400Mbps even in areas where my Three SIM could get over 1Gbps. I don't know anyone now that has Tesco mobile with a 5G phone, so am not sure whether Tesco Mobile SIMs get occasional 5G access like 48 does.

[viking]

Hi Sean have a dual sim phone and Three and 48 seem to have the same coverage.
Have not done an accurate speed test to compare.
Does Comreg stipulate that Three has to give 48 the exact same coverage and other main providers also have to give the same coverage to all mvno operators.
Also 48 uses a Proximus in Belgium APN while roaming, is there any disadvantage to the end users by doing this.
Seems to be a cheaper option for 48 for data when roaming.

[Seán]

I'm not sure if Three is required to give 48 the exact same coverage, but from what I've experienced in recent years 48 has the same access to 2G/3G/4G masts as Three. This was different in the past when Three had national roaming access to Vodafone 2G masts. For example, I remember a few years ago being able to make calls and send/receive texts in Carrick on Three, whereas those on Tesco Mobile could not.

48 roaming however behaves very different to Three due to 48's use of Proximus in Belgium as its roaming partner. For example, during my last trip to the UK my 48 SIM could roam on Three, Vodafone, EE and O2, whereas my Three SIM could only roam on Three and O2. Three had 5G access on both Three and O2, but with speeds capped at 50Mbps down and 10Mbps up, even on 4G. 48 had no 5G access on any UK network at the time, but had no speed restriction. I have a separate thread going into further detail of my 48 vs Three roaming experience in the UK.