Uh-huh.  These plans mostly are specifically for computer data, one or
other of Three/T-Mobile specifically says you can plug the thing into
different computers.  But with other devices and contracts (I feel I
don't strictly need broadband, but YouTube looks like fun) that could
bite.  And what about sharing the conection to other computers in the
home simultaneously, on an internal network?  Now, they ought not to
mind what you do within the advertised limit.  But saying "One
computer at a time only" or "Don't share it with your
neighbours" (which is also a rule on land-line broadband) isn't
unreasonable in customer relation and business terms, if they do
stipulate that - it limits each customer's use further.

And of course T-Mobile bans Internet telephony on the HSDPA connection
- obviously because they sell telephony.  3 doesn't, but maybe they're
getting around to that.

More catches I could imagine:

- Currently 3 and T-Mobile are sharing HSDPA coverage.  So maybe my
access hereabouts will go away if that contract is dissolved?  Is that
likely?

- Does a 24-month contract roll and always take 24 months' notice to
end?

- I don't see anything about a price increase - does that mean the
price applies for 24 months?  Can they increase it then, or before
then?

I was put off using a phone as HSDPA connection because the cheapest
"free" one for that seems to have problems at the moment - looking up
the Nokia 6120c (Classic), there are reports of unexpected silencing
requiring a reboot (I think I just read in this forum that pressing
"#" turns it silent and no one tells you that in so many words), and
it gets painfully hot to talk on.  This may depend on faulty units or
on how close you are to the base station, it may be a very small and
vocal minority of users, but apparently all complaints are rejected, I
don't want burns and blisters on my ear and hand, and the simplest way
to avoid the possibility of that is not to own this device.

(If I did own it, I'd wrap a padded hair-scrunchie band around it a
couple times, so it wasn't insulated to overheat even further but it
wouldn't be in contact with flesh.  This also could help to protect
the screen.)

I rarely use the phone anyway; I have an O2 pay-as-you-go Siemens
A55, I think.  Polyphonic ringtones weren't as much fun as I
expected.  The range of sounds that a phone can be set to make
without /ever/ embarrassing you socially (beyond having the phone
sound at all) is limited, and mostly not musical.  I think the ideal
would simply speak your full name and the word "phone".  Or likewise
"message", or "battery", or whatever.  But I'm eccentric.  Oh, and it
should be Majel Barret-Roddenberry's voice.

I semi-accidently enabled GPRS on my HTC S710 and Google Mail ran up a bill
for me of £30 over the August bank holiday weekend. Can't blame Google
Mail - it was just checking for email every 15 mins as it does when I'm on
wireless.

But this kind of underhand tactic doesn't give the mobile companies a very
good name. My credit card company has systems in place to detect unusual
spending patterns. I'm sure T-Mobile could have done the same when it hit
(say) £10 when before there had been no GPRS activity, ever before. A text
message saying "Unsually high GPRS activity" would have sufficed.

Rob.