3 offers unlimited data downloads

Mobile operator Three has re-introduced an ‘all you can eat' data usage package starting at £25 a month.

The move by Three is in direct contrast to most major mobile operators, which this year have, one after the other, scrapped their unlimited data tariffs. Even Three had placed download limits of 500MB and 1GB on some of its tariffs.

The mobile operator said the introduction of unlimited usage under its One Plan was because it expected the use of smartphones to grow rapidly over the next few years.

But it said the fear of incurring unexpected data charges was, for many people, a major barrier when it came to making full use of the devices. The company said giving people unlimited data usage would also give them "peace of mind".

Three told us that there were no hidden catches or caps and unlimited data usage will apply to both new customers and people already on the One Plan.

"It really is 'all you can eat'. The tariffs start at £25 per month for SIM only, after that it will depend on the handset the person wants," a company representative said.

3 also said it would be able to cope with any surge in data traffic.

Mark Allera, the company's sales and marketing director said: "At Three we've built a network with the scale and scope to meet people's data needs both now and into the future."