All recently launched 3 handsets will be equipped to give customers the online offering.

But existing customers with older handsets will not be eligible to the offer unless they pay for an upgrade.

Meanwhile, those customers taking advantage of a current £45 offer from 3 for replacement of lost or stolen handsets are also receiving older models which cannot be guaranteed to be able to transmit mobile internet access.

Commenting on the move, a spokesperson for mobile competitor T-Mobile told This Is Money the company “welcomes any advancement that brings the mobile internet closer to people in the UK”.

But some internet-focused customers may prefer to opt for remote access which gives them Wi-Fi access on both their mobiles or laptops, such as the £11 monthly package launched last month by The Cloud for users in the City of London and other UK and European hot spots.

Find out more about 3 mobile phones

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