Many people pay over the odds for their mobile phone service. They may go to the mobile phone shop in the high street and seek advice there. The staff in these shops are obliged to sell just one brand and often at the best margin for the shop.
The strategy I have used for many years is to buy a mobile phone and to use Sim-only pay-monthly deals from a supplier of choice. This is usually the cheapest deal I can find but I don’t make too many changes of supplier if I can avoid it. I expect the phone to last me 2-4 years.
Mobile Phone Hardware
My approach has been to buy a mobile phone model which is about 18 months old and is now much cheaper than it was when new. This phone should have the attributes of a new phone – current software features, fast processor, enough memory, etc. I usually buy from Amazon or eBay and look for good condition, A, new or renewed products from a reputable seller. Androidphones with a reputable name (Samsung) would be my choice. Those folk with an Apple addiction may have to satisfy their cravings from the iPhone range. Details of products and prices are available on GSMArena.com
Having acquired the phone hardware you need to determine which network operator to use.
Which Network?
Mobile Network Operators – MNO There are 4 Mobile Network Operators (EE, O2, Three, Vodaphone) in the UK and your choice of MNO will determine whether you have a good signal where you regularly use your mobile phone; at home, work or play. This is possibly the most important decision you need to make for getting a good mobile phone experience.
Before choosing an MNO, ask around at work or where you use your phone, as to what MNO your friends and acquaintances are using. Ask your neighbours at home what mobile network they use and see if their MNO is giving them a good signal. My advice is not to rely on the coverage information provided by the MVO; it will probably be rather optimistic.
Cellmapper.net shows where all mobile masts are located and maps users’ experience. But it is not easy to use Cellmapper without experience.
You can now select the MNO using the information gained from work colleagues, neighbours, etc. But don’t just go to the EE, O2, Three or Vodaphone shop in the High Street for the SIM card.
Mobile Virtual Network Operators – MVNOs There are many Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) from whom you can get a SIM card – eg:- Giffgaff, Lyca, Sky, Smarty, Lebara, Voxi and many more. The MVNOs re-sell services from the MNO and will often offer pricing which is much better than those from the MNOs. However, you should look at their T&Cs carefully and look at user experiences (on Trustpilot) to see if you are getting good value.
These lists show which MNO each MVNO uses. I suggest you develop a short list of the MNOs and MVNOs you might consider.
Other things to consider
How much data do I need? Before getting a SIM, you need to determine how much data you’ll need. 5GB each month may well be sufficient, particularly if you have internet access at home and work. If you watch films or YouTube on your phone you will probably need much more data each month.
How many calls do I make? Most MNOs and MVNOs offer unlimited phone calls to mobiles and landlines within the UK and a limited amount of data each month. The more data the higher the cost. You should be able to upgrade the amount of data at any time. If you make many calls abroad then you may wish to look at the overseas call costs.
Voicemail If you use voicemail a lot, you may wish to consider the functionality of the voicemail offering of the various providers.
Roaming options If you travel abroad regularly you may want to consider the cost of roaming (using your phone abroad). There are specialised offerings for those who travel regularly.
Contract length I would advise against entering into a long-term (eg: 12-month) contract with any provider. A 1-month (30-day) – pay monthly is normally suitable. Avoid pay-as-you-go PAYG terms, unless your usage is irregular.
Are you still in contract with your existing supplier? Before making any SIM purchase, check if you are contracted to your current supplier. Often it is difficult or expensive to terminate an existing contract. If you are in contract, the timing of any change needs to be considered carefully.
Armed with the estimate of how much data you’ll need each month and assuming you want unlimited calls, go to the websites of the MVOs and MVNOs on your shortlist and see what they charge for the SIM-only deal you want.
Uswitch and MSE The popular website USWITCH has a section on Mobiles. You may wish to look there as well. Bargain SIM-only deals are often listed on Uswitch. MSE offers something similar. Also hotukdeals.com
Typical prices from MVNOs
Smarty – 5GB – £6.00
GiffGaff – 5GB – £8.00
Lebara – 5GB – £5.00
Lyca – 5 GB – £5.00
Typical prices from MVOs
O2 – 5GB – £23.00
EE – 5GB – £20.00
Three – 5GB – £19.00
Vodaphone – 6GB – £29.00
You will notice the MVOs charge much higher prices than the MVNOs. Three and its associated MVNOs, usually charge less, particularly for larger data SIMs.
Time to Make the Decision
You should now have a list of possible suppliers and their prices and terms. A choice of supplier can now be made. Order the SIM card and set up payment.
Making the Change of Provider
Swapping your phone number to the new provider When the SIM arrives you’ll probably want to swap your phone number to the new provider. There is a procedure for doing this. I use this guide. This procedure – called porting – needs to be followed carefully. It can take a day or two to complete; during which time you may have to use a temporary phone number.
Once you are connected to the new provider check out and set up the Voice-Mail system. Become familiar with their mobile phone app which may well be the best interface to the provider for information, help and queries.
If you are unhappy with your new provider then contact them and explain the issue. You should not be tied to a long contract and you can dump them and choose from the others on your shortlist.
Cost Summary
I spend (say) £200 on the mobile phone and it lasts (say) 3 years. £75 pa
I get a pay-monthly SIM at £6.00 per month. £72 pa
The costs are about £150.00 per year or less than £13.00 per month.
You may want to consider mobile phone insurance.
Mobile phone providers ranked by customer satisfaction, according to Which?
Fifth-generation mobile telecoms, known as 5G, is the next step change in mobile networking, very similar to the changes in previous generations of mobile telecoms technology. These changes are made possible by new and faster data transmission technologies and the new and faster processors for mobile telephony.
5G is a new digital system for transmitting data over the air. It uses a 5G-NR (New Radio) interface, along with other new technologies, that will, in the future, utilise much higher radio frequencies (28 GHz compared to 700-2500 Mhz for 4G) to transfer much more data over the air for faster speeds, reduced congestion and lower latency. Until the introduction of mmWave, 5G will use much the same radio frequencies as existing 4G.
This new radio interface, which will use the millimetre wave (mmWave) spectrum, enables more devices to be used within the same geographic area; 4G can support about 4,000 devices per square kilometre, whereas 5G will support around one million. The high-density capacity of mmWave technology will be particularly useful in a sports stadium, city centres and where large crowds gather, but not necessarily in suburban or rural areas where the existing radio frequencies will be used since mmWave radio signals travel much shorter distances.
Just as the mobile phone has significantly replaced the need for a home phone, 5G has the potential to displace some of the wired telephone and broadband networks. People could use a 5G WiFi router instead of paying for in-home wired broadband – this will suit renters who don’t necessarily want broadband contracts tied to a property.
The latest high-performance microprocessors in mobile phones now enable affordable mobile phones to create and display HD video as well as voice and messages. Mobile phone manufacturers predict that hundreds of millions of new phones will be sold in the next few years. Pricing will drop significantly as production ramps up.
The same technology of high-performance microprocessors will be used in the nodes of the 5G network to process the gigabytes of data passing through these nodes every second. The latest high-performing antenna technology will be used to optimise the use of the radio spectrum.
Safety Much has been written about the safety of 5G technology. Almost none of this stands up to scientific scrutiny. In the UK, most 5G implementations in the next few years will use radio frequencies already allocated to existing mobile phone use. The power limits have not been changed. Therefore the public will not be exposed to any sinister radiation from 5G masts; nothing more than we are already exposed to.
The vast majority of radiation absorbed by one’s body is from mobile phone handsets and not from mobile phone masts. We all have the option of not carrying a mobile phone which will reduce the amount of radiation to which we are exposed by 10,000 times.
Let us consider the radio power of various transmitting devices:- – WiFi uses about 100mW of power – A mobile phone uses < 200mW of power – A mobile base station used about 20W of power – A microwave oven is about 800W
By way of comparison, the Crystal Palace TV tower in London used 200kW when transmitting analogue TV and it did so for many years with few ill effects being seen in the population of London.
Gen – Date
Terms Used
Typical Data Speeds
Theoretical Data Speeds
1G – 1985
Analog, ETACS
–
–
2G – 1993
GSM, GPRS, CMDA
64 kbps
64 kbps
3G – 2004
UMTS, HSPA+
2 Mbps
20 Mbps
4G – 2010
LTE, WiMAX
50 Mbps
1 Gbps
5G – 2020
400 Mbps
10 Gbps
Early implementations of 6G are expected in the 2028-2030 timeframe.
Mobile phone operators in the UK are preparing to close down their 3G networks.
There are 4 mobile network operators (MNO) in the UK
Vodafone
Three
O2
EE
If you buy a phone or SIM from another provider (an MNVO) then that provider uses one of the 4 networks listed above. A list of MNVOs is available here.
The image below shows the major MNVOs and their associated MNOs.
The UK MNOs are preparing to shut down their 3G networks. This 3G shutdown is in progress in Europe, Australia and in the USA. It has been completed in a few countries in Europe. Most people won’t be affected as the overwhelming majority of phones released in the UK in the past 10 years are working on 5G and 4G, as well as 3G. However, users of 3G-only phones may be impacted; there may be millions of older 3G-only phones in the UK. There are over 80 million mobile phone subscriptions in the UK in 2021.
Very little data is carried by the 3G networks – some operators report (in 2021) that as little as 2% of their data is 3G originated data. 2G networks may remain in use for longer than 3G because it offers wide coverage and comparatively low power requirements which make them ideal for some IoT deployments.
Smart gas and electricity meters use the O2 2G network in much of England and Wales. In the north of England and Scotland, smart meters use a long-range radio network (400MHz) provided by Arqiva, which also provides telecom networks for the emergency services, including RNLI. Smart meters may require upgrading to 4G technology in the next few years.
The radio frequencies used by the 3G networks will be re-purposed for use in the 5G networks that the MNOs are busy installing in many areas of the UK. MNOs spent some £22.5bn for the rights to use these radio frequencies at the auction of the UK radio spectrum in 2000. Three launched the UK’s first 3G network in 2003.
Some areas of the UK do not have a good 4G (or 5G) signal and depend upon 3G for data. Based on coverage data, approximately 2.2% of the UK is only covered by a 3G signal. For the most part, this is in remote locations such as rural Scotland, parts of North Norfolk, Wales and Cornwall. The MNOs should be expanding their 4G networks to provide coverage to these areas before the 3G shutdown.
Does this affect me? If you’re a customer of a UK MNO or MNVO with an older mobile phone that doesn’t have 4G or 5G, you will no longer be able to use it for data once the 3G network is switched off by your MNO.
To check if your phone works on 4G or not, visit the IMEI Info website. By following the website’s instructions, you’ll find and type in your phone’s 15-digit IMEI number. After typing in this unique identifying number, you will see a webpage listing your phone’s specifications. If it has a tick in the ‘LTE’ box (LTE or Long-Term-Evolution is another term for 4G), then your phone can use mobile data on 4G networks.
What does 3G mean? 2G is short for the second generation mobile phone network. Terms like EDGE and GPRS refer to 2G technologies. Data rates of 48 Kbps are possible. 3G is the third generation of mobile phone technologies. Terms like HSPA, HSPA+ and refer to 3G, Data rates of several Mbps are possible. 4G is therefore the fourth generation. Terms like LTE refer to 4G. Data rates of 100Mbps are possible. 5G refers to the fifth generation. Data rates measured in Gbps are theoretically possible but, in practice, speeds up to 500 Mbps can be expected in early 5G networks. 6G is in the planning and design phase.
Vodafone has announced it has closed its 3G network inFebruary 2024.
EE is reporting it has turned off the last of its 3G network inFebruary 2024.
Three say they will close their 3G network by the end of 2024.
O2announced their 3G network will close by the end of 2025.
The British government is aiming to shut down all 2G and 3G networks by 2033 at the latest. EE has said, as coverage of 4G and 5G is rolled out, it hopes to be able to shut down its 2G network as soon as 2025.
Will my older phone work? If you use an old mobile phone that is not 4G capable then you may no longer be able to access the internet when your MNO shuts its 3G service, unless it uses the O2 network. You can search to find your phone’s capabilities here on GSM-Arena’s website. If your phone did not receive the Emergency Alert (Apr 23, 2023) then it may not be 4G capable.
What should I do if I have an older mobile phone If you have identified that your phone is not 4G capable then you have options
Switch provider to O2 If you are happy with your 3G phone, then you need not worry – you can switch providers to O2 which is not shutting down its 3G service until the end of 2025. Go to the O2, Giffgaff, Tesco mobile website or the O2 local shop and get a suitable SIM. Go through the procedure to transfer your phone number to the new provider. This option may be cheaper than your existing supplier.
Acquire a 4G capable phone to replace your existing phone. Plenty of new or refurbished 4G phones are available on eBay for good prices – well under £100 for a new phone. It is suggested that you don’t go out and buy a new state-of-the-art 5G capable phone costing hundreds of pounds, as there are cheaper routes to resolve your dilemma.
I have a Smarty SIM in a router which I use in the caravan and when I go away from home. I have had it for some time and it has always worked well. I chose Smarty as it uses the Three network and offered lots of data for a small cost.
All was working well on December 8 and 25 (2021) – according to my Ookla logs, I was getting download 48Mbps and upload 18Mbps.
In the first couple of weeks of January 2022, I have no cause to use this router. Then on January 12, my son wanted to borrow it for a sports event that he was organising and he wanted a backup internet access method for logging scores. I got the router out to show him how it worked and found it didn’t work! No problem, or so I thought; I popped the SIM into another router but that didn’t work either. The sports event went well and he didn’t need to use a spare router/SIM.
I reported the issue to Smarty (Jan 16) and I explained the problems I was having: — Windows, Android and iPad devices on the router wifi get ‘no internet’ errors — Windows device gives a wifi connection error, iPad reports “no internet connection” — was working OK before January 2022 — didn’t work in either router I advised Smarty that my nearest cell site was eNB ID 1657 Smarty offered to send me a new SIM – fair enough.
The new SIM arrived (Jan 19) and I went away for a few days to the north of England; I took the router as I expected poor internet service where I was staying. When I arrived, I powered up the router and it worked; it worked very well – download 13Mbps and upload of 3Mbps. Strange, I thought. Not working at home but working well away from home.
When I returned home (Jan 25) I tried the router/SIM again – no internet. Voice was OK but there was no internet connectivity with Smarty/Three. So I swapped out the Smarty SIM and put in a Plusnet SIM – changed the APN and the router worked fine with Plusnet. Back to Smarty and changed the APN back – no internet.
I took my router/SIM to a friend’s house a few kilometres away and tried it there – it worked fine. The problem seems to involve my local cell site. Back on the phone to Smarty — was working in December — didn’t work in either router — SIM has been changed — does work well on other cell-sites — does not work on my local cell-site Smarty put it down to poor signal coverage; but I saw 4 or 5 bars on the router. Smarty said there were no network issues reported in my area. A load of rubbish – just try to keep the customer happy.
I looked at the user interface of the Huawei B535-232 router in some detail. I noticed I could change the router to 3G – I did this and it worked at 3G. Yes, I had an internet connection, but slowly – <10Mbps.
The UI showed some useful info including the cell-id:- CELL_ID 12841728 — RSRQ -5.0dB RSRP -96dBm — RSSI -77dBm — SINR 17dB No poor signal here
Location of the serving mast Looking at cellmapper.net, it became obvious that I was not connected to my nearby cell-site eNB-id 1657 as first thought; but to eNB-id 50163 which, according to cellmapper.net had first appeared at the end of December 2021. The blue spot is eNB-id 50163 or at least where its signals are strongest. My home location is several hundred metres SW of eNB-id 50163 off the yellow road.
I put the Smarty SIM into an old phone and ran the Cell Info Lite app to collect information. Note the 4G indication always shows upload data but no download. The screen capture below was taken near the blue spot on the cellmapper.net map below. Judging by the signal strength the mast 50163 is a few hundred metres away
Open image in a new tab to see the other nodeseNB 50163Open image in a new tab to see the other nodes
I thought I would try to report it to Three directly, but I had no Three SIM and no Three account. After trying several times, I spoke to Three customer services who offered to report the issue to the customer services manager. Oh yes… voice was working as I was using the SIM in the phone with which I called Three.
Feb 5 – I am now fairly sure the site in question (eNB 50163) is located on the Fire Station tower on the A30 (GU15 3UH). I got much stronger signals in the vicinity of the fire station. Cellmapper reports the location of eNB 50163 rather more accurately after I took a walk to the Old Dean shops. I believe the site is shared with EE and is in direct line of sight (through some trees) with my house.
Old Dean Residents Some residents on the Old Dean estate are also experiencing the same issue. See this Facebook post on Feb 4, 2022 and this Facebook post on Feb 14. Residents are pretty hacked off with the situation. They confirm the problem started early in January 2022. I have asked them to report to their network provider (Three, Smarty and IdMobile). Some users who reported the problem say that Three acknowledges the problem, while others say they are fobbed off with the ‘poor signal’ or ‘use 3G’ excuse. Below are some of the stories from Facebook
I’ve just reported it. They have said that yes there is an ongoing issue in the area and it is taking longer than expected to fix. That’s the first time in 3 weeks of dialogue with them that I have been given that information.it will be repaired soon!
I am with IDmobile and found out they use Three masts. I’ve had no internet data/access for almost 3 weeks. I had only been able to message them re the issue to be told, yes there was planned work in the area and on 3 separate occasions told it will be resolved in 2 to 3 days and still nothing. I was offered £20 compensation and told it would be completed by the end of today.. and it has not been!! Once I’m in Bagshot it works, so it’s got to be a local mast. I eventually spoke to a real person who told me they had planned work in this area….a heads up would have been helpful…
My daughter can’t get her data to work on the Old Dean and some surrounding areas. After many phone calls and live chats they said that they can’t see anything wrong. They advised that she just use 3G, which isn’t that good!!
Thanks, so not just me then, the issue for me is the standard “1 to 2 days to rectify” lie. Probably what they are told to say but just be honest and if they don’t know, then say that! I’d respect them more if they didn’t just read from a script
I’m with 3 and have been told by them 3 signal ok. I had to change settings to 3g to get a signal as 4g was not working
I know the issue was raised but my provider ID mobile (seems no one has even heard of them) are claiming Three mobile are saying there is no issue. I can’t complain or communicate with Three directly as I don’t have an account with them
I’ve been in store and got an exact same answer, the only thing I can advise is to go into your network settings and set it to 3G only as anything 4G or higher doesn’t work
Haven’t had a signal for nearly a month, messages come through when I get to Pennyhill or the bottom of the hill towards Camberley
I’m now looking to go to another provider as I’ve had enough
Internet may not be availableeNB 50163eNB 50163
Customer services? It’s now Feb 9 and the problem still exists – I have been in touch with Smarty customer services, almost on a daily basis, but they seem to have lost interest. It seems to me that they cannot escalate a technical problem. I suspect the customer service scripts are designed to deal with problems in the customer realm, but cannot deal with a problem in the network realm. I have tried communicating with Three via Twitter and Facebook but always get fobbed off to the Smarty helpdesk team. Neither the Three nor Smarty helpdesk seems to be able to report a network issue to the Three network team. Not a really helpful helpdesk.
Feb 15 – Almost as a last resort, I searched for and found the email address of the CEO of Three and wrote to him. I got a reply the next day and the issue will be passed to the relevant team; hopefully, we’ll get a resolution.
Is the problem solved? Feb 17 07:30 – Overnight, the faulty eNB 50163 mast looks to have been shut down. I am now connected (slowly – due to poorer signal) to other masts; the water tower on Black Hill, and the Maultway/Red Road junction.
as at 07:43indoorseNB 12977
Feb 17 10:30 – It appears that the eNB 50163 is operational again and 4G data is working – (perhaps for the first time on this mast) !!
as at 09:35indoors
I wonder if it’s a case of “turn it off at the wall, wait 30 seconds and turn it on again”
Something is going on? Feb 17 16:15 – I noticed erratic performance from time to time. Speedtests would either run well, not start or not complete.
problems ?problems ?sometimes looks good
I noticed that my connection was flipping between bands (1, 3 and 20). Signal strength measurements are up and down. I wonder if the work has been completed yet. I’ll keep monitoring for the next few days.
Feedback from Facebook Here are some comments and feedback for Three from the Facebook posts on Feb 17
UPDATE 07:30 – overnight the faulty Three mast at the fire station has been shut down. Hopefully, it’ll be fixed and brought back into service soon to restore normal Three UK service to OD residents. By 10:00 it was back online and working normally.
I just wish that the network will admit and communicate that they must have multiple reports of issues and that it will be addressed, ,that’s all I want. I dislike being told that there has been no other indication from other users that there has been an issue. I accept and am undertanding that services, especially technology connection is subject to weather, new buildings and updates can effect connectivity, I just disdain ignorance, lack of communication between departsments/partners and being treated like I’m an isolated complaint. Communication is key and realistic time scales are all I require actually
I did speak to someone and they credited me £20. But asked when it was going to get sorted and couldn’t say!
Same, I was refunded my monthly paymemt and for me it’s not really the point. I just want to know if and when it will be fixed!?!? I’m with IDmobile who obvs use other providers masts and in the 4 years I’ve been with them, I’ve never had an issue but I just want acknowledgement and confidence that they know there’s an issue. Everytime I speak to anyone they just tell me 3 mobile claim the connection is good and it obvs isn’t. Come on!!
Still waiting for an update from my provider who assure me that Three mobile connection is showing as “strong” in this area although we all know that’s not the case
It’s worth noting here that some users of Three, Smarty and IdMobile SIMs are (anecdotally) reporting other intermittent issues – poor signal, no data, unable to make or take calls – during January and February this year. They also report poor response from the helpdesks and from the retail outlets and they are not at all happy with their providers.
Some issues remain It would appear that the technical issue has now been addressed and resolved. I hope so. However, in my opinion, that leaves Three with its real problem as yet unresolved. This technical issue was reported by me to Smarty customer services a month ago and almost every other day since. Anecdotally, this was reported to the local Three shop and to Three customer services. The Smarty and Three customer services teams, as well as the Three retail outlets, do not seem to be able to escalate technical issues to the appropriate teams within Three. I hope Three are able to address this issue with a view to improving users’ customer service experience and restoring the reputation of Three with its customers and ex-customers.
Oh Well – It’s not fixed Feb 18 23:45 I noticed there was no 4G data flowing again. The same problem is back! The node came up at about 10:30 yesterday but was faulty again after about 36 hours. I’ll report it to Smarty tomorrow. When I reported it I was advised that Smarty ‘can see some planned maintenance work is scheduled, which is due to complete on 20/02/2022 – Sunday’. I guess this is the tail-end of the work done Feb 16/17. Well, we are in the middle of the weekend and there’s not much more that can be done until Monday. Feb 21 – 07:30 – Monday morning – still no 4G data on eNB 50163 4G Feb 21 – 11:45 – Node eNB 50163 is down again – off the air – I am connected to eNB 1657 Feb 21 – 15:30 – I also notice the EE co-located node eNB 29082 seems to be down Feb 22 – 09:30 – Same same – both down still Feb 22 – 14:00 – Both nodes are UP again – 4G is not working on Three eNB 50163
It’s working again Feb 24 – 15:20 – 4G is working again with a good B20 signal
50Mbps download30Mbps downloadgoog signal on B20
Local users report they are able to get 4G data for the first time in weeks. Feb 27 – 18:00 – It’s still working – it’s been working for three days…
eNB 50163 – 4G Not Working Again
Feb 27 – 23:15 – 4G is not working Feb 28 – 09:00 – 4G is not working – 3G and voice OK Feb 28 – 14:35 – 4G working again Mar 1 – 10:50 – 4G is not working – 3G and voice OK Mar 2 – 16:25 – 4G remains down Mar 5 – 18:00 – 4G remains down Mar 7 – 09:30 – 4G remains down Mar 9 – 11:30 – 4G remains down Mar 11 – 19:30 – 4G remains down Mar 13 – 14:30 – 4G remains down
Mar 18 – 07:00 – 4G remains down Mar 18 – 14:00 – eNB 50163 – down – work being carried out Mar 18 – 20:00 – eNB 50163 – UP and working again – 4G OK
Mar 19 – 18:00 – It’s continuing to work well Mar 20 – 09:00 – It’s continuing to work well Mar 21 – 11:00 – It’s continuing to work well
it will be repaired soon!
