• O2's 2G networks set to be pulled from 2029 in line with industry
• 4G and 5G networks are more secure and more efficient
• Some IoT and connected systems still use 2G

Virgin Media O2 (VMO2) has become the latest UK mobile operator to announce plans to shut down its legacy 2G networks, beginning in 2029.

At the same time, VMO2 said not having to look after 2G networks will free up more resources to look after, and improve, 4G and 5G network capacity, speeds and reliability.

The company already started shutting down its 3G networks in 2025, with a national cutoff planned as soon as this year, but 2G networks remained open in the meantime.

VMO2 to start pulling 2G networks from 2029

EE is also turning off its 2G networks from 2029, with VodafoneThree following suit in 2030.

While VMO2 promises to warn customers to help them identify affected devices and migrate to more modern networks, most smartphone users are unlikely to notice an impact because modern smartphones rely on 4G and 5G networks instead.

But IoT devices, smart meters, payment terminals, alarm systems and other crucial infrastructure has traditionally used 2G networks.

"While most customers won’t need to take any action at all, some businesses might need to start planning for this now," CTO Jeanie York explained.

The industry-wide 2G shutdown ultimately falls under government plans to strengthen telecoms security, following concerns over supply chain risks, cyberattacks and the general security of critical national infrastructure.

VMO2 also disclosed the environmental benefits of the shutdown. Though its 2G networks only carry 0.5% of all VMO2 mobile network traffic, it accounts for more than 10% of the company’s total cell site energy consumption. The company declared that its 4G and 5G networks are 10x more efficient.

You probably know how much mobile data you pay for every month, but do you know how much you actually use? I suppose, in this day and age, that’s like asking if you know how many liters of water you drink every month (“No, but I know it’s a lot”).

Mobile data usage has skyrocketed in recent years due to a variety of factors (not least the advent of autoplay features in social media apps such as TikTok). Analysis from Ericsson suggests the amount of data transferred over cellular data networks has increased more than sevenfold since 2020, with the monthly average now standing at 25GB per device in both the US and Western Europe.

But while it’s true that most of us are using more mobile data than ever, these numbers don’t quite paint the full picture — they embolden mobile operators to sell oversized data plans, and, in all likelihood, you’re paying for more data than you actually need.

That 25GB figure is skewed by smartphone users who rarely, if ever, touch Wi-Fi. We all stream HD video over 5G and occasionally set up mobile hotspots for our laptops, but some people do these things near-constantly (yes, really), using upwards of 100GB per month and disproportionately affecting the monthly average.

By contrast, Ofcom’s Communications Market Report 2025 suggests the average person in the UK uses 10.6GB of data per month, while Statista puts the equivalent US figure at between 5 and 15GB, which aligns with Ofcom’s findings. All three numbers are significantly lower than the 25GB figure quoted by Ericsson, suggesting they account for those disproportionately high usage cases (there are, of course, disproportionately low usage cases to consider too).

Unlimited mobile data plans are a popular choice among users who don’t want to be charged per gigabyte or exceed a monthly limit, but as above, these plans are rarely better options — financially speaking — than the cheaper, fixed-capacity data plans they sit above.

“Mobile operators and MVNOs [Mobile Virtual Network Operators] face higher network costs as data usage increases, which is why plans with larger allowances typically cost more,” Christian Banhans, UK Managing Director at mobile operator spusu, exclusively tells TechRadar. “However, many customers only use a fraction of their monthly data, meaning they may be paying for more than they actually need.”

“The main reason customers use less data than their allowance is psychological, as they want to avoid running out, so they often choose plans with more data than they need,” Banhans continues. “Providers also face fixed costs for each plan, alongside the costs of (often unlimited) minutes and texts. In our experience, the difference in underlying costs is relatively small compared with the pricing difference between plans.”

“Larger plans often have a lower cost per gigabyte, making them appear better value even when much of the data goes unused. This is where the gap between what customers pay for and what they use tends to be greatest.”

How to check your data usage

Banhans notes that there are several ways consumers can avoid paying for more data than they need. “The first is to sync your phone’s internal data counter to the billing cycle and track how much data you need per month, or download a standalone application to do that.”

To check your data usage on your iPhone, go to Settings, Cellular (or Mobile Service), then scroll down to the Mobile Data menu. The Current Period displayed here reflects your data usage since the last time your Mobile Data Usage Statistics were reset, which will probably be some time ago. To align that figure with your specific monthly billing cycle, you’ll want to scroll down to the bottom of the page and tap Reset Statistics on the same day each month that your billing cycle resets. You can set up a recurring Reminder to help you remember to do this.

A more straightforward solution, though, is to track your data usage through your network provider's official app — which will already be aligned with your monthly billing cycle — or use a third-party data tracking app like My Data Manager and Data Remaining.

On Samsung phones, the process is simpler. If you go to Settings, Connections, then Data Usage, you’ll see your data usage displayed in a monthly format by default. To manually align the dates to your monthly billing cycle, tap Billing cycle and data warning, then Start billing cycle on.

To see your monthly data usage on Pixel phones, go to Settings, Network & internet, then SIMs. You can choose which date you’d like your data usage stats to be reset under App data usage cycle. The process is similar for most other Android phones.

How to choose the right data plan

If, using the above methods, you find that you’re paying for more data than you actually use, you’ll want to choose a data plan that better fits your needs.

I suggest choosing a data allowance that sits a gigabyte or two above your monthly average, unless the provider in question makes it easy (and affordable) to add more data to the plan as and when needed. “It’s also important to account for occasional high-usage months, as well as factors such as Wi-Fi access and travel habits, when choosing the right allowance,” Banhans adds.

Some network providers allow you to ‘rollover’ unused data so it can be used in another month, but this shouldn’t be seen as a reason to choose a data allowance that far exceeds your real-world monthly average: “While rollover data is often presented as a solution to unused data allowances, the extra data frequently goes unused and eventually expires unless a customer’s usage varies significantly from month to month.”

In some cases, unused rollover data can be converted into money off new plans or device contracts, but these savings are often laughably small compared to the money you’ll have overspent on accruing that rollover data in the first place.

So, in summary, while unlimited and large-capacity data plans are attractive options for many people, network providers rely on consumer ignorance to sell these often excessive packages. If you put in the small amount of work required to determine your actual monthly data usage — using the methods outlined in this article — you could save hundreds over the course of a year.

• The banking app Monzo is launching new mobile phone plans
• The three plans will get cheaper the longer you stay with Monzo
• They launch this summer, and you can join the waitlist now

Mobile banking app Monzo is shaking up the UK's mobile phone networks with three new eSim plans that launch this summer — and they get cheaper the longer you stay.

Monzo Mobile will piggyback on the Virgin Media O2 network, and the banking app says it will reward loyalty by reducing your monthly bills by 5% each year, up to a total discount of 30%. That's a new trick that could prove popular with anyone who's tired of contract price hikes.

So how do those three plans break down? As you can see below, Monzo will be offering an £8 per month plan (with a 10GB data cap), a £12 per month plan (for 30GB of data), and an 'Unlimited' plan for £20 per month. Beyond the data caps, the main differences between the three are their roaming options.

These aren't the absolute cheapest mobile network plans in the UK — for example, Lebara (which uses the Vodafone network) currently has a 10GB monthly rolling contract that costs on average £2.48 per month over a year, and includes roaming.

But Monzo Mobile's plans are certainly still tempting, and the digital bank will be hoping to convert some of its 15 million customers with features like the ability to track your mobile data, roaming and more within the Monzo app.

The flipside is that you'll need a Monzo current account to join its new mobile network, with the waitlist open now if you head to official Monzo Mobile page.

How good a deal is it?

The launch of Monzo Mobile is certainly a smart move for the digital bank, which has strong brand recognition in the UK — but not everyone is convinced it'll be a home run just yet.

Duygu Yenidogan-Schmidt, General Manager for Core Banking at Monzo, said that "we've always believed your bank should do the hard work for you" and that the new network is "mobile, done the Monzo way.”

However, Monzo isn't the first new mobile player we've seen recently. Earlier this year Revolut launched a mobile plan that gives you a free NordVPN subscription for all plans. The digital bank Klarna also has a waitlist open for its new unlimited plan.

Jez Samuel, Uswitch mobiles expert, said: "We’re seeing more players enter mobile than ever before, which can only mean more choice for consumers. Flexible, no-contract plans are appealing, but that flexibility cuts both ways as Monzo can change the price of its plans at any time.”

While Monzo Mobile's headline feature is its 5% loyalty discount, there's nothing to stop it rolling out inflation-linked price rises. The banking app told This is Money that there is no "commitment" to imposing price increases "at this stage".

Customers who are already on high-value networks like Giffgaff also won't necessarily be tempted to switch. Over on Reddit, one commentator claimed that the "O2 network is disappointing" and that they're "super shocked that EU roaming is not included across all plans" (you don't get this on the £8 per month Monzo Mobile plan).

Meanwhile, a current Giffgaff customer said they're "definitely not sold" due to the pricing and lack of EU roaming in the base Monzo plan. Still, Monzo users could still see value in tracking their banking and mobile usage in one app, and we'll find out exactly how popular this new player is when it launches this summer.

• AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon are working together to offer standardized satellite connectivity
• It would benefit customers not covered by cell towers, like in national parks
• Operators globally are looking to use satellite for more than emergencies, now

In a rare turn of events, three of the biggest mobile carriers in the US have announced they will be working together to tackle 'dead zones' across the country using satellites.

The joint venture, formed by AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon, should help to improve connectivity in areas where traditional towers can fail, such as national parks and highways.

Satellites could also provide continuity in disaster-struck regions, where land-based infrastructure damages can cause widespread outages.

Satellite technology to eliminate dead zones

Because the joint venture's plan revolves around direct-to-device satellite tech, it would mean that regular smartphone could access signal in rural areas without consumers needing to buy specific satellite phones. While many phones now offer limited services via satellite, it's hoped that the scheme would make roaming between cellular and satellite networks more seamless.

"Having launched the first nationwide, satellite-powered direct-to-device network for text and data, we’ve seen firsthand how critical reliable connectivity can be when America needs it most," T-Mobile CEO Srini Gopalan commented.

T-Mobile already partners with SpaceX, which has been expanding its footprint across voice and data services on top of earlier emergency texting functionalities. AT&T and Verizon also have partnerships with AST SpaceMobile for their satellite services.

The announcement comes amid a broader global shift, whereby satellite networks are becoming more tightly integrated with regular 5G and 6G cell connections, instead of being a separate emergency-only tool.

As well as improving coverage and performance for customers, the joint venture also anticipates industry benefits, such as industry-wide device compatibility and an easier way for mobile network operators (MNOs) to integrate satellite connectivity for their customers.

The agreement in principle is yet to be confirmed, pending regulatory approval and confirmation of the finer details.

• Vodafone launches 5G home broadband
• The move opens up 'full fibre-like speeds' to 3.7 million more homes, and over 26 million homes in total
• Renters can benefit from a one-month rolling contract option

If you’re living in short-term accommodation or somewhere without access to full fibre, Vodafone’s new 5G broadband packages could be for you.

The company is now offering “full fibre-like speeds” to customers via 5G, opening up high-speed internet connectivity to the 3.7 million UK homes that still struggle with the unreliable speeds offered by part-fibre or copper wires.

The move will also benefit students and renters in short-term accommodation, as Vodafone’s 5G broadband package is available on either a one-month rolling contract or traditional 24-month contract — its full fibre packages, by comparison, are only available on the latter contract.

Vodafone’s 5G Power Hub router can be self-installed — it doesn’t require an engineer visit, nor an existing landline to be set up — it’s powered by Wi-Fi 6, and Vodafone promises speeds of up to 150Mbps. That’s around three times faster than the typical part-fibre speed.

Is 150Mbps fast enough for gamers? Definitely. But Vodafone does caveat its offering by saying that “because it’s wireless, speeds can fluctuate at times based on signal strength, how far you are from the mast and how busy the local network is at any given time. Placing your 5G Hub in the best position possible will help maintain a stable, reliable connection.”

The company will also soon launch an outdoor 5G hub, should your 5G signal be stronger outdoors than indoors. This hub will “lock on to the strongest 5G signal available in the area and connect directly to the indoor Power Hub router,” delivering “a consistent connection throughout the home.”

Until now, Three was the only major UK broadband provider to offer 5G broadband — but even that package was (and still is) offered on a minimum 12-month plan. Vodafone’s merger with Three in June 2025 has clearly allowed the former to make use of the latter’s infrastructure: “The integration of Vodafone and Three’s networks is supercharging VodafoneThree’s 5G footprint, enabling Vodafone 5G Broadband to reach millions more homes with high-speed connectivity,” Vodafone said in a statement.

Vodafone’s 5G broadband is available now for £21 per month on a 24-month contract, or £30 per month on a rolling 30-day contract. Those prices are for the 50Mbps plan; they rise to £22 and £32, respectively, for the 150Mbps plan.

• BT is re-opening its BT Mobile service to existing broadband customers
• These plans will be eSIM-only and come with built-in spam detection tools
• BT says BT Mobile will 'live alongside' its existing EE mobile network

If you’re a BT customer who would prefer to have your broadband and mobile plans under one roof, you’re in luck: BT is bringing back BT Mobile.

At a press conference announcing BT’s appointment as the Official Telecommunications Partner of UEFA Euro 2028, the company confirmed that BT Mobile — which was shuttered to new users in 2023 — will reopen for new and existing BT broadband customers in the near future.

BT Mobile plans will be eSIM-only and come with AI-driven spam detection tools as standard. Similar tools already exist on the BT-owned EE network, but EE charges customers £2 per month to access them.

This is just one of the ways in which BT will differentiate its two mobile brands. “Different customers want different things,” Claire Gillies, CEO, Consumer at BT Group, explained in a panel discussion attended by TechRadar, “and each of our brands will have its own unique set of attributes [...] BT Mobile and EE will live alongside [one another], serving the customers that are best suited to [each brand]. We’ll target them separately."

“We have a population on BT who talk about reliability. They talk about security, they talk about the support they get — having a UK-based call center continues to be very important to that population. And then you have the EE customer, who is [part of] a busy family home, who's looking for the latest innovations in tech, the fastest networks."

“But some customers would prefer to have all of their services conveniently from one provider,” Gillies continued. “And to date, those customers have been looking elsewhere for mobile, whether that’s towards our EE brand or others in the market. This is an opportunity to bring more to them in a more convenient way, and, of course, provide the benefits that come with that, including a better, more reliable network, and a more secure network, because we're starting with security built into those mobile plans.”

BT Group's CEO, Allison Kirkby, was similarly bullish about the ease with which consumers will perceive the differences between BT Mobile and EE: “We’ve been running with multiple brands for well over a year now, and we're very clear [about] how we can differentiate the brands so that they're complementary to each other. We've also learned a lot about how to better target [customers] so that the two brands working together can be more than some of their parts.”

• BT reveals host of new offerings for businesses and consumer users across the UK
• Business users will now get free security tools as part of BT contract
• BT also selected as official telecoms partner of Euro 2028

BT has announced a host of new updates and upgrades for its customers across the UK, as well as revealing it has been chosen as the official telecommunications partner for the upcoming Euro 2028 football tournament.

Launching a new "Behind Brilliant Things" at London's Wembley Stadium, the company unveiled a host of new announcements as it looks to continue its role as a mainstay of UK connectivity.

Along with its Euro 2028 news, the company also revealed the comeback of its BT Mobile brand, new eSIM offerings, and extra security tools for business and customer accounts.

Euro 2028 and more

"As the connector of the country, BT really matters, especially when it comes to events that connect the country, unite the country and showcase the country to the rest of the world," noted Allison Kirkby, Chief Executive, BT Group.

Since the start of the decade, BT has been the single biggest investor of all FTSE companies into UK infrastructure, she added, with the group spending £25 billion to become "digital backbone" of the country in what Kirkby called "a once in a generation investment."

This puts BT on track to reach more than 90% of UK homes and businesses by the end of the decade - a major rise from the current two-thirds.

The company already connects over a million businesses across the UK, along with public sector partners, making it a crucial ally for firms around the country.

"BT really is the only UK operator with the ability, the security expertise, and the operational resilience that can deliver connectivity of this magnitude across the UK," added Jon James, CEO Business.

"BT is trusted every day to deliver the services that help the UK succeed."

In order to help maintain this success, James revealed "a significant upgrade" to the security tools BT offers business customers across the UK, who will now receive Cyber Threat Protect, a new security solution powered by CrowdStrike, free of charge.

"BT is delivering big security for small and medium businesses, at a time when cybercrime has never been more worrying," James added.

Set to be held across 9 cities and broadcast to over 2 billion fans worldwide, Kirkby noted how Euro 2028 offers BT a huge opportunity to show off the state of its network, as well as providing a lasting technology legacy to continue after the tournament.

"Only BT could be behind moments," she said, adding , "you can't always see it, but we're there...trusted to connect homes, businesses and communities, trusted to protect families, organizations and critical public services, and trusted to supercharge the UK - powering progress, so everyone can thrive in this digital age."

• Three is introducing speed caps on phone, SIM Only, and mobile broadband plans for new and upgrading customers
• The cap is 100Mbps in most cases, with Pay As You Go having a lower cap
• Existing customers aren't affected, and contract customers will be able to pay extra to remove the cap

Three seems to have just taken a step backwards, because where previously you could get uncapped 5G on all of its plans at no extra cost, the network has now implemented speed caps.

Specifically, new Pay Monthly mobile plans (meaning contracts on SIM Only or with a new handset) will have a 100Mbps speed cap, and so will mobile broadband plans. It is still possible to get uncapped speeds, but you’ll have to either choose a new ‘Lite+’ plan or pay an extra £4 a month.

On Pay As You Go, the cap is instead 25Mbps — or 50Mbps if you have an automatically renewing pack.

That’s quite a reduction compared to what the network is actually capable of — in a January 2026 report, for example, Opensignal found that the average 5G download speed on Three was 187Mbps. But now, to get that, you’ll have to pay £4 extra a month on the company’s new Pay Monthly plans, and there’s no way to uncap your speeds on Pay As You Go.

The only good news here is that these changes don’t affect existing contract customers, and if you’re currently on an auto-renewing Pay As You Go plan, then you’ll also retain uncapped speeds while you stick with the same pack.

But of course, when you come to upgrade your contract, or if you ever change your Pay As You Go pack, then you will have these caps put in place.

The merger might be to blame

The internet, understandably, is not best pleased by this change, with Reddit reactions including “time to leave”, “my to-do list has moved away from Three on it”, and “the merger should never have been allowed through.” That last quote references Three’s merger with Vodafone, which might be to blame for these new speed caps, especially as Vodafone itself restricts speeds on some of its plans.

Interestingly, these changes don’t appear to apply to MVNOs (Mobile Virtual Network Operators) that operate on Three’s network yet, with iD Mobile confirming that there are not currently any speed caps on its network.

So, as well as typically being cheaper than Three, its MVNOs may now have a clear advantage — though how long that will last remains to be seen, with iD Mobile also noting that “the industry trend is clearly moving toward tiered speeds.”

Still, for now, if you’re on Three and due an upgrade — or were considering switching to Three — you might want to look at one of its MVNOs instead.

I love my SIM-only rolling contract. It delivers a huge amount of data, unlimited calls, and best of all, there's no commitment. If your contract is up or you're looking to switch contracts, then you'll want to know Smarty is offering a double data upgrade that gets you 80GB for £10 a month.

This is one of the huge benefits of going with a rolling contract: if I want more data or find a better deal elsewhere, then I can jump over without any hassle at all. But, with 80GB of data, that's enough to cover all your app downloads, video watching, and social media browsing.

But, if that's not enough, a 200GB SIM will only cost you £15 per month. This is the perfect solution if you're streaming shows and movies with your mobile data.

These SIM cards will work on your existing handset, or if you're thinking about buying one of the new Samsung Galaxy S26 phones, then they're compatible too.

Today’s best cheap SIM-only deal

Smarty provides simple, honest, SIM-only plans, including eSIMs. Every plan is good value and so flexible, so it can be changed or cancelled at any time. If you've never heard of Smarty, the company also utilises Three's network, which means they're able to deliver a reliable service.

My SIM plan includes 10GB, which allows me to watch videos, download apps, play games, and browse the web. The 80GB package that Smarty is offering here is therefore more than sufficient to cover most people's needs.

There's also EU roaming included up to a fair 12GB limit, which I'm sure will be sufficient for most holiday trips. To top it all off, the plan includes unlimited calls and texts as well as WiFi calling.

It's also worth checking out our cheap phone deals and mobile phone deals if you're looking to save money on your next handset.

The EE network experienced major problems with outgoing calls for a short period today, but the issues appear to have now been fixed.

The issues problems started at around 3.50pm GMT, when a large spike in reports from customers hit 6,700 by 4.17pm GMT on Downdetector and a peak of about 7,800 at 4.20pm GMT. Most reported being unable to make phone calls, although some said this also hit incoming calls.

Fortunately, the number of reports quickly dropped over the next hour and EE confirmed to us that it had fixed the issue. A spokesperson said that "for a short time some customers had intermittent issues when making outbound mobile calls", but that "service has been restored quickly".

Here's what happened during EE's latest outage, which fortunately wasn't anywhere near the scale of the one that hit phone calls on BT and Vodafone too in July 2025.

That's quite a spike

While nothing is yet official, there are definitely problems on the EE network right now – at the time of writing, there are over 9,300 reports on Downdetector (above).

Most of those (87%) are reporting issues with mobile signal, with many in the comments on Downdetector and on social media saying that they can't make calls.

EE hasn't commented yet to acknowledge any widespread problems, but I'm contacting them now and will update this liveblog if I hear anything.

Mostly affecting phone calls

X is now littered with posts like the one above from EE customers saying that they can't make phone calls.

Some say they can't make or receive calls, while others are reporting that they are getting incoming calls but can't call anyone.

This feels like a technical fault in the same vein as the one that hit the network in July 2025, which also affected mobile calls. But we're still yet to get any official comment from EE on what's causing today's problems.

Good news on the horizon?

I've contacted EE for comment, but there are signs that this outage could fortunately be a short-lived one.

A few comments on Downdetector are reporting that "calling is back now" and that it's worth trying again if you're on the network.

The recent spike in reports has also dropped back down to just over 5,800 from a peak of 8,400 at 4.22pm GMT – so let's hope it keeps moving in that direction.

This one could be over soon

If you're still having problems with mobile calls on the EE network, you're increasingly in the minority – the number of reports on Downdetector has plummeted to just under 1,500 at the time of writing, so it very much looks like this has been a temporary blip for most.

Hopefully, that graph continues in the same direction, and the evidence on social media suggests that'll be the case. There haven't been any new posts from frustrated EE customers on X for around half an hour, so whatever caused this glitch seems to have been fixed very quickly.

I'll been keeping an eye out for any residual issues, but fortunately it looks like this outage has been a very minor one compared to the moment when EE, BT and Vodafone went down for thousands in July 2025.

A statement from EE

It looks like today's calls outage is over for the vast majority of people – and EE has now given me a statement confirming that.

An EE spokesperson told us: “Earlier this afternoon, for a short time some customers had intermittent issues when making outbound mobile calls. Service has been restored quickly and we apologise for any inconvenience caused. All other EE services were not impacted.”

That is backed up by the number of reports on Downdetector, which is now under the 500 mark and heading back towards baseline levels. Fortunately, it looks like we can wrap this one up, although as always I'll be keeping an eye out for any aftershocks.

• BT and Three networks went down in June and July
• Connections to emergency services were affected
• Ofcom is now investigating the culpability of the networks

Update, December 16: We've updated this story with statements from BT and Three.

Original story follows:

Cell phone outages aren't just an inconvenience, they can actually put lives at risk if emergency service calls are disrupted – and Ofcom has announced it's investigating BT and Three over major downtime that happened in July of this year.

For BT, there was a software-related issue that caused BT and EE systems to break down on the 24th and 25th of July 2025. As you might remember if you use those providers, customers couldn't make or receive calls, or get in touch with the emergency services.

A separate incident also affected the Three network across the UK on the 25th of June, so this was clearly a bad couple of months for the country's networks. Again, customers were left unable to reach the police, ambulance, and fire services through their mobiles.

These incidents were reported by the companies involved, a legal requirement once disruption hits a certain level. It's Ofcom's job as the regulator to decide how responsible the service providers are – and whether or not the issues could have been prevented.

We asked both Three and BT for their reactions to the news. A BT spokesperson said: "We are aware that Ofcom has begun an investigation into the technical fault impacting voice calls on our network on 24th and 25th July 2025. We will co-operate fully with Ofcom throughout the investigation and apologise again for any issues caused by this incident."

Meanwhile, a Three spokesperson told us: “Three experienced disruption to voice services following an exceptional spike in network traffic triggered by a third-party software configuration change. Since the outage, we have engaged openly with Ofcom and will continue to cooperate fully with their investigation."

'Appropriate and proportionate measures'

"Mobile operators are required to take appropriate and proportionate measures to identify and reduce the risks and prepare for the occurrence of anything that compromises the availability, performance or functionality of their network or service," says Ofcom.

"Our investigations will seek to establish the facts surrounding these incidents and assess whether there are reasonable grounds to believe that BT and Three have failed to comply with their regulatory obligations."

If Ofcom decides that BT and Three have failed in their duty to keep their networks up and running, a hefty fine is the most likely outcome. Last year, BT was fined £17.5 million by Ofcom for a failure of its service that blocked thousands of 999 calls.

Customers would probably settle for being able to connect to the cellular service they're paying for, when they need to. Both BT and Three say they are cooperating with the investigation, and hopefully taking steps to stop these problems from happening again.

I've been on a SIM-only rolling contract for as long as I can remember, and I would honestly never go back to a 12 or 24-month contract. I love the ability to cancel at any time – and I can guarantee I'm always on the best deal. One such deal available right now is this Smarty triple data upgrade from 8GB to 24GB for only £7 per month.

That's a ridiculously low price for enough data to watch TV shows and movies, play games, and download apps.

The promotion is available for up to 15 consecutive months and then your plan will revert to the 8GB data package. However, as with these rolling contracts, you can cancel whenever you want if you find a better offer or want to add more data.

Today’s best cheap SIM-only deal

Smarty is known for its flexible and affordable SIM plans. With so many consumers wanting cheap data plans that can be cancelled at any time, Smarty delivers exactly that. The company also utilises Three's network, which means they're able to deliver a reliable service.

The deal includes 24GB of data, which is more than sufficient to stream TV shows and music as well as download apps. There's also EU Roaming included up to a fair 12GB limit, which I'm sure will be sufficient for most holiday trips. To top it all off, the plan includes unlimited calls and texts as well as WiFi calling.

This is one of the best SIM-only deals available at the moment, but if it doesn't quite hit the spot, then you'll want to take a look at these cheap phone deals or the best mobile phone deals instead.

• O2 has given many of its customers a mid-contract price hike
• In some cases, this price rise is 40% more than expected
• Ofcom says it's "disappointed by O2's decision" and has revealed tips

Update, October 31: An O2 spokesperson reached out to us with the following statement about its price hikes.

“As acknowledged by Ofcom in its letter to providers, its rules do not prevent companies from increasing annual price changes – for example, to invest in improving networks. The changes we have announced in no way breach any regulatory rules," the said.

 “We appreciate that price changes are never welcome, but demand for mobile connectivity is greater than ever, and any price change customers see on their bills is greatly outweighed by the £700m we invest each year into our mobile network to meet this growing demand. We have written directly to customers about this change, and they are able to exit without penalty if they wish.”

Original story follows:

O2 customers are understandably unhappy this week as a surprise mid-contract price hike has pushed their bills up by 40% more than they were previously told.

In an email sent to affected customers (below), O2 has said that from April 2026, their contract will increase by £2.50 a month instead of the previously stated £1.80 per month. In other words, that'll cost customers an extra £30 per year, rather than £21.60.

This price hike affects everyone on mobile and SIM-only contracts, unless you're on O2's 'Essential Plan'. And the UK's communications watchdog, Ofcom, has just heavily criticized the move.

“We are disappointed by O2’s decision. This goes against the spirit of our rules which are designed to ensure greater certainty and transparency for customers when they sign up," a spokesperson told us.

Ofcom has also given the UK's mobile networks, not just O2, a slap on the wrist. "Today, we’ve written to the major mobile companies reminding them of their obligations to treat customers fairly. We encourage any customer who wants to avoid these price rises to exercise their right to exit without penalty and sign up to a new deal, following our five top tips," the spokesperson added.

In order to exit your contract without a penalty, you need to do this within 30 days of O2 telling you about the price hike. And to help with that process, Ofcom has also revealed its four other main tips for those affected.

What are your options?

Ofcom's five tips for O2 customers – or customers on other networks in a similar situation – start with that penalty-free contract-cancellation option. In short, "your provider must give 30 days’ notice and let you exit your contract penalty free if they increase prices beyond what you agreed when you signed up", Ofcom says.

The obvious next tip is to shop around with price comparison sites like GoCompareand USwitch to find the best alternative deals. For example, Smarty (on Three's network) and Talkmobile (which piggybacks on Vodafone) currently offer compelling SIM-only deals with unlimited data right now.

You can also use the 'text-to-switch' process to leave O2 quickly. That just involves texting 'INFO' to 85075, which is a free service that gets the process started with some simple instructions.

Fourthly, Ofcom says you should also consider if you're eligible for a cheaper social tariff – these are often branded 'essential' or 'basic'. If you're claiming Universal Credit, Pension Credit, or other benefits, you could be eligible for one – to see the full list of available options check out Ofcom's social tariff page. They're cheaper and, helpfully, the price doesn't go up mid-contract.

Lastly, it's worth considering which network offers the best coverage in your area. While it isn't a perfect (its guides are based on predictions from mobile networks and crowdsourced samples) Ofcom's Map Your Mobile tool is a handy way to get a rough idea by searching your post code.

Analysis: The only answer for now is to switch

A number of O2 customers have been venting their frustration about the decision on the likes of X (formerly Twitter). Richard Webster (above) asked "how are O2 allowed to get away with increasing phone bills by 16.9%", while @silentplayer said "leaving providers is the only way you're listened to these days".

The issue has also prompted Martin Lewis from MoneySavingExpert to send an open letter to MPs asking them to "step in to stop mobile, broadband and pay-TV firms increasing prices mid contract by more than they said they would when people sign up".

Lewis also said O2's price hike "makes a mockery" of Ofcom's 'pounds and pence' consumer protection regime, which was introduced earlier this year – and subsequently also avoided by Sky, which said it simply wouldn't tell customers about price hikes before they signed up.

Commenting on its previous attempt to keep the networks in check, an Ofcom spokesperson said that "we want customers to have certainty about their monthly mobile bills" and "that’s why earlier this year we banned unpredictable price rises linked to inflation and instead required providers to tell customers upfront in pounds and pence about any increases in their contract".

Unfortunately, that hasn't been enough to stop the unexpected, above-inflation price hikes – so more drastic government action could be necessary. In the meantime, it could be time to switch to a new network using the tips above.

T-Mobile's 5G home internet plans were already a decent value, but a new deal at the carrier is making them an even better choice this week.

For a limited time, you'll be able to get up to $300 back in the form of a prepaid Mastercard when you sign up for one of the carrier's internet plans. That's a great little freebie that's perfect for driving down costs even further, although according to the T&C's, you can spend it on whatever you like!

If you're already a T-Mobile customer, this could be a great option since you'll not only get the gift card but also additional discounts for bundling your mobile and internet plan together. Note, there's also a five-year price guarantee on all three home internet plans at T-Mobile currently - yet another reason to consider signing up.

T-Mobile 5G home internet deal

• See more: check out all of today's deals at T-Mobile

T-Mobile’s 5G Home Internet is a flexible and affordable alternative to traditional broadband, starting at just $35 per month when bundled with phone service. All plans include unlimited data on T-Mobile’s expansive 5G network, a free 5G Gateway device, and a five-year price guarantee. Depending on the tier, you’ll also get perks like advanced cybersecurity features, 24/7 support, and even free Hulu and Paramount+ subscriptions with the top-tier All-In plan. To check your availability, simply use the zip-code checker provided on the T-Mobile site.

While 5G internet isn’t as fast or consistent as fiber or cable, it’s a great choice for everyday use like browsing, streaming, and working from home if you want something simple and contract-free. Plans range from $50 to $70 per month (or $35 to $55 with a wireless bundle), and all include taxes and fees upfront. There’s also a 15-day trial with free returns if you’re not satisfied. For those in eligible areas, T-Mobile’s 5G Home Internet is a low-hassle way to stay connected, and the free Mastercard gift card is a nice bonus.

Thousands of EE, BT and Vodafone users experienced voice calling issues for over two days this week, but the problems now seem to (finally) be sorted.

The outage first started on Thursday, July 24 at around 11am BST and appeared to be resolved later that day, before the mobile and landline issues re-emerged on Friday, July 25.

Frustrated users continued to report being unable to receive or make calls throughout Friday, but on Saturday, July 25 both EE and BT announced on X that an overnight fix had returned their services to normal.

Both networks say they that they "continue to conduct enhanced monitoring to prevent recurrence", but that voice calling should now be back to normal. Here's how the epic outage played out, what might have caused it and all of the latest advice if you're still having lingering issues...

The latest news

• EE and BT say a fix means services are now "running as normal"
• The voice calling outage started on Thursday, July 24 at 11am BST
• Thousands were affected over two days across EE, BT and Vodafone

Problems at most major networks?

This is an unusual situation – there appear to be spikes in reports of issues at all of the major UK networks, including EE, Vodafone and O2. There's a smaller, less notable spike at Three.

We typically see mobile outages hit multiple networks when they're related MVNOs (Mobile Virtual Network Operator), who share the same cell network. But this morning's issues appear to be hitting all of the big networks simultaneously.

Vodafone responds

While it isn't an official statement from Vodafone acknowledging issues, the network's customer service reps on X are responding to some irate customers stating that "due to some technical issues" some will be experiencing issues with making and receiving calls.

Vodafone's X account says that the network is working to "fix this as soon as possible". I'm following up with them to see if there's an official statement on the problems.

The reports continue to rise

The reports of network issues are still steadily rising on Downdetector for both EE and Vodafone. At the time of writing, the spike for EE has shot above the 1,300 mark, and has climbed particularly sharply in the last 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, over on Vodafone the reports are only slightly lower at around 850. If they continue in this direction, I'll be expecting a statement from both networks about the issues (which mainly seem to be affecting calls) pretty soon.

Lebara also affected – and is Three now involved?

Because Lebara is part of the Vodafone network, it's also experiencing some issues today –with a notable spike of reports on Downdetector.

And now Three, which suffered the UK's last major network outage in late June, is also showing a small but significant rise in reports, currently standing at the 300 mark.

It's possible this is related to the problems on EE and Vodafone (with Three customers unable to get through on those other networks), and I don't currently have any problems on Three. But it's another one I'll be keeping an eye on.

No statements from the networks yet

I've contacted both EE and Vodafone for a statement on the ongoing issues with calls that many are experiencing, but haven't heard back yet – I'll update this liveblog as soon as I do.

Strangely, there's been little official acknowledgement of the problems on the likes of X, too. Vodafone is asking customers to send it private DMs about their issues, while EE's account says it's passing reports onto "the relevant team to look into".

While the outages aren't quite on the UK-wide scale of Three's last month, they are now affecting enough people to require an acknowledgement that they exist and an estimated timescale for a possible fix. Hopefully, that'll come soon if the reports continue to rise.

The problems are specific to calls

Across both EE and Vodafone, the reported issues are mainly related to phone calls (both outgoing and incoming).

But as the X post above suggests, the problems may also be specific to making calls to people on other networks – which would explain why we've seen simultaneous spikes across both EE and Vodafone.

I'm still awaiting statements from both networks on the exact cause, and a timescale for a resolution, and will let you know as soon as I hear anything.

An unusual network outage

This morning's problems across Vodafone and EE – and related networks like Lebara – are pretty unusual. They aren't a typical nationwide outage, where we use a large surge in reports, or a temporary blip where the reports quickly drop again.

This means it's likely a more specific technical issue. On Downdetector, a couple of comments have pointed the finger at 'SIP trunk providers', which connect business phone systems to public phone networks via the internet.

There's speculation that the ultimate fault lies with EE, but we'll hopefully get an official statement soon to put the rumors and uncertainty to bed.

A statement from BT

EE, which is a part of the BT group, has just sent me this short statement from a BT spokesperson: “We’re currently addressing an issue impacting our services. We apologise for any inconvenience caused; we’re working urgently to fix this issue and will provide a further update as soon as possible."

That doesn't shed too much light on the issues, but it seems the problem lies with the BT infrastructure underlying the mobile networks and broadband. I'll let you know as soon as I get that further update.

BT landlines also hit

While the biggest number of reported issues has been with phone calls on EE, there has been a large spike in reports of problems on BT landlines, too. That makes more sense now we know that the root cause of the problems seems to be from BT's infrastructure, according to its spokeperson.

A number of people on X have reported being unable to make or receive landline phone calls on BT. Some are also reporting that the helpdesk number is down.

BT's official account on X has only replied stating that it will share the complaints with its team to investigate, but at least BT's official statement (below) is more revealing. Hopefully there's a fix coming soon.

Vodafone says it has no issues

I've just heard back from a Vodafone spokesperson who's simply stated that "there is no problem with the Vodafone network".

That doesn't necessarily mean that Vodafone customers aren't experiencing any issues today, but it appears that these could simply be the knock-on effect of contacting those on EE or BT landlines.

This means it increasingly looks like the root problem is with BT and EE, which have both acknowledged the issue and "working urgently to fix" it. I'm chasing up BT for an update now and will update this liveblog as soon as I get one.

Signs of improvement?

I haven't yet received an updated statement from BT and its official X account is continuing to tell panicked customers that it's still "working urgently" to fix the issue.

On the plus side, the reports on Downdetector (below) seem to be dropping for EE and BT, as is the knock-on effect on the likes of Vodafone and O2. Curiously, Three UK (and related networks like ID Mobile) seems to be bucking the trend, suggesting there could be a separate issue there.

But in the main, the trend is looking positive – now all we need is some confirmation of a fix from BT to continue the promising news.

What's the main problem?

The bulk of complaints from EE customers are that they can't make or receive phone calls. For some, this seems to be universal problem across all networks, while for others it only affects calling other networks outside EE.

One TechRadar reader, who is on EE, messaged me to say that they can call others on EE, but not on other networks. They reported this to EE but it told them the local network was running without issue. EE seems to have changed its tune on social media since then, stating (like the BT statement) that "we’re currently addressing an issue impacting our services".

Over on BT, the issue is related more to landlines, where customers are again reporting being unable to make or receive calls. I've just chased up BT and EE for an update and will report back if I hear anything.

A nationwide issue

While BT and EE haven't expanded on the issue that's continuing to hit their landline and mobile networks, it's clear from Downdetector that this is a UK-wide issue.

The heat map of reports for EE (above) shows they've come from across the country, from London up to Glasgow. It's a similar story when you look at the map for BT, and the sources of the comments on the site and on X.

So while we've seen outages with a far higher spike in reports (for example, Three UK in late June), it's clear this one is still far-reaching and significant. I've asked BT and EE for another update on a rough timescale for a fix, as many customers are understandably getting frustrated at this point.

The problems persist

Sadly, that downward trend in reported issues from an hour ago hasn't continued in the right direction, with EE showing a spike from around 4.30pm BST.

It's a similar story on BT, while Vodafone – which maintains that it has no issues of its own – has gone back above the 1,000 mark again. Unfortunately, it looks like this one is going to run into the evening, but I'll update you as soon as I hear anything more (hopefully with better news).

An update from Vodafone

Earlier, Vodafone told me that there was "no problem" with its network, and that reported issues from its customers were all a knock-on effect from EE and BT.

However, with reported problems around incoming and outgoing calls continuing on Downdetector, I asked if it had an update. A Vodafone spokesperson told me: "Due to the ongoing EE network issue, and the way number porting works across networks, customers who have ported from EE to Vodafone or Three may experience issues too".

So that could certainly help explain why Vodafone's graph on Downdetector remains high at over 1,000 reports, at the time of writing. Presumably, once BT and EE fixes the root cause, that number should come down...

BT update – it's still working on a fix

BT has just got back to me with a small update. The main statement from a BT spokesperson is similar to before: "We’re currently addressing an issue impacting our services. We apologise for any inconvenience caused; we’re working urgently to fix this issue and will provide a further update as soon as possible”.

However, it also added that 999 is working as normal and that customers can and should continue using that, despite the wider voice calling issues. It also said that it's assessing the impact for customers and stressed that it is working hard to fully restore services for them.

Unfortunately, there's still no timescale for when that's going to happen, so customers will have to remain patient into this evening.

EE and BT customer services lines also down

Just to compound today's frustrations, the customer service phone lines for EE and BT also appear to be down right now.

I tried EE and that is still the case right now. I was prompted to try after a TechRadar reader emailed me to say that their son works in an EE call centre and that they were all down.

While it's possible to get through to BT's customer service, it sends you in a loop that makes it impossible to pick any options or speak to an advisor, suggesting there are still issues there too.

According to the BBC, the UK communications regulator Ofcom has also said that it's in contact with BT "to establish the scale and cause of the problem as soon as possible". So it looks like this sadly won't be a quick fix from here.

Is the problem fixed?

Good morning, BT and EE now say that yesterday's network problem – which affected mobile and landline calls for thousands – are now fixed. In the statement above, it says that "the service is running as normal".

However, that doesn't seem to be the case for everyone. On Downdetector, reports are starting to rise again this morning – on EE, for example, the reports are already at 380 and rising.

I'll be getting in touch with both networks this morning to find out what might be causing these residual issues and will update this liveblog as soon as I hear back.

Starlink briefly joined the outage party

If you thought satellite networks might be the answer to regular mobile or landline outages, Starlink yesterday gave us a brief reminder that they aren't infallible either.

In a completely unrelated outage yesterday at 3pm ET / 8pm BST, Starlink went down with reports hitting over 60,000 in the US and 10,000 in the UK on Downdetector.

If anything, it shows how many people are now reliant on satellite-based internet services, and that they too can be vulnerable to outages. Starlink's issues were, though, far more short-lived than EE and BT's, lasting only a few hours.

In fairness, it was also a rare incident for Starlink, which now has around six million users across 140 countries. Starlink's VP of Engineering Michael Nicolls said that it was due to a "failure of key internal software services that operate the core network".

He added that Starlink "will fully root cause this issue and ensure it does not occur again", which is a little more bullish than EE and BT have been on their issues...

This isn't over yet...

Oh dear, despite EE and BT's statement yesterday that the issues were fixed and that services were "running as normal", that doesn't seem to be the case according to Downdetector.

We've just seen big spikes in reports on EE, BT and Vodafone, with EE jumping above the 1,000 mark. Are these just teething issues from yesterday or a new problem? I've asked EE and BT what users can do if they're still experiencing problems, and will report back.

A repeat of yesterday?

This morning's spike in reported issues on EE and BT isn't matching yesterday's peak, but it is around halfway there. The problems appear to be the same – being unable to make or receive calls, although mobile data remains largely fine.

There's also a large spike on Vodafone, although this again appears to be related to the EE issues and calling people on that network. One Vodafone user on Downdetector has just noted that "I can’t call EE phones from Vodafone again today – it worked last night but it’s gone again today".

Interestingly, today's issues have started at an almost identical time to yesterday, around 11am BST. I've asked EE and BT for an update.

The frustrations continue

There still hasn't been any acknowledgement of this morning's issues from EE or BT.

Considering the reports are consistently back up to over half of yesterday's peak, this doesn't appear to be a temporary blip – and Vodafone is also seeing a similar spike, despite the network's protestations that its issues are a knock-on effect of customers being unable to call those on EE or BT.

If this continues, we'd expect to get an official update soon. The communication from all networks has been pretty sluggish, but hopefully this morning's problems won't drag on as long as yesterday. I'll update you as soon as I get a response.

Still no sign of a complete fix

Despite BT and EE's statement yesterday, it seems the issue isn't properly fixed. Reports of problems with phone calls have spiked again on EE, Vodafone, Lebara (which is on the Vodafone network) and, to a lesser extent, on BT landlines.

Frustratingly, EE's customer service lines also appear to be down again – I've tried the 07953 966 150 number recommended by EE customer service, and it isn't going through. I've tried a few numbers for BT too, and it's the same case there. I've asked EE and BT for an another update on what's happening and when there might be a fix.

Vodafone is also affected, but why? Yesterday, the network told me the issues were related to number porting across networks, so those who have ported from EE to Vodafone may also be affected. It certainly doesn't seem to be a simple issue to fix...

An update from BT and EE

I've just heard from BT spokesperson who has said: "Following yesterday's technical fault, we are currently experiencing some voice call issues today. The impact appears to be less widespread but we are working to resolve this as soon as possible and sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused".

There's no estimate of a timescale, but it's good to hear some acknowledgement of the issues many have been experiencing today.

The problems persist

I'd like to be able to bring better news, but the problems that have been troubling EE, BT and Vodafone since yesterday – and spiked again today at 11am BST – are showing no real sign of improving.

There continue to be over 1,000 reports on Downdetector for EE and Vodafone, while BT landline issues continue to rumble on at a slightly lower (but still significant) level.

The response from both EE and BT continues to be that they are "experiencing some voice call issues today" that are "less widespread" than yesterday, but they're working to resolve them "as soon as possible".

Many understandably frustrated customers will be hoping that means before the weekend...

This is still affecting people

Phone network problems like today's aren't just an inconvenience for many people – they're also hitting businesses and, on some worrying occasions, emergency services.

Messages like the above have been common on social media since yesterday, and I've also received many several from people who feel quite powerless in the absence of fully working customer service lines.

One reader, who is actually on Vodafone, gave an insight into how random the issues can be. They said they have two identical phones in the same room and on the same network, but calls to one of them go straight to voicemail.

They added that they can make outgoing calls on it and receive calls on WhatsApp, but no more – adding that they're "not sure what to do as it’s affecting my business".

Separately, Richie Harrison (Ops Manager for the IT service provider Koris365) told me yesterday that the "biggest impact to our customers has been the call routing through Gamma systems that rely on the affected carriers, which have degraded or failed entirely". Some of those customers include Blue-Light services and hospitals.

Yesterday, we also saw the likes of South Western Ambulance and the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service post messages on X stating that the network issues were affecting 999 calls, although these have apparently since been resolved.

EE and BT told me again today that customers could and should use 999 as normal, so at least those issues seem to be sorted – but the impact of this extended outage continues for many.

Vodafone takes the baton

We're now well into day two of these major UK phone network issues – and while the bulk of the focus has been on EE and BT, who appear to be the root cause of the problems, Vodafone has also been significantly affected. In fact, it now has the highest number of reports on Downdetector at over 1,150 at the time of writing.

So why are Vodafone users still experiencing issues? Vodafone's social media channels have been frustratingly quiet, so allow me to fill the gap. Yesterday, the network told me: "Due to the ongoing EE network issue, and the way number porting works across networks, customers who have ported from EE to Vodafone or Three may experience issues too".

Unfortunately, that's the latest statement I've received from Vodafone. I did also receive a separate message from someone who works in an NHS Trust that uses EE, who similarly claimed that the issues were thought to be a routing problem affecting ported numbers. While I haven't been able to verify that source, it would explain why Vodafone users might be affected by an EE / BT problem, and why some numbers on EE haven't been affected at all.

It does also explain why these issues have lasted so long – this isn't a more traditional outage like the one we saw from Three in late June, but a seemingly more complex one that will (fingers crossed) hopefully be resolved by the weekend.

Let's hope for better news tomorrow...

Unfortunately, the latest from EE and BT remains that earlier statement at 3pm BST that the networks are working to resolve the voice calling issues that have now plagued customers for two days (with a brief respite).

Meanwhile, the reports from frustrated customers on both networks, plus Vodafone continue to rumble on, despite falling back to lower night-time levels.

We'll see how that plays out tomorrow, but this is the longest (and possibly strangest) network outage I've ever reported on. Fingers crossed for a resolution, or at least an official update, in the morning...

Welcome to day three

We're now into the third day of the voice calling issues that have hit ET, BT and Vodafone. The good news is that reports of outages on the networks are currently quite low, but also growing. But the bad is that there's still no official fix for the problems that have dogged some users since 11am BST on Thursday July 24.

It'll be interesting to see what happens this morning, particularly around 11am BST. For the last two days, that's when we've started to see a spike in reports across EE, BT and Vodafone. Yesterday was slightly better than Thursday, but the issues – thought to be due to an EE routing problem affecting ported numbers across all three networks – still affected thousands.

I'll be reporting on the latest news and, hopefully, an official fix from EE and BT.

Promising signs

While there's still been no official statement from EE or BT, there are signs that the network and voice calling issues of the past few days are finally petering out.

Over on Downdetector (above), there's been no sign of the mid-morning spikes in reports that we saw on Thursday and Friday, and social media complaints have also quietened down. Currently, the graphs are only a little above average across all three networks.

I'll be attempting to get an official statement so we can wave the finishing flag on this epic, cross-network outage, but for now the news is finally looking positive. Phew.

It's finally over (hopefully)

Good news, everyone – EE and BT have just posted a statement saying that an overnight fix seems to have done the trick and services are now "running as normal". That appears to be backed up by Downdetector reports, which are back to just above average on both networks and Vodafone.

That should mark the end of the longest-running network outage I've reported on. It fortunately didn't affect everyone, but those who were hit endured two days of frustrations. EE and BT still haven't specified what cause the voice calling issue, but the most likely culprit is an EE routing problem that affected ported numbers across all three networks.

If you were affected financially by the outage, I'll be back with the official advice on the potential for compensation (as always, it's never straightforward), but for now I'm signing off. Thanks to the many people who contacted us with their experiences on the world's least fun rollercoaster.

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• Vodafone has just passed a major landmark for satellite video calls
• It's demoed a "space video call" using a standard smartphone
• The service will roll out later this year, though there's no pricing yet

Vodafone has announced that it's hit a new milestone in the race to end frustrating cellular 'dead zones' – with what it's calling the "world's first space video call" using a standard mobile phone from "an area of no coverage."

Those qualifiers are important because Starlink and T-Mobile demoed a video call made through X (formerly Twitter) using unmodified phones last year. So Vodafone's claim is specific to making video calls from areas like the remote part of Wales where its demo took place.

Still, it's certainly a significant moment and a big step on Vodafone's path towards adding satellite connectivity to its network by the end of this year in the UK and across Europe "from later in 2025 and 2026."

Rather than replacing existing networks, direct-to-mobile satellite connectivity aims to be a helpful extension that could eliminate "not spots" (or dead zones) in rural areas and also, according to Vodafone, "vast stretches of surrounding sea."

Vodafone claims that its satellite experience "mirrors the experience of existing 4G and 5G mobile networks", although the demo phone call (which you can watch in the video below) certainly showed evidence of lag and low-res footage. We may have to wait for the full roll-out to get a better idea of quality.

The service is provided by BlueBird satellites from Vodafone's partner (and SpaceX rival) AST SpaceMobile. The system is based on five satellites and Vodafone calls it "the first and only mobile broadband network in space" that works directly with standard smartphones.

Rivals systems, like T-Mobile and Starlink's, are currently limited to text messages, although video calls and mobile data are on the roadmap. With AT&T and Verizon also working with AST SpaceMobile to provide a similar service in the US, satellite calling looks ready to take off globally in 2025.

How much will it cost?

The big unknown of Vodafone's satellite connectivity and rival systems is how much they'll cost. Vodafone hasn't yet commented on pricing, only stating that it'll start rolling out the service "following further tests this Spring" (so between March and June).

The need for satellite coverage, particularly video calls, depends greatly on where you live. In the UK, Ofcom has estimated that 9% of the country "lacks good quality 4G coverage from any operator". But those who live in urban areas will also be familiar with phone network "dead zones" caused by interruptions between cell towers.

Apple's iPhones and now Android phones like the Google Pixel 9 series have received free Emergency SOS Satellite features, which can be potential lifesavers. iOS 18 also introduced the ability to text anyone via a satellite connection, plus the option of getting roadside assistance.

It's possible that those services will eventually need a subscription, but Apple hasn't started charging yet. So, the question for mobile networks like Vodafone is how many people will need full mobile broadband via satellite compared to the emergency features that are currently available for free from Apple.

Still, we're not complaining about getting more connectivity options, and competition will hopefully drive the prices of satellite-based services down in the long term.

You might also like

• No iPhone, no problem – this Batman-style location tracker brings satellite messaging to any smartphone
• The end of ‘dead zones’? Starlink’s direct-to-cell satellite service passes big milestone
• How to send satellite messages on iPhone

• UK regulator says the Vodafone and Three merger can go ahead
• Both companies need to commit to price promises and 5G investment
• Vodafone boss has promised that prices won't rise following the merger

The long-mooted merger between Vodafone and Three has been given the green light by regulators, in a move that creates the UK's biggest mobile phone operator. But what does this all mean for customers of both networks?

Ever since the £15bn merger was announced back in June 2023, opinions have been divided on what might happen – and whether or not it'll ultimately be a good deal for customers.

On the downside, evidence given to the Business and Trade Committee last year suggested that the typical result of these mergers is ultimately higher bills for consumers.

But in defending the deal, Vodafone's Chief Executive Margherita Della Valle has promised in an interview with the BBC's Today programme that the deal will be "self-funded" and that means "no extra costs from public funding and no extra cost for our customers".

Today's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) statement says that Vodafone and Three need to agree to legally-binding commitments, including "certain mobile tariffs to be capped for three years" while "virtual mobile providers will have access to pre-set wholesale prices and contract terms".

So what happens next? Here's what experts are predicting.

What's the latest Vodafone and Three merger news?

Today's statement from the CMA (Competition and Markets Authority) marks then end of months of wrangling between Vodafone, Three and the UK watchdog.

Since announcing plans for a huge merger in June 2023, Vodafone and Three have been at loggerheads with the UK's watchdog about whether or not the deal should go through.

But today that process appears to be over, with Vodafone and Three given the green light to merge, based on commitments to investing billions in the UK's 5G network and freeze existing prices on tariffs and data plans for the first few years.

This all follows the CMA's "provisional" declaration a month ago that strongly hinted that it would approve the merger with these stipulations. This is big news for anyone who use mobile networks in the UK – here's what it means...

What are analysts saying about the Vodafone and Three merger?

Opinions are still split on whether or not the Vodafone-Three merger is good news long-term for UK consumers, with the impact likely to hinge on how well the CMA enforces the companies' commitments – but everyone agrees it's a huge shakeup.

"This mega-merger marks one of the most significant moments in the history of UK mobile", according to Kester Mann, Director, Consumer and Connectivity at CCS Insight.

According to Mann, the decision is "the right one" and could be good news for all UK mobile network customers, in the long-term at least. "It should pave the way for more-efficient investments to bring about much-needed improvements to mobile services in the UK".

But not everyone is quite as positive on the impact for consumers. Rocio Concha, Which? Director of Policy and Advocacy, said: "The two companies are currently close competitors so the merger is likely to reduce competitive pressure in the market which could lead to higher prices and lower quality for consumers, at least in the short term".

Concha added that "the CMA has taken a gamble with the package of remedies it has settled on" and that, for it to work for consumers, "the CMA and Ofcom must rigorously monitor whether the merged company sticks to its commitments and be prepared to act decisively if it does not."

What does the Vodafone and Three merger mean for you?

Right now, EE is the UK's most popular mobile network, according to Confused data, with around 25 million customers. O2 is close behind with 24 million customers, with Vodafone and Three currently behind those big two. This merger catapults the joint company (MergeCo) into becoming the new market leader with 29 million customers.

In the short term, little will change for both existing and future customers. Vodafone says "existing Vodafone and Three contracts will stay the same". And the CMA's stipulations mean both networks will need to "commit to retaining certain existing mobile tariffs and data plans for at least three years, protecting millions of current and future Vodafone / Three customers (including customers on their sub-brands) from short-term price rises in the early years of the network plan".

So whether you're on Vodafone, Three, or one of the so-called Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNO) providers that piggyback on both networks, you should be protected from any price rises or big contract changes – for the first few years following the merger, at least.

The question is what happens after that – and in his analysis provided to the Business and Trade Committee on the merger last year, Professor Tommasso Valleti (former chief competition economist at the European Commission) said that "the answer is unambiguous" and that these mergers typically see "prices go up by 16%".

This means the longer-term result of the merger on consumers could come down to how successfully Ofcom (the telecoms regulator) and the CMA get Vodafone and Three to stick to those commitments on mobile tariffs, data plans, and wholesale deals for MVNOs.

Either way, the CMA seems confident that the Vodafone-Three merger will be a net positive for the UK's mobile networks. It says the deal would see "a multi-billion-pound commitment to upgrade the merged company’s network across the UK, including the roll-out of 5G".

In theory, the merger shouldn't have a huge effect on existing Vodafone and Three customers in the short-term, due to the CMA's proposed stipulations. But the long-term landscape of the UK's mobile networks will undoubtedly change – and despite Vodafone's proclamations today, customers could ultimately end up footing some of the bill for those much-needed infrastructure upgrades.

You might also like

• The Vodafone and Three merger could come sooner than thought after major step forward
• Vodafone and Three slam initial CMA findings critiquing merger plans
• The best SIM-only deals in November 2024

Editor's note, Thursday October 10, 2024: We're again seeing reports of Verizon customers struggling to access the service. We've got all the latest details in our new Verizon outage live blog. 

If you’re on Verizon in the United States and encountered dropped calls or slower service on September 30, 2024, you’re not alone. Dozens of reports on Down Detector and customers posting to Threads and X (formerly known as Twitter) at around 10 AM ET. 

All of this indicated that Verizon was having network problems, and the carrier confirmed this, noting that its engineers were looking into it and it took over nine hours to fully fix it (see the full statement below).

Impacted Verizon customers could not make calls, send text messages, or use data. Some customers with an iPhone began seeing SOS or SOS only in place of cellular status bars, which signifies that the device can’t connect to a network. AT&T and T-Mobile both issued statements that their networks were normal. Folks on those carriers trying to reach Verizon customers couldn’t get through and were worried their network was having an outage.

While at 5PM ET, Verizon did note it had begun to restore its impacted network, the carrier didn’t declare a full restoration of services until 7:18PM ET. In full, Verizon said, “Verizon engineers have fully restored today's network disruption that impacted some customers. Service has returned to normal levels.  If you are still having issues, we recommend restarting your device. We know how much people rely on Verizon and apologize for any inconvenience.  We appreciate your patience.”

That network restoration came almost nine and half hours after the issues were first reported, which puts it slightly less in length compared to AT&T’s equally massive outage from earlier in 2024. Since Verizon’s latest statements reported outages on Down Detector as well as customers posting on social media have begun to decrease.

Ahead, you can read the live blog – which is still being updated as of 7:40PM ET – for the latest updates and to read back to when we first started reporting on Verizon’s massive outage on September 30, 2024. And as Verizon wrote, if you’re still having network issues they say to restart it and then we’d add to try resetting Network settings as that can sometimes clear some issues.

Wecome, we're here to report on this ongoing Verizon outage. According to Down Detector, there has been a spike of outage reports since 10AM ET. 

Verizon customers have been taking to social platform Threads to ask if it's just them experiencing network issues and expressing frustration. Down Detector's outage map shows New York, Washington, DC, Atlanta, and Kansas as the areas with the most reported issues, with Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Fransisco following behind. 

Some users note that cellular service reception indicators – aka the bars at the top of a smartphone screen – have disappeared in favor of SOS and a satellite symbol.

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Since reports of the outage first began appearing in the 9AM ET hour, there have been over 105,000 reports of an outage on Down Detector for Verizon, and that appears to be increasing as well. 

Folks note that they cannot dial out or have no network, which results in the SOS icon appearing to replace network bars on a newer iPhone. With this feature, the iPhone can connect to a satellite to help send messages or make calls. It was originally used for Emergency SOS via Satellite but now also functions for Messages via Satellite. 

Like the massive AT&T network outage earlier in 2024, while the reports first started with Verizon, Down Detector is now showing an increase in reports for AT&T and T-Mobile. It's important to remember that these might not be issues with these carriers specifically but rather that you're dialing a number connected to Verizon's network. Even so, we've reached out to both AT&T and T-Mobile to ask about any network disruptions this morning.

Verizon responds to the network outage

Verizon has just responded to us, saying, "We are aware of an issue impacting service for some customers. Our engineers are engaged and we are working quickly to identify and solve the issue."

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the issue can be found and fixed quickly, as it's been ongoing for several hours in a few regions. Verizon has also shared the same statement on its social channels. 

Verizon customers impacted by the outage are still posting about the experience on Threads and X but are now using the tags "VerizonDown" or "VerizonOutage." Some even include the phrase, "Can you hear me now?" as a nod to the carrier's old advertisements. 

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If you have an iPhone and Verizon but are currently seeing SOS or SOS Only in the top status bar on your device, your phone cannot connect to your carrier's cellular network. That lines up with the Verizon outage today if you're a customer, but your iPhone within the United States, Australia, and Canada can still make emergency calls.

Apple has a support document all about SOS or SOS Only appearing on your iPhone, but there isn't much to do aside from waiting for Verizon to fix the issue. You can try restarting your iPhone, or turning on Airplane mode for about 15 seconds to see if it resolves the issue.

If you're just joining us, here's a quick TLDR on what's going on with Verizon this AM. The United States based wireless carrier is currently experiencing a nationwide outage impacting folks all over the country. It's reported that impacted customers cannot make or receive calls and have zero access to data. Some with iPhone's are seeing SOS or SOS Only appear in the top status bar in place of network reception bars, meaning that phone cannot connect to the cellular network.

While outage reports began hours again in the 9AM ET hour, Verizon issued a response shortly after 11:50AM ET, noting that its aware of a service issue and is working fast to "identify and solve" it. 

"VerizonDown" and "VerizonOutage" are trending on Threads and X, as impacted users share there frustrations and expereinces. 

While reported outages on Down Detector for Verizon spiked to over 105,000 at 11:37AM ET, it appears that nearly an hour later, outage reports are dwindling on the site. It currently shows over 70,000 outage reports and a similar heat map for impacted areas across the United States. 

Many affected customers are still posting to Threads and X, though. Some note that due to the outage, 2FA – or two–factor authentication – is failing as codes cannot be received. Similarly, others note they can't make calls and haven't been receiving calls.

AT&T says its network is just fine

AT&T just posted on X (formerly Twitter) that its network is operating just fine, noting that the spike we posted about on Down Detector of reported outages is "likely reflecting challenges our customers are having attempting to connect to users on another network." This means the issue is on Verizon's end, not AT&T's. You can see the full statement above.

T-Mobile has yet to release a comment, but Down Detector still shows a spike in reported outages for them as well.

Considering the largest spark in reported outages on Verizon via Down Detector occurred at 10AM ET, we're now about three hours into this outage. Reports peaked at over 105,000 but have since slowed down to a still sizable 62,001 as of 12:41PM ET on the site. Plenty of users across the United States are still reporting issues on Verizon's network, including not being able to make calls or send texts and even seeing SOS in the top bar if they have an iPhone.

Verizon has not commented further since its first statement at 11:53AM ET, noting that it's aware of the issue and working to solve it. 

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Like AT&T, T-Mobile has responded to us and is quick to note its network is running normally aside from restoration efforts related to Hurricane Helene, which are ongoing. 

The full statement reads, "Based on increased reports on Down Detector related to other providers, we believe our customers may be having challenges connecting with other networks. Outside of some areas where restoration is continuing from Hurricane Helene, our network is operating normally." 

Down Detector reports for T-Mobile are dwindling, currently at 840 as of 12:56PM ET.

Verizon's network is still having issues

While we're still waiting for an update from Verizon on the ongoing network outage, impacted customers are still sharing what's happening. Several have even taken to X and Threads, noting that they've visited a local Verizon store to try and get answers. 

The carrier has updated its "MyVerizon" app with a similar statement at the top noting the network issues, and it is working to identify and resolve them. On Down Detector, reported Verizon outages have slowed down but are currently sitting at over 50,000.

Some folks are trying out Messages via Satellite

Verizon is now displaying the same statement about it's outage near the top of it's websites homepage. It reads, "We are aware of an issue impacting service for some customers. Our engineers are engaged and we are working quickly to identify and solve the issue."

Separately, given that iPhones on Verizon are displaying SOS when the phone can't connect to the network, some users are trying out Messages via Satellite. @sullyj on Threads is dealing with the Verizon outage in Chicago, IL, and wrote, "At least I got to try sending a message via satellite 🛰️." Countless other impacted customers sharing that SOS is display instead of reception bars as well.

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It's now been five hours since a surge of reported outages hit Down Detector, Threads, and X, noting that Verizon was experiencing some major issues. The carrier confirmed the network disruption with the statement below, which was about an hour and a half after that. Since then, we haven't received any formal updates from Verizon, but customers impacted by the outage have been vocal on both Threads and X.

If you're on Verizon and experiencing issues, there is a good chance you can make calls or send texts and have a hard time using the internet. If you have an iPhone, you may even see SOS in place of network status bars, as the phone does this when it can't connect to a network. The good news is Verizon is working on the issue to identify and solve it, but the bad news is we don't have a time frame.

While reported outages have started to slow down on Down Detector – it peaked at over 105,000 this AM – it's now beginning to rise at over 49,000 after it slowed to about 48,000. 

Down Detector is still holding steady since our last update with 47,752 reported Verizon outages as of 3:29PM ET. The comments still mentions in California, North Carolina, and Chicago among other locations, with others nothing that even Wi-Fi calling isn't working. 

Verizon has not released any further update since the initial comment, noting that it is working to identify the issue and respond to it. Judging from previous outages, including AT&T's similarly massive one earlier in 2024, it might be a while before Verizon provides an update or explains what went wrong here. Still, it's not stopping impacted customers from asking for more information or expressing frustration on Threads and X. 

Verizon's still having issues, but reports are slightly dwindling

It's clear that Verizon is still having issues – both from the carrier's original statement and frustrated customers posting all over social – but reported outages on Down Detector are starting to slow down a bit.

As of 4:22PM ET, there are 42,453, a drop from 48,000 about an hour ago and quite a drop from 105,000 at 11AM ET. According to the map, New York, Washington, DC, Atlanta, North Carolina, Kansas, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix are all prominent on the corresponding outage map.

Could the Verizon network be rebounding back to normal operations? One would hope, though we haven't received any update from the carrier since its first statement over eight hours ago. According to Down Detector, reported outages from Verizon customers are again slowing down – now sitting at 28,842 as of 5:02PM ET. 

More so, some people are commenting on Down Detector saying that some service is restored, but that's not a widespread notion as of yet.

Verizon says that "service has started to be restored"

Finally, over 8 hours after reports of an outage began to appear, we've just heard from Verizon that its network is now starting to be restored. We don't have exact details on what went wrong, and it might take a bit to get those, but Verizon says its engineers "are making progress on our network issue." You can read the complete statement here:

"Verizon engineers are making progress on our network issue and service has started to be restored. We know how much people rely on Verizon and apologize for any inconvenience some of our customers experienced today. We continue to work around the clock to fully resolve this issue."

There is still no exact timeline for the restoration, but Verizon promises to work around the clock to resolve it. Further, the carrier apologizes, but we have a feeling customers will want to see credits.

Is your service returning if you've been impacted today on Verizon?

Considering the length and extent of Verizon's outage today, it makes sense that the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is aware of it and looking into it. The FCC posted the statement on X (formerly known as Twitter), and many responded, hoping for bill credits. 

While Verizon "has only started" to restore its network, some customers are taking to Threads and X to share that connectivity has returned. This is also in line with a drop to 15,382 reported outages on Down Detector as of 5:29PM ET.

Some users are sharing that Verizon must have turned something back on with text messages arriving in bulk or being able to make calls after a long outage that lasted for most of the day.

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Still, though, it's not a complete network restoration yet, with other users still noting that the service is not back. Given that this was a nationwide outage across the United States, Verizon could take a bit to get all parts of its network back up to normal operations.

Verizon customers are saying service has returned

Outage reports on Down Detector drop below 5,000

Ever since Verizon issued its latest statement confirming that it has begun restoring impacted parts of its network, we've been keeping an eye on Down Detector. As of 6:40PM ET, the number of reported Verizon outages has dropped below 5,000.

As of 6:29PM ET, Down Detector is showing 4,383 reports and countless comments from folks sharing that service has resumed. Of course, it's not a complete return to service, something Verizon didn't give a time frame for but stated its team would be working around the clock to complete. 

Additionally, Down Detector shared a graph of reported outages for Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile for September 30, 2024, confirming that the site received over 1.6 million reports from users. That's quite a bit, but of course, it's important to note AT&T and T-Mobile did not have outages today, just Verizon.

Verizon says its network is fully restored

After a long day for Verizon customers impacted by a nationwide outage, the carrier has finally issued a new update noting its teams "have fully restored today's network disruption." This news come over nine hours since first being reported and an especially frustrating day for impacted customers, who were left with only three updates – including this last one. Here's the full statement:

"Verizon engineers have fully restored today's network disruption that impacted some customers. Service has returned to normal levels.  If you are still having issues, we recommend restarting your device. We know how much people rely on Verizon and apologize for any inconvenience.  We appreciate your patience."

While the statement doesn't say what caused the multi-hour outage that impacted customers nationwide – though we did reach out to Verizon asking for more information – it does apologize for any inconvenience. We imagine customers will look for more than words and likely compensation or bill credits for the extended outage. 

Lastly, it notes that if you're still experiencing issues, restart your device. This is simply tried-and-true tech advice.

Whether you’re coming to the end of your existing mobile phone contract or looking for a new provider altogether, finding the right network is crucial to getting the best experience and value for money. 

With over 7 billion active smartphone users in the world, it’s no surprise that nearly 4 million new models are sold every day, and that’s more true than ever with the recent release of the iPhone 16. However, to make the most of its new capabilities and features, you’ll need the solid foundation of an award-winning network*** like Vodafone’s.

Let us tell you five reasons why Vodafone, The Nation’s Network, should be your port of call, especially if you’re a sucker for a good deal. 

1. Get a new phone every year with Vodafone Xchange

With Vodafone Xchange, you can get a new phone every year on one of Vodafone’s 24-month Phone Plans, or a year early if you opt for a longer plan length. There are no early upgrade fees, and if you upgrade to a new airtime and phone plan, you won’t need to pay off your old phone plan when you exchange. 

If you exchange your phone and its value exceeds the phone plan balance, Vodafone will even credit you the difference - and it is the only UK network provider to offer this. 

You can sleep better at night, too, in the knowledge that Vodafone claims to refurbish or resell 97% of exchanged phones and the rest are recycled.

2. The UK’s only Lifetime Service Promise

Vodafone is the only UK network to provide a Lifetime Service Promise. This market-leading device care offering means every new and refurbished phone comes with Battery Refresh and Lifetime Warranty at no extra cost, meaning phones last  longer with Vodafone.

3. Widespread coverage and 5G Ultra

Vodafone has coverage in 99% of UK homes and covers 96% of the UK. Supporting people since 1984, it’s a reliable, award-winning network*** - and with 5G Ultra on the iPhone 16, customers can now enjoy 10x faster speeds than 4G and greater 5G coverage. Truly, Vodafone is The Nation's Network.

4. Save up to £736 and get an instant, guaranteed value with Vodafone’s Trade-in Tool

Not only is Vodafone a great network to buy an Apple device, it’s also the best place to go to unlock the value of your old phone. Customers buying a new phone this September can save up to £736* when they trade in an iPhone 15 Pro Max 1TBs. 

Vodafone’s Trade-in Tool provides new and existing customers with an instant and guaranteed trade-in price before they send their phone off. The value can then be used as a saving against a new Airtime Plan or towards an existing Phone Plan, helping them upgrade more affordably. 

Customers who purchased an iPhone 15 series phone with Vodafone's Buy-Back Price Guarantee before 15th December last year can save up to £786**, which includes a £50 Buy-Back bonus when they trade in their phone and buy a new one. 

5. Spread the cost of a new phone with 0% APR Phone Plans up to 36 months

All of Vodafone’s new and refurbished pay monthly phones are available on 0% APR Phone Plans. Customers can decide how much they want to pay upfront for their new device, as well as choose the length of their device plan – up to 36 months. Plus, customers can also take advantage of flexible upgrades, allowing them to get a new phone as soon as three months into their plan. All of this makes Vodafone the smarter place to buy a new phone.

What’s more, Vodafone has its own VeryMe Rewards loyalty programme, and it’s packed with giveaways, offers and discounts every week. Customers can even gift selected rewards to a friend.

Not only can customers get a new phone every year with Vodafone Xchange, they can enjoy 0% APR phone plans up to 36 months, and instant, guaranteed trade-in savings. And for those customers who want to keep their phones lasting longer, Vodafone offers its market-leading Lifetime Service Promise on its reliable, award-winning network***. With something for every customer, Vodafone is an appealing choice to consumers looking for a new network.

*Pricing subject to change: up to £736 saving on the iPhone 15 Pro Max 1TB.

**Value varies by model, up to £786 (1TB iPhone 15 Pro Max) and the guarantee requires the customer’s phone to be in good working condition.

***Reliable, award-winning network: the UK relies on Vodafone as a network provider as it powers critical national infrastructure and 77% of emergency services, provides coverage in 99% of UK homes, covers 96% of the UK and has won numerous awards. See full details and awards on Vodafone's Network Page.

Remember when data used to cost a small fortune on your mobile phone contract? Those days are clearly gone with some fantastic SIM-only deals happening at the moment. 

One of the best we've seen is this 5GB plan at Smarty for £5 per month. If you’re worried the opening offer is only available for a few months, don’t be. This promotion is available for up to 15 consecutive months as long as you don’t change plans, so you’re all set until nearly the end of 2025 with this offer.

You’re not tied in though, either. If the plan isn’t right for you, you can cancel at any time as this is a rolling monthly contract. Basically, this is as flexible as any SIM-only plan can get. 

If you already own a phone you’re happy with and you just want to add a new SIM plan to it, this is an incredibly cheap way to make it work well for you. The plan was already good value at £6 per month but saving an extra £1 each month sweetens the deal.

Today’s best cheap SIM-only deal

There’s not much point in upgrading if you already own one of the best phones, which is where a SIM-only plan works well. Just pop the SIM in your phone and you’re all set with some super cheap data.

This 5GB plan from Smarty lasts for 15 months providing you set up auto-renew and don’t change to a different plan. However, if you do ever change your mind, you’re not tied in. Just cancel the plan and you’re free to go elsewhere without having to pay extra. 

Sure, 5GB of data is a little on the low side if you’re often away from Wi-Fi, but who truly is nowadays? Even as someone who lives in a somewhat rural area, pretty much every location I go to has Wi-Fi but it’s nice to have a spare few gigabytes of data for those rare times away from it. It’s enough data to browse the internet for about 60 hours or stream 1,000 songs so it’s perfect for those Wi-Fi-free gaps.

If you’re looking for other cheap phone deals, we’ve got them. There are a lot of mobile phone deals around and it’s a smart (get it?) idea to reassess your current plan regularly. That way, you get the best price and sometimes much more data than you previously had.

It’s travel season! Your flight is booked, you’ve packed your luggage—you even remembered the sunscreen. You’re ready to go, but there’s one essential thing you do not want to forget before you jet off into the sunset. A data package from Nomad eSIM is the travel must-have that ensures you stay connected to your favorite apps and people no matter where the wanderlust takes you. Nomad eSIM makes buying regional data connections easy and affordable, freeing you from costly roaming fees. 

Nomad eSIM offers local data connectivity that is ready when you are 

The fear of being disconnected in a strange place or risk racking up an extremely high mobile bill can damper the excitement of traveling. There’s always the option of tracking down and purchasing a local SIM card, but if you often travel or experience jet lag, the last thing you want to do is go on an unguided trek through airport shops. Not to mention the waste of having unusable SIM cards floating around in your luggage after you return home. Even if you do find a local SIM card, you’ve got the hassle of hoping you have a key for your phone to access the SIM card port. It's dreadfully inconvenient, but it doesn’t have to be. 

Nomad eSIM is an app you can download on your smartphone that allows you to access roaming-free local data in 170 countries, with prices starting at just $0.98/GB—lower than local SIM rates. Conveniently compatible with an array of tablets, laptops, and smartphones—including the latest from iPhone, Samsung, and Google Pixel—Nomad eSIM gives you the ability to purchase only the data you need, when and where you need it. 

A data plan from Nomad eSIM can even be used as a tether or hot spot between multiple devices. It's as easy as purchasing a data plan via the Nomad eSIM app, installing the eSIM via QR Code, and activating the plan when you are ready to start using it. Nomad believes in the power of redundancy. By providing more than 1 local network provider in every country, users always have options to connect in case coverage is bad in different locations.

Nomad eSIM provides data usage tracking tools on both the Nomad app and the Nomad website. Both platforms allow you to manage your eSIMs and check for things like data usage, how much data you have left, and how long until your plan expires. There are no hidden fees with Nomad, either. Your data plan is stopped when your devices reach the limit of available data for that plan.

Nomad eSIM is as affordable as it is convenient 

Roaming fees for data can rack up some serious charges on your phone bill. While some other data companies offer convenient roaming data packages starting at $10 a day, it can still be expensive, with spotty connectivity that just isn’t worth the cost. Nomad offers a more convenient and affordable means of staying connected that doesn’t require you to switch out your phone’s SIM card or pay an exorbitant fee for a lesser connection. Nomad data plans are 20-40% cheaper than the competition and benefit from a partnership with numerous connectivity providers globally. Nomad strives to have more than one local provider in each of the 170 countries to ensure that your connection is always as strong as possible.

Are you really travel-ready without Nomad eSIM? 

We all want to share our adventures and travel photos with friends and family via social media. Data connectivity can also be vital for finding restaurants, shopping, and things to do while in a new location. Nomad eSIM offers day packages, weekly options, and even month-long connectivity packages for data, and you can add on to your plan as you see fit. With Nomad, you can share photos and videos of your trips, make video calls with FaceTime or Facebook Messenger, or even work remotely on your own terms without incurring roaming fees or unforeseen charges. An eSIM from Nomad just may be the most important thing in your travel bag this season.

One of the best SIM-only deals we've spotted today is perfect for anyone seeking plenty of data at an affordable price, which, OK, is pretty much everyone at this point.

Currently, you can get a 150GB plan at Vodafone for £12.50 for the first six months – before it rises to £25 from month seven onwards. The plan is a 24-month contract and offers unlimited minutes, unlimited texts, and that all-important 150GB data allowance. 

If you’ve already got a phone you love and just want to add a SIM to it, this is a very good value proposition. It works out as a saving of £75, with the full 24-month contract costing £507, or the equivalent of just over £21 per month. That's reasonably cheaper than similar contracts at a lot of other budget networks.

Today’s best Vodafone SIM-only deal

Buying a new SIM-only contract is rarely the most exciting of things to do but it’s necessary given how dependent we are on our phone. Generally, it works out as better value to buy one of the best phones outright and pairing it was a SIM-only contract, which is why the Vodafone 150GB Red plan is worth signing up for.

With 150GB of data, you should be all set for whatever you have planned. Previously, Three determined that customers use about 30GB of data per month on average so five times as much is perfect. 

It should mean an average of 45 hours of high-quality video streaming with more music listening and a near-never-ending amount of social media time. Crucially, you’ll likely be connected to Wi-Fi from time to time so it’s simply nice to have the backup of so much data.

If you’re in the ‘treat yourself’ mood, Prime Day deals are coming up fast too with some early offers already live. We’ve also tracked down many other mobile phone deals if you want to see what else is around right now

Whether it's wasteful packaging, pollutant materials, or simply poor recycling opportunities, your phone is causing more environmental damage than you think. With anywhere between 1.4 and 1.5 billion phones being sold each year, and between four and five billion SIM cards being produced yearly also, it's no surprise that the mobile industry is currently doing its best roadrunner impression in a bid to catch up with modern environmental standards, but is it enough?

I sat down with Andy Aitken, co-founder, and CEO of Honest Mobile, a UK MVNO (mobile virtual network operator), to delve into just how deep these issues run within the mobile industry, and find out what can be done by network providers, and consumers, to reduce the impact that phones are having on the environment, all to help you find the best ways you can reduce your environmental impact, without sacrificing your phone.  

How does my phone impact the environment?

The problem

Global emissions is probably a term you've heard all too often when it comes to climate change, but what you might not realize is where some of the key offenders lie. “By 2040 14% of global emissions will be from the internet, and most people use the internet on their phone,” Aitken told me, but the problem doesn't just stop there.

You may have noticed that several major phone brands have been taking steps to reduce their impact in recent years. Changed packaging materials, reduced packaging size, and the loss of the all-important charging plug have all been key changes to the experience of buying your shiny new phone. But it's not just your phone itself causing issues; it's what enables you to get the most out of your phone that goes unnoticed. 

Take, for example, your SIM card. Often unnoticed, comparably small, but essentially crucial, this chip, for all its importance to your phone, causes more waste than you can imagine, and many simply get thrown away after they've been use. SIM cards, in the majority of cases, are made of a combination of plastics, metals, and cardboard, and as a result they can be a pain to recycle efficiently. Many SIM cards are simply thrown into landfills which, if they aren't biodegradable SIMs, can leave these SIM cards decomposing for over 400 years. 

How can I reduce my impact on the environment?

Don't worry! All hope isn't lost quite yet, and there are some simple and effective things you can do to massively reduce your phone's impact on the planet, all while not having to give up your shiny new phone. 

Choose e-SIM

What if some of your phone's plastic could simply disappear? Well, now it can. "The shift towards e-SIMs is a great thing for the environment," said Aitken. e-SIMs are slowly becoming more available worldwide, with many major providers now offering e-SIM as an eco-friendly alternative to the traditional cards. However, as Aitken explained, “The challenge is explaining to people that they can have one as much as their phone being compatible."

Choosing to change to e-SIM doesn't have to be a complicated process. As Aitken alluded to, there has been some confusion in the past surrounding not only the availability of e-SIMs from providers, but also the compatibility of e-SIMs with devices; however both of these issues are rapidly disappearing. 

Whether you choose to buy your phone online, or go in-store and speak to a person, choosing an e-SIMs nowadays is as simple as choosing the amount of data you want as part of your airtime package, and the rest of the process is then explained to you. Instead of a SIM card being sent to you in wasteful packaging, you're sent all the details you need to add your e-SIM to your new phone, or if you're upgrading, everything you need to transfer your e-SIM from one phone to another can be explained to you by your provider either online or in-store. 

Don't upgrade

If you've just got your hands on a shiny new phone, I'm sorry, as now you're stuck with it! Don't worry though, as this isn't as bad an idea as you think. When it comes to the impact of new phones, and upgrades, on the environment, there's a simple rule: the less often, the better. Or, as Aitken put it: "The longer someone keeps their phone, the better."

In recent years, the lifespan of the phones being produced has gotten impressively longer. Some of the latest flagship smartphones, such as the Google Pixel 8 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, are now offering seven years of Android updates – for both security and features – and boast specifications which near enough guarantee that the phone will survive that long too. 

This improvement doesn't only stretch to flagship devices, however, as mid-range devices are also seeing spec improvements that can ensure you're able to get the full four years out of the updates available on these phones. While we can't guarantee that mid-range devices will be getting seven years of support any time soon, this seems to be the foundation from which many devices will improve in the future. So, if you're thinking about upgrading anytime soon, ask yourself: do you really need to? And if so, how can you get the most years out of your new phone? The longer you can use your current phone for, the better. 

Keep your phone healthy

Something I've often overlooked when picking up a new phone is just how many ways network providers and phone manufacturers have to help you keep your phone healthy. Whether it's Apple Care or a yearly phone checkup by your provider, there are several inexpensive options you've probably never noticed that can help you keep your phone healthier for longer, and they're going worryingly underused more often than not.

In the UK, Providers such as Vodafone and EE offer yearly checkups on your device to ensure it's healthy, and that it doesn't need any servicing to ensure optimal performance. On a wider scale, most network providers and phone manufacturers now offer some form of device insurance, which covers varying areas of repair and can sometimes offer similar checkup-like services to ensure that everything is okay with your phone. 

By taking out a phone insurance plan, or making use of checkups included in your phone deal, you're not only helping your phone last longer but also reducing the amount of waste you're creating. It's easy to simply throw away a phone and replace it, but it's a massive waste if the majority of the phone was still perfectly okay, so simply replace what you need to, when you need to, and see how much cheaper it is in the long term – and how much less waste you put into the environment as a result. 

What does the future look like?

What are network providers already doing? 

Regarding the current attempts to improve the environmental impact of the mobile industry, it seems the UK is coming up frighteningly short. When discussing the issue, Aitken pointed out the effect that competition is having on prioritizing the environment, explaining that “O2 had a 2025 net zero target before they merged with Virgin, then they merged with Virgin and pushed it back to 2040... If you want to prioritize it I don’t think you need to push it back 15 years.”

The issue, however, doesn't stop there. "We're really trying to steer people towards e-SIMs as much as possible" Aitken explained, but this isn't a focus shared by many networks outside smaller MVNOs such as Honest, and, as Aitken put it, it's becoming more about "showing the industry they can do better" than ever. 

Are we heading in the right direction?

Despite being snail-like in pace, it would seem we're on the right track. When discussing the change in trends, Aitken said: “I think in 10 years' time there won't be many consumers or many businesses that won’t be actively pursuing a more sustainable product when they’re weighing up a choice", which bodes well for the future. 

With the accelerating pace of uptake for e-SIMs, improvements in the number of recyclable accessories and recycled parts being used in phones, and the consensus being that we should all be thinking more carefully about what we're using, it would seem that now is the time to make the switch to a more environmentally friendly mobile experience. 

With phone price hikes now over, now is the time to make use of the best phone deals currently available - so why not check out the O2 Spring Sale? 

Right now, it's offering some of the best ways to save on this year's best phones that we could see for the foreseeable future. You haven't got long though, the O2 Spring Sale is in its final few hours as of writing.

Whether you're looking for a free £200 digital MasterCard with a Google Pixel 7a, or free Google Pixel Buds and a free Fitbit with the Google Pixel 8 Pro, there are some seriously big savings to be made in the last few hours of the O2 Spring Sale. TV lovers should be especially interested, as one phone in particular is giving you the chance to claim a free £500 Sony when you take out your new O2 phone deal. Check out our top deals from the O2 Spring Sale below, and get saving while you still can

Discover the entire O2 Spring Sale

Best O2 Spring Sale deals

O2 Spring Sale FAQs

Getting the best phone deal of 2024 just got a whole lot easier thanks to O2. O2, one of the UK's big four mobile networks have released some impressively high-value mobile deals across devices such as the iPhone 15 Pro Max, Google Pixel 8 Pro, and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5, all with the aim of enabling you to upgrade more than just your tech with your new O2 phone deal. 

These devices, alongside numerous others, are now available on O2 with a free £150, £200, or even £250 prepaid digital Mastercard, depending on the device you choose, which you can spend across online retailers to level up more than just your mobile phone with your new deal. 

These O2 phone deals are available for the foreseeable future, with offers across Android devices available until the 3rd of April and offers across iPhones available till the 6th of March, so you've got all the time you need to find the perfect deal for you. 

Limited time only O2 phone deals

Today's best O2 phone deals

If none of those offers quite took your fancy, why not check out some of the best O2 deals available today across those devices on a variety of other high-value plans currently available from O2? See the best O2 deals currently available below. 

If you're looking for one of the best smartphone deals available in January, it might be worth looking in the direction of Vodafone. The Vodafone Winter Sale has added a whole raft of new deals to Vodafone's January phone offers and we've found the very best, just for you. 

With the Google Pixel 8 being left behind in 2023, and the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S24 range just around the corner, there are now, more than ever, some great ways to save on some of the latest, and best phones of the past year. 

Whether you are looking to get six months free on your phone bill, make savings of up to £288, or even just find an even cheaper way to get yourself connected with some of the more basic phones and phone deals, the Vodafone Winter Sale has got options for you. 

Top picks from the Vodafone Winter Sale

Our Vodafone Winter Sale top picks

We've scoured the deals now available in the Vodafone January sale and these are some of our top picks that you can get your hands on right now.

None of these deals quite for you? Or had a better idea spark up from seeing some of these Vodafone deals? Check out today's best mobile phone offers using our comparison tool below. Refine your options with monthly cost, upfront cost, and data filtering, as well as your pick from some of the UK's biggest phone networks. 

Today's best phone deals

Storm Henk isn't the only thing blowing the UK away this week, as the EE Winter Sale is here to give you the chance to get great bargains on some of 2024's best phones. 

If you're looking for the best smartphone deals available right now, you could easily be drawn into looking at a Samsung Galaxy S24 preorder, but, in all honesty, the best option right now could be to look at some of its predecessors. For example, you can save £528 on the Samsung Galaxy S23 or £520 on the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5, flipping amazing, right?!

The deals don't stop there, with opportunities to save over £450 on the recently released Google Pixel 8, or nearly £220 on the iconic iPhone 14, so no matter what phones take your fancy, there are savings for all!

EE is currently the UK's fastest 4G network and has the most widespread high-speed network coverage of any of the big four phone networks (EE, Vodafone, O2, and Three). Whilst their plans can, in comparison, be on the pricier side, they also offer an unrivalled amount of reliability, as well as some high-value options for existing customers to add additional phones, SIM-only plans, broadband, and now even TV to their deal. 

If you're not quite sure where the best smartphone deals are in the EE Winter Sale, we've picked out our top five EE deals you should get your hands on this January while you still can. 

Our top 5 deals from the EE winter sale

If these haven't quite taken your fancy, or they've maybe sparked an even better idea of the phone you want, why not use our comparison tool below to find today's best phone deals across some of the UK's biggest network providers, with options to tailor your data, upfront cost, and monthly fees into the perfect phone deal for you. 

Today's best phone deals

The winter blues may be in full swing now that Christmas sales are over, but that doesn't mean there aren't some great new ways to save on the best smartphone deals in 2024. O2 has kicked the sales season off for UK phone lovers this year with its winter sale, offering discounts of up to £600 on some of 2024's best devices. 

While, for many, it's the time of year when Samsung Galaxy S24 preorders are on their mind, there are some great ways to save if that isn't quite to your fancy. For example, if you're not too fussed about having the absolute latest and greatest phones out there, saving £288 for 150GB of data, unlimited calls and texts on a Samsung Galaxy S23 isn't a bad way to start your year. 

Or if, like me, you prefer an iPhone to get you from day to day, you can also get some great savings with O2. Currently, the iPhone 15 has a whopping £108 off when you get 150GB of data and unlimited calls and texts, meaning you're only paying £50.99 per month for more data than most could ever need!

What's more, as ever with O2, you can choose to go with an O2 Plus Plan. These plans give you exclusive access to not only O2 benefits such as O2 Priority, but also the ability to change your phone every 90 days with O2 Switch Up, and roam in 75 worldwide destinations at no extra cost. 

If you're looking to find the best smartphone deal for you but want some help in finding the very best deals available, here are my top five picks from the O2 Winter Sale that you should pick up right now!

Our Top 5 deals from the O2 Winter Sale

If these aren't quite for you, why not check out some of today's best smartphone deals from some of the UK's biggest mobile networks. Use our comparison tool to find the perfect deal for you with options across providers, data caps, and more, to help you save on a phone you'll love. 

Today's best phone deals

Budget SIM-only network Smarty has just unveiled a new selection of plans this week, with super cheap tariffs starting at just £6 per month for a 5GB data allowance.

Other new plans include 16GB for £8 per month, 40GB for £10 per month, and 150GB for £15 per month, the latter being a particularly good value high-data option. 

These new SIM-only deals join the excellent range of existing tariffs at Smarty, rounding out the overall selection nicely at this great low-cost network. For those not clued up, Smarty operates on the wider Three 5G network, features no annoying long-term contracts, and includes up to 12GB of monthly EU roaming at no extra cost. It's quite simply one of the best options on the market right now if you're looking for a cheap SIM with plenty of data. 

New Smarty SIM only deals this week

• 5GB for £6 per month
• 16GB for £8 per month
• 40GB for £10 per month
• 150GB for £15 per month

Which Smarty plans are the best value?

This will depend entirely on your data requirements each month, but generally speaking, you'll get better bang for the buck with the higher-data options at Smarty. We're particularly a fan of the new 150GB for £15 plan and 200GB for £17 plan as they both offer incredibly generous helpings of data for the money. Another good option (and a crowd favorite) is the Smarty 100GB for £12 plan:

• See more: check out all of today's plans at Smarty

Smarty is definitely a good option right now for cheap SIM only deals. It runs on the wider Three network, which guarantees 99.5% coverage in the UK and ultra-fast 5G data speeds where applicable. With Smarty, you get unlimited tethering included in your plan at no extra cost, and, unlike other networks, also a small amount of EU roaming data - up to 12GB per month.

If you want to read more, you can check out our full Smarty Mobile guide, which includes more information on the network. You can also do a full comparison with many of the other SIM-only deals available right now just below to check out all the other good options on the market currently.

Getting ready to head off to uni in September? The cheap SIM-only network GiffGaff is currently offering a superb promotion exclusively for students that's well worth considering if you're already thinking about those monthly bills.

For a limited time only, GiffGaff is doubling the allowance on its 20GB data plan up to a whopping 40GB while keeping the price at just £10 per month. With no contracts or hidden fees, this is currently one of the cheapest SIM-only deals on the market and an absolute steal if you're eligible.

For those who aren't fully clued up, GiffGaff operates as a sub-carrier on the greater O2 network so 5G coverage is generally excellent nationwide. You'll also get 5GB of international EU roaming data per month and completely free access to over 8,000 Wifi hotspots nationwide - including on the London Underground.

Note that this particular GiffGaff promotion is open to everybody with an ac.uk email address until the 30th of November. If you're not eligible, don't leave just yet - simply scroll down to the bottom of the page to see even more fantastic SIM-only deals from other networks that are open to all.

GiffGaff student SIM only deal

More excellent SIM only deals to consider

The cost of living crisis may be putting a pinch of people's wallets these days, but there's arguably never been a better time to snag a cheap deal on a SIM-only plan. We've spotted three particularly good options this week that offer a healthy amount of data while keeping those monthly prices down.

First up is this 100GB Vodafone tariff at Mobiles.co.uk for just £8 per month - which is quite possibly the cheapest 100GB plan we've ever seen. The catch? You have to get a rebate each month via rebate (it's usually £16), so there's a little bit of paperwork to secure this low price.

For those who prefer a simpler and more flexible tariff, check out Smarty's current 100GB plan for £12 per month. While there are no additional savings to be had here via cashback, the straight-up value and lack of contract make Smart hard to beat for those who value flexibility above all.

Finally, our roundup of this week's best Sim only deals includes a superb 100GB Vodafone tariff from Fonehouse, which is currently going for £11 per month after cashback by redemption. This one is extremely close to the Smarty plan above (Smarty is on the Three network) but trades off that flexibility for a slight discount per month. Our thoughts? It's another strong option depending on your needs, and well worth considering if you would prefer to go for a bigger network. 

Fantastic SIM-only deals to check out this week

The no-frills mobile network Smarty is back with a fresh SIM-only deal that we'd argue is even better value than its previous offering. You can now get a Smarty SIM with 100GB of data for just £12 per month. It's definitely one to snap up if you want a cheap one-month contract with bucketloads of 5G data included.

Considering that Smarty currently offers 30GB of data for £10 a month, it's relatively little to pay to get a considerable amount of extra data each month. It's also the cheapest price available right now for this amount of data among all the low-cost networks, so it's easily one of today's best SIM-only deals. We have spotted that ID Mobile does match it, it's almost double the price at Voxi, while Giffgaff only offers 25GB of data for £2 less each month.

And it's also worth pointing out that Smarty is one of the few UK networks that still includes EU roaming at no extra cost. There is a cap of 12GB per month, but that's a more than reasonable allowance for most users who need to use their data while in Europe.

Today's best Smarty SIM-only deal

How good is this Smarty SIM-only deal?

If lots of 5G data for a low monthly cost is your priority then there's little else out there that can beat this SIM-only deal from Smarty. 100GB is a considerable amount that even the most frequent users would struggle to get through each month - even with lots of HD streaming, large downloads, online gaming, home working and social media use.

It's not a huge issue if you do discover that you need more (or actually want less for an even cheaper monthly bill) as it's just a one-month contract that you can switch up. That's definitely one of the major benefits of going with a no-frills network like Smarty, on top of useful extras such as EU roaming - a feature that's often charged at a premium these days.

Smarty also runs on the Three network, which guarantees 99.5% coverage while outdoors across the UK and a fast 5G connection on compatible smartphones. You also get WiFi-calling and unlimited tethering included at no extra cost. This is particularly useful if you're out and about in a no-signal area or are working where there's no WiFi and need to share your data with your laptop or other devices.

If you want to read more, you can check out our full Smarty Mobile guide, which includes more information on the network. You can also do a full comparison with many of the other SIM-only deals available right now to see how this 100GB for £12 offer is leading the way.

Vodafone has become the first UK mobile phone network to announce that dates for the full shutdown of its 3G network.

The switch-off, which Vodafone has already piloted in Plymouth and Basingstoke, will take place from June. It says this will happen in phases throughout the remainder of 2023, starting with Hull, Oxford and Greater London (in June) before rolling out across the South of England.

After that, Vodafone says that "the remainder of the UK will follow later in the year". All of the UK's big mobile networks have announced that they'll be slowly switching off their 3G networks over the next few years, but Vodafone has become the first to announce the timeline for a full switch-off in 2023.

The network says one of the reasons for its 3G network shutdown is that it'll allow for "faster, more efficient 4G and 5G services", which it says use less energy than 3G. While 3G has been around since 2003, it's now showing its age in terms of speed and reliability.

But what does Vodafone's 3G shutdown mean for you, and will some people now need to upgrade their phones? Here are the five key things you need to know.

1. Vodafone isn't shutting off 2G

If you're on an older Vodafone phone, the slight consolation is that the network isn't shutting off its 2G network. That means you should at least still be able to make calls and send texts, as its 2G apparently covers 99% of the UK population.

But in reality, anyone who's on Vodafone and doesn't have a 4G or 5G phone will likely want to upgrade their handset. 2G doesn't support most modern data services, so unless you're happy to live on Wi-Fi, you'll want to get a phone that supports 4G calling and more.

2. The 3G shutdown should help 4G and 5G speeds

Vodafone claims that switching off its 3G network will give it a "head start on reusing the radio frequencies" for improving the speeds and efficiencies of its 4G and 5G services.

But one factor it doesn't mention is its level of 4G and 5G coverage. Despite claiming elsewhere that its 4G network "covers more than 99% of the UK population", some customers who regularly only receive 3G are concerned that the switch-off could leave them a little stuck in no-mans land.

3. 4G coverage won't be affected, but there could be teething issues

Vodafone says that current 4G coverage isn't affected by its 3G shutdown, so any existing 4G devices – including compatible smartwatches – should theoretically continue to work as normal.

But you may need to brace yourself for a few issues in the immediate aftermath of a switch-off in your area. Vodafone says that "if you’re in one of the areas where 3G has been switched off, you might notice changes to your coverage for a few days afterwards".

4. Vodafone isn't the only UK network shutting down 3G

Vodafone has become the first UK network to confirm a full 3G shutdown before the end of 2023, but it certainly won't be alone for long.

As Ofcom's guide to the 3G shutdown reveals, two of its main rivals – EE and Three – have announced plans to switch off 3G in 2024. EE says it'll be turning off the network in early 2024, while those on Three can expect to see 3G disappear "by the end of 2024".

Lagging behind is O2, which hasn't announced when it'll be following suit. Theoretically, it doesn't have to do so until 2033, which is the official cut-off date for the end of 3G. But the precedent set by Vodafone and others will likely see it make an announcement before then.

5. You don't necessarily need an expensive 4G phone

If you or a relative is worried about being caught out by the 3G shutdown, it's worth knowing that you don't necessarily need to spend big on a future-proofed phone.

Our guide to the best cheap phones contains some bargain options, including the Moto G Fast, and it's possible to go way cheaper than that. Our guides on how to buy a refurbished phone, and how to stay safe buying refurbished smartphones, outlines all of the benefits and pitfalls of going second-hand.

These include using refurbished retailers like Backmarket, and running through a list of checks (like battery life, audio, and cameras) to make sure you've got a good deal. Of course, it's also well worth checking out the best mobile phone deals to see what SIM-free, contract, and SIM-only offers are available on cheaper 4G phones. 

No-frills mobile network Smarty has just dropped one of the best value SIM-only deals available right now. It's a great buy for those who want a good chunk of 5G data for a small monthly cost, as you can now get a Smarty SIM with 60GB data for just £10 on a rolling one-month contract.

What seals this as such a good deal, though, is that it's double the amount of data you'd usually get at this monthly fee from the network. It's also the cheapest price available right now for this amount of data among all the low-cost networks. ID Mobile does match it, but others such as Voxi are £5 more expensive per month, while Giffgaff only offers 20GB of data for the same fee.

As an added bonus, Smarty is also one of the few UK networks that still include EU roaming at no extra cost so you can continue to use your data across Europe. There is a cap of 12GB per month, but this is a more than reasonable allowance for most users.

Today's best SIM-only deal

How good is this Smarty SIM-only deal?

We'd fully recommend this SIM-only deal if you want a cheap and flexible mobile plan that gives you a lot of data. 60GB is more than enough even for the most aggressive users and you would need to make a serious effort to use it all each month even with lots of HD streaming, large downloads, home working and social media use.

If you do discover you need more or actually want less, you can always switch up or down after your first month given all Smarty plans are on a rolling 30-day basis. That's definitely one of the major benefits of going with them, on top of useful extras such as EU roaming - a feature that's often charged at a premium these days.

As for Smarty, it runs on the Three network, which guarantees 99.5% coverage while outdoors across the UK and a fast 5G connection on compatible smartphones. You also get WiFi-calling and unlimited tethering included at no extra cost. This is particularly is useful if you're out and about in a no-signal area or are working where there's no WiFi and need to share your data with your laptop or other devices.

If you want to read more, you can check out our full Smarty Mobile guide, which includes more information on the network. You can also do a full comparison with many of the other SIM-only deals available right now just below to see how good value this 60GB for £10 per month truly is.

Are you looking for a new SIM only mobile phone plan? Or do you want to switch to a more affordable tariff? Then this deal from Three is definitely worth checking out.

At the moment you can get Three's SIM only plan which includes unlimited minutes and texts and 100GB of data for £10 a month. It's a 12-month contract and it comes 5G-ready at no extra cost to you. If you buy this deal now you can also enjoy free first class delivery by Royal Mail.

There aren't any extra upfront costs with this plan and it offers you capabilities to use your phone as a personal hotspot for other devices. It's also part of Three's 'Advanced Plan' range. This means you can also access 'Go Roam' - its roaming service that works in over 70 worldwide destinations.

Another benefit on offer with this 'Advanced Plan' is that you can access its Three+ rewards app, which gives exclusive offers from brands like Cineworld and Uber Eats.

DISCOVER THIS THREE SIM ONLY DEAL

Why choose Three?

Three is one of the UK's biggest mobile phone networks and is a popular choice for millions of smartphone users, thanks chiefly to its affordable tariffs. 

It regularly has some of the cheapest and best SIM only deals on the market and when compared to other major networks, offers plenty of bang for your buck in terms of calls, minutes and rewards. It's also one of the few networks to give unlimited data on its SIM only tariffs. 

While it doesn't offer as much coverage on its 5G network compared to others, it is working to improve this and promises a fast rollout. However, its 4G coverage is excellent and has 99% UK coverage.

What other plans are available with Three?

With Three you can find some great deals which include the latest smartphones from the likes of Apple, Samsung and Google. However, its worth noting that its device range isn't as extensive as other networks, but you do get more opportunities to upgrade to unlimited data tariffs without lumping on sizeable additional costs.

What really sets Three apart is its range of affordable SIM only plans - the majority of which come with unlimited calls and texts.

These plans can start from as little as £8 a month, through to top-end options with unlimited data for around £28 a month. Often Three will also give introductory offers and incentives for you to take on its longer 24-month plans, including half price monthly payments for the first six months.

Three phone deals comparison

Yup, I'd sign up for T-Mobile and Starlink's new satellite-powered cell services today, if I could. It's that kind of a game-changer. But to understand why I think that we first have to look at the limitations of current satellite phones and what could make this system fundamentally different and more attractive to the average consumer.

I've watched enough war movies to start recognizing when the general or under-attack squad leader pulls out a satellite phone. It's like the communication device of last resort. In the jungle, wilderness, on a lonely desert island, or any number of cellular dead zones around the world, it's the only way to communicate with home base.

And it's completely impractical for most people not in the thick of battle or climbing Mount Everest.

Most satellite phones, like the Iridium line popularized in innumerable action movies, are expensive (often costing well over $1,000). And they can be ungainly because they need a huge external antenna, one that will make your late 1990s-era feature phone antenna look quaint. 

Generally, satellite phones do not work indoors and they may need a cable and external antenna adapter to make sure they can connect with the network of orbiting satellites.

All of this is why we didn't build our smartphone networks on a satellite system (just our GPS system) and instead opted for ground-based cell towers to cover as much area as possible. This, of course, also meant that the cell tower growth would be primarily in major metropolitan areas, leaving huge swaths of the world with dead zones, especially in some rural areas, underdeveloped nations, remote regions, and the ocean.

Knowing all this, there was always a little bit of me that wanted to at least try a satellite phone and test it by doing my own version of Tom Hanks' Cast Away. I'm not saying I'm ready to be stranded on a desert island, but maybe a jaunt into the mountains or, better yet, a cruise where connectivity is always at a premium.

Naturally, I was intrigued by the headlines about what Elon Musk's Starlink and T-Mobile might offer, especially because I knew that many people have successfully used Musk's Starlink orbiting satellite system to connect to the Internet. And I have to admit, that, after listening to the slightly over-the-top presentation, the reality sounds even better.

Beam me up

To start with, the plan, as outlined by T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert and Musk on Thursday, does away with most of the limitations of traditional satellite phones.

First of all, it's using a slice of T-Mobile's mid-band PSC spectrum (part of the 5G spectrum), which means that you don't need a satellite phone to connect, just your regular smartphone, albiet one on the T-Mobile network.

Secondly, the images of some mud-covered army grunt rolling out from cover to make sure his battle-scarred sat-phone has a clear view of the sky need not be applied to the T-Mobile Starlink plan.

Musk claimed that the connection will work "in your pocket, in your car."

Third, you probably won't even need to sign up for a special service. Sievert gleefully told the crowd (which seemed to cheer on cue), "I would expect the pricing for this service to be the Uncarrier's favorite price. The price that we've made famous, which is that we expect, on our most popular plans, for this service to be included for free."

Sievert later clarified that more affordable plans will probably pay an additional monthly fee for the ability to use the satellite service. But this being a tech alliance announcement and not a product rollout, no pricing information was forthcoming.

Still, I'm excited about the possibility of, say, an upcoming iPhone 14 Pro or even the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 I currently have running on T-Mobile being able to connect from virtually anywhere in the world - well, not exactly anywhere.

While this plan will offer you a connection for calls and texts (and maybe a photo and even the tiniest video) in places where you'd normally have no connectivity, it won't cover more than, as Sievert explained, "the lower 48 [of the United States], ...vast parts of Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and territorial waters and even vast parts of the world's oceans." T-Mobile is not a global company and while Starlink's satellites orbit the globe, T-Mobile's plan won't extend to Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, etc. without international carrier partnerships, which may or may not be in the offing.

I'm also aware that this is still just a promise.

Starlink has roughly 3,000 satellites in low-earth orbit right now but none of them are equipped to support this plan. Musk explained how they must equip Starlink second-generation satellites with giant, advanced phase-array antennas. Musk highlighted the challenges of sending a signal from your phone to a satellite 500 miles overhead and that's also traveling at 17,000 miles per hour (though he added that they had it working in the lab).

In other words, it's gonna take some time to literally get the plan off the ground and into the sky and the beta rollout won't happen until 2023.

I can't lie and say that the promise of "the end of dead zones," as Musk put it, doesn't excite me. Even in the suburbs I live with them and wonder if an orbiting satellite network as a backup might not ease some of my frustration. However, I also take Sievert and Musk's point that this is not just about consumer convenience. Hikers and people lost at sea or caught in blizzards have died because they couldn't communicate. This might help, providing their phones still have power and, I think, the sky is clear.

Looking beyond the somewhat silly pomp and circumstance of the launch event, I could not help thinking that this was important and that, yes, I wanted my cellphone to also be a satellite phone because why should any of us ever be disconnected?

If you think you might want to upgrade your smartphone before the advent of a phone satellite network, check out our list of the best smartphones of 2022.

Online mobile retailer Mobiles.co.uk has launched a cracking new Vodafone SIM-only deal that gives you 100GB of 5G data for only £8.50 through cashback, and it’s easily the best big-data offer we can find right now.

This SIM-only deal initially costs £15 - that’s £180 total over a year. But you can claim a £78 cashback by redemption, which brings the monthly cost down to £8.50 and the yearly total down to just £102. That's an absolute bargain. Recently Mobiles.co.uk ran this deal for £9.50 per month, and that was great value, but at £8.50 it's a total steal.  

Vodafone deals are very good lately, with some record-low prices making it a great time to invest in more data. It’s great news for anyone who’d like to be able to stream more films or music on their phone, or wants to make the most of a speedy 5G connection.

This is the cheapest 100GB deal we could find online, undercutting similar Three deals and iD Mobile offers by a couple of pounds. The only downside is that to get the discounted price of £8.50 you have to claim for the cashback by sending your mobile phone bill to mobiles.co.uk five times over the 12-month period, at months 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12. However, if you’re organised the process is simple. 

Verizon's 3G CDMA network will shut down on December 31, 2022, but the carrier revealed it's handing out free phones to the users who stayed on the old connection standard.

These new phones work on the current 4G LTE network and aren't anything fancy, just basic flip phones. There are three phones available: the Orbic Journey V (retail value $99.99), the TCL FLIP Pro (retail value $79.99), and the Nokia 2720 V Flip (retail value $79.99). With phones this basic, don’t expect a whole lot out of them. Although the Nokia phone does have Google Assistant and YouTube apps, so that’s at least something.

Unfortunately, 3G holdouts don't get to choose their giveaway phones. A Verizon representative confirmed that the device they'll receive will be chosen by the company. It also said to keep an eye out for any notifications from Verizon about the 4G phones. No word on how long it'll take for the new devices to ship.

Verizon noted that the old 3G cell-service contract will carry over to the new phone at no extra cost. There’s also the option of declining the phone. All you have to do is call customer service and tell them that you don’t want it. 

Once people get their new 4G phone, there’s a little bit of setup that they’ll have to perform to get it going. The old 3G phone must be turned off first before activating the new phone. If the 4G device isn't activated within 30 days, Verizon will do it for you automatically. The company recommends people backup their contacts to Verizon Cloud so they can download them to their new phone. You can find a set of instructions on their website on how to do this. Verizon also recommends taking the old phone to a Verizon store so it can be recycled. 

Some people may be hesitant to make the jump because they have accessibility features enabled on their old phones. If that’s the case, Verizon recommends contacting the carrier to find a better solution for their needs.

Out with the old

Verizon was originally going to pull the plug on their 3G network back in 2019 but kept delaying it. According to company Vice President Mike Haberman, the company wanted to give people ample time to switch and to “minimize disruptions.”

As to why they’re shutting down their network, it’s to better support the faster connections and develop new ones. The way it works is that a cellular connection has to share space with other connections on the network. But in turn, that holds back the potential of 4G and 5G speeds. With 3G shutting down, they can put more resources into improving the other standards. Plus Verizon can repurpose the tech and put them toward developing a 6G network.

Verizon follows T-Mobile, which recently shut down its old 3G network, and AT&T, which did the same back in February. T-Mobile and AT&T also gave out free phones, although the former was more generous as it included offers for a 5G device. 

It’s entirely possible that one day we’ll see the same thing happen to the 4G network, but that probably won’t be any time soon. For those shopping for a new phone, TechRadar recently published a list of the best deals for July 2022.

Want to know what's low-key the best deal on the entire Verizon site right now? In our humble opinion it's not on the newest iPhone 13 but on the slightly older (but still good) iPhone 12.

Right now, the carrier is giving away this device (which is still valued $699) away for free with a new line on an unlimited data plan - an absolutely awesome deal that benefits from a low barrier of entry. 

Why do we say this? Well, most of the best Verizon deals at any one point in the year generally revolve around trading in an old device. Right now, for example, you can get a $800 saving on the iPhone 13, Galaxy S22, and even the Google Pixel 6 Pro, but only by handing over that old device. It's great to recycle, of course, but some people just don't have an old device that can fetch that value in a trade.

That's where this 'free' iPhone 12 deal comes in at Verizon - you'll skip out on device payments without the need for a pesky trade in as long as you're picking one up on an eligible unlimited plan. These can be pretty pricey in themselves (around $45 to $90 per month over 36 months), but you'll save $699 on the device payments. 

Note, it's likely this Verizon deal on the iPhone 12 will stick around over the weekend but it's looking like one of the more popular choices at the carrier currently. The device itself is on backorder until late June at the moment, so we'd recommend ordering sooner rather than later if you want a speedier delivery.

Outside the US? Check out the best iPhone deals in your region just below.

Free Apple iPhone 12 deal at Verizon

• See more: check out all of this week's best cell phone deals at Verizon

Want to see this week's best promotions on the latest device? We've laid everything out over at our main iPhone 13 deals page.

The new OnePlus 10 Pro 5G smartphone recently went on sale in the United States and now has official certification to work on Verizon’s 5G network. Up until now, the device was exclusive to T-Mobile in the US.

Under Verizon’s 5G network, you can expect fast speeds for uploading pictures and videos, even in places with low bandwidth. It can also mean, depending on 5G coverage in your area, a more stable connection and fewer random drops in quality

However, it appears that the phone will not be able to take full advantage of Verizon’s two 5G standards. A Verizon representative told TechRadar that the smartphone does not support the mmWave spectrum, only the C-Band.

Lightning-fast speeds

According to Verizon, the C-Band is their mid-tier spectrum with speeds up to a gigabit and it’s available across a wider geographical area. The frequency can even penetrate buildings so you never lose those impressive speeds inside a building or tunnel.

The mmWave (millimeter wave) spectrum is even faster as it has frequencies between 28 and 39GHz with almost no lag. But the signal doesn’t go very far and it can’t enter buildings like lower frequencies.

Think of the C-Band as the Goldilocks standard in that it’s just right. It has fast enough speeds with a much wider range. Plus, this loss won’t really affect a lot of people as a report from 2021 by Opensignal revealed that only 0.5 percent of Verizon customers utilize mmWave.

Why mmWave isn’t supported could be because of hardware limitations. The 10 Pro runs on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset and up to 12GB of RAM. You’d expect the 10 Pro to have high-performance benchmarks, but it really doesn’t.

It’s actually slower than its predecessor, the OnePlus 9. In exchange, the 10 Pro is better optimized for AI and battery so the power needed for the mmWave was possibly throttled for other usage.

Supporting programs

Alongside the 5G certification, the OnePlus 10 Pro is also a part of Verizon’s Bring Your Own Device program. If you bought the phone from a different retailer or T-Mobile, you use this program to switch carriers. There, you select which phone plan you’d like.

And if you sign up for the unlimited plan, you’ll get a $500 gift card.

Three SIM only deals are an excellent choice and one of the most popular options on the market right now. Blending affordability with big data plans, Three stands out as the options for heavy data users.

One of the four main networks for SIM only deals, Three utilises its own network, has one of the best 5G rollouts so far and is frequently the cheapest option when it comes to unlimited data SIM only deals.

That makes Three an excellent choice if you're looking to get a 5G SIM-free phone up and running, ready to go all out on streaming, gaming, massive downloads and lots more.

And the good news is that Three SIM only deals have been especially good recently. The network has been slashing prices left, right and centre. The standout offer being a 100GB 5G SIM for just £12 a month - the cheapest price...well, ever.

While there are cheaper SIM only deals out there from some smaller networks, Three seems to fit in as the cheapest of the four main providers - EE, Vodafone amd O2 being the other three.

If you're set on Three as a network then this will be easy! Simply use our price comparison service below to compare the best prices. If you want to learn more first, this guide is filled with information on Three's benefits, how to switch and more.

Why choose the Three network?

How to switch to a Three SIM:

Three's MVNOs:

While Three owns its networks, other providers also use its coverage and speeds. Known as MVNOs (Mobile Virtual Network Operators) these networks "piggyback" off of Three's network to make use of it.

There is three networks that do this but the two most important ones are iD Mobile and Smarty. Both networks operate on 1-month rolling contracts and offer some extremely affordable prices.

As one of the biggest and most reliable mobile network providers in the UK, EE can offer phone deals and compelling packages that rival the best from Vodafone, Three and O2. And claiming the title of having the UK's fastest 4G network, getting a phone deal with EE could be quite a smart move. 

With all EE phone deals, customers get the ability to gift data to other EE customers, call via Wi-Fi and depending on what kind of plan you go for, get data-free access to a range of subscription services.

There's a caveat in that EE tents to ask for more money from its customers than other networks. But thanks to third-party retailers such as Mobiles.co.uk and Carphone Warehouse, you can get a good deal on phone plans with generous data allowances and more. 

Below you will find both a price comparison chart for the world's best smartphones and some individual options for EE phone deals on a range of handsets. However, you find yourself unsure if EE is the network you want to be on, head on over to our guide to mobile phone deals to compare all of the available networks in one go.

Compare EE phone deals

Is EE a good network?

Coverage and speeds:

EE has been voted the UK's top network by RootMetrics for the past ten years in a row. That's a pretty impressive achievement, especially considering EE is often more costly, so what makes it so special?

Well, this mostly comes down to EE's speeds. Currently, EE is the UK's fastest network and as 5G rolls out further, it will likely become the fastest 5G network as well.

While all four major networks have almost 100% coverage on 3G and 4G in the UK, 5G coverage is the area they begin to differ on. EE and Three are currently the furthest ahead when it comes to 5G and will likely continue to be so as it develops.

Features and bonuses:

So it's a fast network with great coverage, but does EE offer any additional features with its tariffs and plans?

There are several benefits to EE, the most obvious being the use of Wi-Fi calling, setting data caps and a data boost of 20GB if you take out EE home broadband - a nice benefit if you're looking for broadband deals too.

The other major benefit of EE is its offer of free subscriptions. If you sign up to EE you can get a: 3-month free BT Sport subscription, six months of Apple Music, six months of BritBox and if you're on an iPhone, six months of Apple News+.

Pricing:

Unfortunately, all of the above benefits of EE also mean a higher-than-average price. You will frequently find that EE will cost you more than Vodafone, Three or O2 for a tariff.

However, that doesn't mean you can't get an affordable EE plan. If you do some shopping around, you can sometimes find some bargain EE phone deals and it can even sometimes be the most affordable network for a device at a certain time.

What are the best handsets to get on EE?

Where is the best place to buy EE phone deals?

While it would make sense to head directly to the EE store, this won't always be the best way to go. Many 3rd party retailers are completely trustworthy while also offering much more affordable prices.

This obviously won't always be the case and sometimes going directly to EE can secure you a big bargain. The best option is to use the comparison chart above to compare prices from lots of retailers in one place.

The likes of Mobiles.co.uk, Affordable Mobiles, Fonehouse, Mobile Phones Direct and more are all good places to check for big discounts on EE phone deals.

We've also gathered up all the latest EE discount codes for more ways to save on your next phone or plan.

Switching to EE

Can I keep my number when I switch to EE?

You sure can, if you switch over to an EE phone deal and want to keep your old number, then simply call your old network, get a PAC code and transition it over. 

If you were previously on EE, you can still keep your number but it is slightly more complicated. They won't let you keep your number, so you have to use this workaround. Buy a free pay-as-you-go SIM from any other network and tell your network that you're moving. 

They'll release the PAC code, which you then give to the substitute network. Then, you immediately get another PAC code from them. Take that to your old network, and they'll move your number to your new contract. Long winded, but easier than learning a new number!

We've all heard of Vodafone, it's one of the four main networks of the UK, bringing competition to the likes of O2 and EE. But are Vodafone deals any good? Read on to find out and see what kind of prices you can expect to pay.

Coming up as a close second behind EE, Vodafone offers some strong benefits to rope you in. Vodafone's VeryMe scheme rewards you with everything from free coffees, to exclusive competitions and cash prices.

On top of the tempting freebies, Vodafone's high-level coverage and fast speeds are there to entice you in. But in terms of costs, Vodafone deals can be somewhat temperamental - one minute they're the cheapest around, the next its just not that  affordable.

Like most other networks, you'll find that the best prices on mobile phone deals don't come directly from Vodafone, but instead can be found with 3rd party retailers. That's where you'll find the bargains on unlimited data and the cheap monthly pricing.

And for anyone looking to invest in a high-end device - iPhone 13, Samsung Galaxy S21, Google Pixel 6, etc - Vodafone deals are often the best place to look. You can compare a wide range of handsets on Vodafone below.

Vodafone deals comparison

Is Vodafone a good network?

Coverage and speeds:

As one of the four main networks, Vodafone offers some tremendous coverage and speeds. In fact, Vodafone isn't all that far behind the leader of EE - the UK's fastest network.

It offers at least 99% 4G coverage in the UK and is rapidly expanding it's 5G growth as well. While that 99% sounds impressive, it is pretty similar to what you can get with the other main networks.

However, Vodafone's speeds put it in the higher-tier, again, sitting just behind EE in the line-up. You will find Vodafone is very capable for both 4G coverage and speeds and as for 5G, we'll see this improve over time.

Features and bonuses:

Vodafone has a number of benefits that help it to stand out but the most obvious is VeryMe. A rewards platform aimed at giving Vodafone users a host of free gifts, discounts and more.

This can range from a free coffee or snack from the likes of Costa or Greggs, through to competition entries, discounts on festivals and more. This is a great reward scheme only matched by O2's Priority scheme.

Looking past that, if you sign up for a Vodafone Red plan, you can get access to the likes of Now TV, MTV and Sky Atlantic for free with your phone.

Like other networks, Vodafone also offers roaming at no extra cost. This is only in specific destinations but on certain plans, Vodafone will upgrade you to Global Roaming Plus with an extension on the destinations.

Pricing:

Vodafone's pricing is nothing special, usually sitting bang in the middle. Not as cheap as Three but more affordable than EE, Vodafone and O2 will have you paying pretty similar fees.

However, this is not always going to be the case. You will frequently see Vodafone sneak in as the most affordable network on a handset. You could find the cheapest Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra deals on Vodafone but it could also be the priciest network.

With prices fluctuating all the time, the best way to see how a network is pricing is with the price comparison chart at the top of this page.

What are the best handsets to get on Vodafone?

Where is the best place to buy Vodafone deals?

Realistically, if you go directly to Vodafone, you're unlikely to find the best prices. Often, the best Vodafone prices actually come from the large number of 3rd party retailers in the UK.

These range from the better known options like Carphone Warehouse, Affordable Mobiles and Mobiles.co.uk, through the lesser-known options like Chitter Chatter and Fonehouse.

All of these are reputable retailers with great TrustPilot scores and realistically...cheaper prices than going directly through the Vodafone website.

Switching to Vodafone

Can I keep my number when I switch to Vodafone?

If you switch over to a Vodafone deal but want to keep your old number, then simply give your old network a ring, get a PAC code and transition it over. 

If you were previously with Vodafone, you can still keep your number but it is a slightly trickier affair. They won't let you keep your number, so you have to use this workaround. Buy a free pay-as-you-go SIM from any other network and tell your network that you're moving. 

They'll release the PAC code, which you then give to the substitute network. Then, you immediately get another PAC code from them. Take that to your old network, and they'll move your number to your new contract. Long winded, but easier than learning a new number!

There was a time where unlimited data SIM plans were a luxury, requiring you to fork out a mini-fortune each month to not have to worry about your usage. Those times are now long gone with a sea of networks bidding for the lowest price on unlimited everything.

While you can still easily end up spending a lot, the best unlimited data SIM only deals keep costs low while still removing your usage limits, and if you're lucky, they'll even throw in a few added benefits.

For years now, the Three network has fought off competition to offer the best value limitless SIM, but the margins are always shrinking with other networks closing the gap.

Of course, there are cheaper SIM only deals out there if you're not actually a big data user, but there is a certain bliss in having the restrictions removed for a few extra quid if you are nearing your limits each month.

On top of that, the ability to tether other devices to your unlimited data plan means you can use your tablets, computers or other devices on the go without draining your phone's data.

Our top pick is (and has been for a while) Three's £16 a month plan. It is one of the lowest prices around, especially if you are only looking at one of the major networks, and it only ties you in for a year if you feel like changing.

If a full year of commitment isn't for you, iD Mobile offers unlimited data on a 1-month rolling plan for only £18 a month. 

Not sure what you are looking for? Read on to find out more about the world of unlimited data SIM only deals.

The best unlimited data SIM plan

Choosing the right unlimited data SIM:

Switching to an unlimited data SIM:

Three Mobile is known for one thing above all else big data plans. Whether its the 100GB option or the unlimited data plan, Three Mobile deals continue to serve up contracts for the gamers, streamers and those testing the boundaries of data.

Until very recently, Three stood unopposed as the place to go for unlimited data and despite rising competition from all sides, it remains one of the best places to go for a complete lack of caps on your data plan.

However, to help deal with this rise of competition, a new set of Three Mobile deals was added - 100GB data plans. Since their release, these plans have quickly shot to the top of our lists across a massive range of phones.

The iPhone 13, Samsung Galaxy S21, Google Pixel 6 - the list goes on. For anyone considering a Three Mobile contract, tracking down either a 100GB plan or something unlimited will be the way to go.

But now time for the catch. Looking for cheap Three Mobile deals? You might struggle. While Three has the big data area nailed down, low data cheap plans are just completely missing, for the tiny price rise we would always suggest one of the larger plans.

Ready to see what Three Mobile deals there are? Scroll down to see the best plans across a range of devices, retailers and price points.

Three phone deals comparison

Is Three a good network?

Coverage and speeds:

Like the other three main networks, Three experiences brilliant speeds and coverage across the UK. Its coverage sits in about the 99% mark and luckily for those with a newer phone, Three has had one of the best 5G rollouts so far.

Not only has it achieved some of the faster speeds but it has also spread to a huge percentage of UK cities and some larger towns. That means Three is a great network to be on for future development.

As for 4G speeds, Three isn't quite as fast as its three main competitors a lot of the time. You can use Three's 4G coverage map to see what it will be like where you live.

Features and bonuses:

Three is somewhat lacking in the incentives and features department, especially when compared to its competitors - EE, Vodafone and O2. The other three main networks offer free subscriptions, rewards apps and more.

However, Three isn't completely void of benefits. It does offer roaming ability in over 70 destinations and has an app for tracking bills, usage and more. These are features a number of other networks have though.

Three angles itself as an affordable network that is light on benefits and in many ways, that's a great offer. Skip on the added extras for a lower price.

Pricing:

A lot of the time Three is the cheapest of the four main networks. It is especially affordable when it comes to big data plans in the 50GB+ range and especially 100GB or unlimited data plans.

However, where you'll see Three's pricing fall of slightly is on more budget devices. Three seems to struggle to keep up in the 1-5GB range and this is where EE, O2 and Vodafone seem to have an upper-hand.

Any flagship phone like the iPhone 12 or Samsung Galaxy S21 series will likely be strong for the Three network.

What are the best handsets to get on Three?

Where is the best place to buy Three phone deals?

Three is unique here in that some of its best prices can be found directly on the Three website. The three other main networks - EE, O2 and Vodafone - all find their best price points on 3rd party retailers instead.

However, while going directly through Three is a great option, there are plenty of other retailers that can offer you pretty cheap Three phone deals.

These include retailers like Fonehouse, Affordable Mobiles, Mobile Phones Direct and Chitter Chatter. All of these are trusted retailers who have been operating for years and have some of the best pricing in the country.

Switching to Three

Can I keep my number when I switch to Three?

You sure can, if you switch over to an Three phone deal and want to keep your old number, then simply call your old network, get a PAC code and transition it over. 

If you were previously on Three, you can still keep your number but it is slightly more complicated. They won't let you keep your number, so you have to use this workaround. Buy a free pay-as-you-go SIM from any other network and tell your network that you're moving. 

They'll release the PAC code, which you then give to the substitute network. Then, you immediately get another PAC code from them. Take that to your old network, and they'll move your number to your new contract. Long winded, but easier than learning a new number!

As one of the four main networks, O2 has been a go-to choice for many over the years. And recently, O2 phone deals have been offering some of the best prices around, making it a logical option for anyone looking to save on their contract.

However, these great prices aren't coming from O2 itself. In fact, the O2 website seems to often struggle to match the value that can be gained from going to 3rd party retailers (like Fonehouse or Affordable Mobiles). Those are the places the really strong O2 phone deals can be found.

And despite stiff competition from the likes of Vodafone, EE and a host of MVNOs, O2 has stood its ground as one of the best networks available. It's the network renowned for its extra Priority reward giveaways and customise-able mobile phone deals.

But of course, the main question is what are the best O2 phone deals? For anyone who's mind is set on flagships, you'll find great offers on the likes of the iPhone 13, Samsung Galaxy S21 and Google Pixel 6. And O2 even holds its own in the budget department with everything from Samsung to Moto and back again.

Below you'll find all of the best O2 phone deals across the best handsets including both budget and flagship choices. And if you're still not sure if O2 is the right choice for you, read on to find out more about the network.

Price Comparison chart

Is O2 a good network?

Coverage and speeds:

As one of the four main networks, O2 benefits from some excellent coverage across the UK. Not as fast as the leading option of EE phone deals, O2 sits comfortably alongside Vodafone for both coverage and speeds.

The same goes for 5G rollout. The network has been slowly developing its 5G connections and is rapidly spreading out from cities and large towns into smaller areas.

Features and bonuses:

There are a couple of features that help O2 to stand out - the main one is its Priority Scheme. This is an app that allows you to sign up to competitions, get free coffees and gifts, gig tickets and much more.

Looking past that, O2 offers free Disney Plus with a host of its phone deals, O2 has an app that allows you to check your data, browse add-ons and upgrades and get expert help and it has an excellent customer support experience.

Pricing:

O2 sits comfortably in the middle of the main networks for price. It's not the most expensive option but its also not going to be as cheap as Three for example. Prices will fluctuate all the time but you can often find great prices on top networks.

O2 tends to have its best prices on larger data plans and the higher-end handsets. However, you can also find both budget devices and lower data cap and low cost deals.

What are the best handsets to get on O2?

Volt: bundling O2 with Virgin

If you need a new broadband plan alongside your phone contract, another option would be the new 'Volt' scheme. This is part of O2 and Virgin's new joint venture, offering a combined bundle.

By combining the two services, you can get a boost in the data of your O2 plan and increase the speeds of your broadband. Of course, it isn't cheap but that is mostly because you're getting two services in one.

There is a couple of options available, all including broadband, a SIM plan or phone and TV.

Where is the best place to buy O2 phone deals?

While you can buy O2 phone deals directly from O2, you are likely to find the best prices by going through 3rd party retailers. These are trusted names with great TrustPilot scores...they just don't cost as much as O2 direct.

These could be from Fonehouse, Buymobiles, Affordable Mobiles or a host of other names. These retailers can be found in our price comparison chart above for a more complete look.

Switching to O2

Can I keep my number when I switch to O2?

You sure can, if you switch over to an O2 mobile deal and want to keep your old number, then simply call your old network, get a PAC code and transition it over. 

If you were previously on O2, you can still keep your number but it is slightly more complicated. They won't let you keep your number, so you have to use this workaround. Buy a free pay-as-you-go SIM from any other network and tell your network that you're moving. 

They'll release the PAC code, which you then give to the substitute network. Then, you immediately get another PAC code from them. Take that to your old network, and they'll move your number to your new contract. Long winded, but easier than learning a new number!

Vodafone SIM only deals are likely going to be one of the first options you look into. As one of the four main networks, Vodafone is well placed with great coverage and speeds - but is it the best option for you?

Sitting somewhere in the middle of the market, offering one of the more feature-filled SIM offerings but not the most expensive, Vodafone SIM only deals are all about overall value.

Through its reward scheme VeryMe, Vodafone SIM plans can reward you with free coffees, gig tickets, competitions, discounts on products and more. This is a feature few other SIM only deals provide, only popping up wit O2, Voxi and a few others.

But where Vodafone really succeeds is in its coverage. As one of the four main providers, you're getting one of the best overall 4G and 5G coverage maps, plus some very solid speeds in all parts of the country.

So it has benefits, good coverage and generally affordable pricing, but where is the best place to buy Vodafone SIM only deals? The cheapest prices, especially on the brand's unlimited data SIM only deals actually come from 3rd party retailers.

If you use the price comparison chart above, you'll be able to track down the best and cheapest plans from Vodafone in the UK right now. And if you want to know more about Vodafone, read on.

Why go for Vodafone SIM only deals?

How to choose the right Vodafone SIM

Switching to a Vodafone SIM

Vodafone MVNO SIM only deals:

If you haven't found a Vodafone SIM that suits what you're looking for, the other option is to consider one of the many MVNOs that use Vodafone's signals, networks and connections.

While there is loads of these, the main ones are Virgin, Voxi, Lebara, TalkMobile and Asda. These are quite varied in what they offer with some using 1-month rolling contracts, others focusing on getting you the most data for the lowest price.

For many, O2 SIM only deals will represent the perfect choice for their next phone. It stands as one of the four main networks with a wide range of smaller MVNO SIM only deals making use of its technology, coverage and technology.

With its long-standing history, starting off in 1985, O2 has had plenty of time to perfect its SIM only deals. Right now, it fits in neatly next to Vodafone as a very well-rounded platform.

It's not overly expensive, it has a number of big data SIM plans at affordable price points and finds itself discounted throughout the year. On top of that, to compete with increased competition from Three, Vodafone and EE, O2 has increased its presence in the world of incentives.

Including gifts like free Disney Plus subscriptions, boosts to data, half price promotions and more, O2 SIM only deals are looking the strongest that they have in a long time.

So what are the best prices? How do O2 SIM only deals compare to its competition like Three SIM only deals and Vodafone SIM only deals? We've answered all of these questions below.

Compare O2 SIM only deals:

Why choose the O2 network?

Volt: bundling O2 with Virgin

If you need a new broadband plan alongside your phone contract, another option would be the new 'Volt' scheme. This is part of O2 and Virgin's new joint venture, offering a combined bundle.

By combining the two services, you can get a boost in the data of your O2 plan and increase the speeds of your broadband. Of course, it isn't cheap but that is mostly because you're getting two services in one.

There is a couple of options available, all including broadband, a SIM plan or phone and TV.

How to switch to a O2 SIM:

What factors should I consider?

EE SIM only deals are going to be an option that appeal to a lot of people. With its market-leading speeds and coverage, host of added benefits and position as the UK's fastest network, EE is a clear choice.

However, all of that doesn't necessarily come cheap. EE SIM only deals are often the most expensive of the four main networks - EE, Vodafone, Three and O2. That means it is unlikely to be the top choice for those on a budget.

SIM only deals from EE will be perfect whether you've just bought a new SIM-free phone, or your current contract has finished and you want to hold on to your existing phone.

Of course, as we said above, if you want something cheaper then Three SIM only deals could be a better fit for you. Simply want SIM plans from the UK's fastest and most popular network with a host of added features, you're in the right place.

Use the price comparison chart above to find the best EE SIM only deals. Or if you want to know more about the network and what's on offer, scroll down to learn more about EE.

Why go for EE SIM only deals?

Choosing the right EE SIM for you:

There is a few factors you need to consider when picking EE SIM only deals. How much data do you need? Do you need 5G access and do you want any add-ons with your plan.

Contract length:
SIM only deals can come in four different contracts - 1 month rolling, 12, 18 and 24 months. You can only get EE on 12 or 24 month plans. This will be the case whether you get your plan directly from the EE website or through a 3rd party retailer.

You will find that you will be able to get more data and lower monthly costs with a 24 month contract. But if you don't want to be tied in for as long as that, EE's 12 month plans are also a great way to go.

Data cap:
Like most other networks, EE covers the whole spectrum of data caps. However, EE tends to see its best overall value in the higher data cap regions. 50GB+ will likely be where you get your best value.

However if you're on a tight budget, going for one of EE's lower data plans will be the best option. If you stick below 5GB you will be able to keep your bills relatively low. The important thing to do is to consider how much data you were using on your old plan and base your decision on that.

Smart benefits:
A unique feature found with EE is its smart benefits. These can be anything from data-free use of video streaming, an Apple Music subscription, extended roaming abilities and more.

Some plans will come with just one smart benefit and others can come with multiple. However as you would expect, these tend to be slightly more expensive options.

4G or 5G:
Some networks automatically offer 5G on all of their plans, EE does not. While the large majority of EE SIM only deals are 5G-enabled some of the cheaper options will restrict you to 4G.

While this won't be a big issue for a lot of people, anyone with a 5G handset will want to make sure they are getting one of EE's 5G plans.

How to switch to an EE SIM:

EE's MVNOs:

EE can be pretty expensive but if you want its speeds and coverage without the high price, there is a bit of an easy solution - MVNOs. These are smaller networks which use EE's platform, allowing you to still get those market-leading connections.

There are a load of networks that use EE but the main ones are BT Mobile, Plusnet and Virgin. They can't offer the same added benefits as EE like the free subscriptions but they have other bonuses to compensate.

Plus, all of these providers can offer you 5G now.