UK PAYG

Dairyfarmer

Dairyfarmer

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Moving to UK sometime in the next 6 months and I have been looking into PAYG. I will be working mostly from home and will have a 100Mbps minimum fibre connection, most likely 500Mbps..

When I was last there I was with One2One/T-Mobile on contracts (pre smart phones) and 3 had just started up. I see that 3 are doing PAYG under the name Smarty with 3G and 4G data.

I am wanting to know if anyone has experience using Smarty on 3's network. I'm interested in their money back SIM only deals. It works out to GBP5 pm for unlimited voice and SMS, and GBP1 per Gb of data. Unused data for the month is paid as a credit towards the next month, per Mb @ GBP1 per Gb. So If I get the GBP7 deal I get 2Gb data. If I only use 1Gb I'll get a GBP1 credit on my next month. Also the plan works in most of Europe without roaming charges.
 
Dairyfarmer said:
Moving to UK sometime in the next 6 months and I have been looking into PAYG. I will be working mostly from home and will have a 100Mbps minimum fibre connection, most likely 500Mbps..

When I was last there I was with One2One/T-Mobile on contracts (pre smart phones) and 3 had just started up. I see that 3 are doing PAYG under the name Smarty with 3G and 4G data.

I am wanting to know if anyone has experience using Smarty on 3's network. I'm interested in their money back SIM only deals. It works out to GBP5 pm for unlimited voice and SMS, and GBP1 per Gb of data. Unused data for the month is paid as a credit towards the next month, per Mb @ GBP1 per Gb. So If I get the GBP7 deal I get 2Gb data. If I only use 1Gb I'll get a GBP1 credit on my next month. Also the plan works in most of Europe without roaming charges.
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I found the 3 network patchy at best and when I was in the UK in June/July, even in central Glasgow it was pretty slow and nowhere near as fast as Voxi (the Vodafone PAYG).

For context, I was using Voxi and activated and tried 3 mainly to get VoWiFi calls to call back to SA and of course their deals are very good. But it ended up they would charge international rates even for VoWiFi calls, so I went back to Voxi in a day as they had a good bolt on for 100 minutes a month or something and the 3 network was so slow, even in a top floor apartment it was terrible.

So yeah, I'd suggest you activate a sim and see how it is where you live, but the reputation is poor and in my experience the Voda/Voxi network is by far the best.

@Dave can hook you up with a Voxi sim where you both get benefits when you've used a certain amount. Maybe he can also comment on the 3 network?
 
Dairyfarmer said:
Moving to UK sometime in the next 6 months and I have been looking into PAYG. I will be working mostly from home and will have a 100Mbps minimum fibre connection, most likely 500Mbps..

When I was last there I was with One2One/T-Mobile on contracts (pre smart phones) and 3 had just started up. I see that 3 are doing PAYG under the name Smarty with 3G and 4G data.

I am wanting to know if anyone has experience using Smarty on 3's network. I'm interested in their money back SIM only deals. It works out to GBP5 pm for unlimited voice and SMS, and GBP1 per Gb of data. Unused data for the month is paid as a credit towards the next month, per Mb @ GBP1 per Gb. So If I get the GBP7 deal I get 2Gb data. If I only use 1Gb I'll get a GBP1 credit on my next month. Also the plan works in most of Europe without roaming charges.
Click to expand...
I can get you a giffgaff sim sent to your address. If you activate, both of us will get some airtime free.

My wife is using my giffgaff sim. 6GB data + unlimited voice and sms for 10 pounds

If you don't activate it, it's no loss to either of us
 
Hamish McPanji said:
I can get you a giffgaff sim sent to your address. If you activate, both of us will get some airtime free.

My wife is using my giffgaff sim. 6GB data + unlimited voice and sms for 10 pounds

If you don't activate it, it's no loss to either of us
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What's the coverage like?
 
Depends where you’re going. I’d just get a bunch of SIM cards and try them all.
 
I personally prefer vodafone because their top end roaming covers SA too and they're investing a fair bit into 5G

3 is fine too though - used them for a while.

I'd suggest getting a bit more data than 2gb though. Fine for at home but if you're spending time commuting (train/tube) you'll want a lot more
 
HavocXphere said:
I personally prefer vodafone because their top end roaming covers SA too and they're investing a fair bit into 5G

3 is fine too though - used them for a while.

I'd suggest getting a bit more data than 2gb though. Fine for at home but if you're spending time commuting (train/tube) you'll want a lot more
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Won't be coming back to SA, so not too worried about roaming outside of Europe.

2Gb would probable be my base package. I can add on at GBP1 per Gb and get paid back for unused at the end of the month. If I find I'm using lots of data they do have 30Gb/GBP10, 50Gb/GBP15 and Unlimited for GBP20.
 
In the order of most expensive to least and best service to worst are EE, O2, Vodafone and 3, the rest are MVNOs who from my experience have lower priority on the main provider network.

I would consider Giffgaff (O2) or 3 then move up if the service doesn't meet your requirements.

Also worth looking out for 3 one year sim only deals, they crazy value even on expire. I have a unlimited and stay in a 5G area, getting crazy value this year especially
 
RVQ said:
In the order of most expensive to least and best service to worst are EE, O2, Vodafone and 3, the rest are MVNOs who from my experience have lower priority on the main provider network.

I would consider Giffgaff (O2) or 3 then move up if the service doesn't meet your requirements.

Also worth looking out for 3 one year sim only deals, they crazy value even on expire. I have a unlimited and stay in a 5G area, getting crazy value this year especially
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I'd disagree there, if all you want is calls and SMS then o2 isn't bad, buts it the worst for data, being slowest and most congested as it has the smallest spectrum allocation at present.

EE is undoubtedly the best, best 4G and 5G coverage, best average speeds, most spectrum used, unfortunately their PAYG options are limited and quite expensive.

Vodafone next, very good coverage and data is good, cheap PAYG is possible via Voxi.

Three next, good coverage in urban areas, good coverage rurally only if you have a phone that they allow to use Band 20 (800MHz), this is the phones that they allow on their VoLTE system. Smarty runs on Three, BUT doesn't get access to VoLTE or Band 20.

o2 last, their network is constrained and they didn't want to spend money at the 4G auctions, (if you're happy with 2G they have an excellent 2G network) this means they often struggle for speeds, they are also the only network to set priorities for connections, essentially o2 contract gets highest priority, next is Sky Mobile and Tesco Mobile, then o2 PAYG and then Giffgaff. Giffgaff users often complain about really poor speeds.
 
Dave said:
I'd disagree there, if all you want is calls and SMS then o2 isn't bad, buts it the worst for data, being slowest and most congested as it has the smallest spectrum allocation at present.

EE is undoubtedly the best, best 4G and 5G coverage, best average speeds, most spectrum used, unfortunately their PAYG options are limited and quite expensive.

Vodafone next, very good coverage and data is good, cheap PAYG is possible via Voxi.

Three next, good coverage in urban areas, good coverage rurally only if you have a phone that they allow to use Band 20 (800MHz), this is the phones that they allow on their VoLTE system. Smarty runs on Three, BUT doesn't get access to VoLTE or Band 20.

o2 last, their network is constrained and they didn't want to spend money at the 4G auctions, (if you're happy with 2G they have an excellent 2G network) this means they often struggle for speeds, they are also the only network to set priorities for connections, essentially o2 contract gets highest priority, next is Sky Mobile and Tesco Mobile, then o2 PAYG and then Giffgaff. Giffgaff users often complain about really poor speeds.
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Fair enough, location is really important and it was probably my luck when I tried it out at the time, my 3 beats the hell out of all of them for price and service in 5G coverage (current speedtest is 456 Mbps with close to 50GB used this month) but doesn't come close to EE's service nation wide.
 
My contract is with O2 but was with giffgaff before plus family and friends use giffgaff, never an issue. And their rates/data are pretty good
 
Dave said:
I'd disagree there, if all you want is calls and SMS then o2 isn't bad, buts it the worst for data, being slowest and most congested as it has the smallest spectrum allocation at present.

EE is undoubtedly the best, best 4G and 5G coverage, best average speeds, most spectrum used, unfortunately their PAYG options are limited and quite expensive.

Vodafone next, very good coverage and data is good, cheap PAYG is possible via Voxi.

Three next, good coverage in urban areas, good coverage rurally only if you have a phone that they allow to use Band 20 (800MHz), this is the phones that they allow on their VoLTE system. Smarty runs on Three, BUT doesn't get access to VoLTE or Band 20.

o2 last, their network is constrained and they didn't want to spend money at the 4G auctions, (if you're happy with 2G they have an excellent 2G network) this means they often struggle for speeds, they are also the only network to set priorities for connections, essentially o2 contract gets highest priority, next is Sky Mobile and Tesco Mobile, then o2 PAYG and then Giffgaff. Giffgaff users often complain about really poor speeds.
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Dave Is from Sunderland, where they steal your phones so quick that a key factor is how quickly you can get a replacement sim.

If you're going to Sunderland, be like Dave
 
Hamish McPanji said:
Dave Is from Sunderland, where they steal your phones so quick that a key factor is how quickly you can get a replacement sim.

If you're going to Sunderland, be like Dave
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1) I'm not from or in Sunderland.

2) I'm basing my observations on having worked in the industry for around 22 years, both in network infrastructure and in retail.

People can decide if they think my advice is worth anything or not. Everything I've said is quite easily verified with a bit of googling. You only have to read Giffgaff's own forums to see how many people have been unhappy with data provision.

I don't advise on network choice because of the possibility of a £5 bonus for sending someone a sim :p.
 
Dave said:
1) I'm not from or in Sunderland.

2) I'm basing my observations on having worked in the industry for around 22 years, both in network infrastructure and in retail.

People can decide if they think my advice is worth anything or not. Everything I've said is quite easily verified with a bit of googling. You only have to read Giffgaff's own forums to see how many people have been unhappy with data provision.

I don't advise on network choice because of the possibility of a £5 bonus for sending someone a sim :p.
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Lol. Commie!!

Had no issues with giffgaff personally. Had a torrid time with Vodafone.
 
RVQ said:
Fair enough, location is really important and it was probably my luck when I tried it out at the time, my 3 beats the hell out of all of them for price and service in 5G coverage (current speedtest is 456 Mbps with close to 50GB used this month) but doesn't come close to EE's service nation wide.
Click to expand...

I was a Three customer from 3/3/2003 until September of this year. Their unlimited deals are cheap, but I would never rely on it alone, too many times you can have a decent signal indication but no data throughput, having said that Three is in a good position to be successful with 5G, they have a serious chunk of 3500Mhz spectrum they can use, if they will only make the investment that's needed.
 
Hamish McPanji said:
Lol. Commie!!

Had no issues with giffgaff personally. Had a torrid time with Vodafone.
Click to expand...

I don't particularly like Vodafone as a company, but their service is pretty solid now, their 4G is pretty good and their 5G (whilst it's in a slightly cheaty format) is second only to EE.

My opinion in analogy form, EE is the Rolls Royce, Voda is the Mercedes, Three is the Citi Golf and o2 is the Datsun Go.

This is what EE can consistently do in the middle of the day, near the city centre.

90EC5647-4324-4558-8A3D-03B7732D8D4D.jpeg

Unfortunately you need to pass a credit check for EE to be worth it, they don't really care about PAYG these days.
 
Dave said:
I was a Three customer from 3/3/2003 until September of this year. Their unlimited deals are cheap, but I would never rely on it alone, too many times you can have a decent signal indication but no data throughput, having said that Three is in a good position to be successful with 5G, they have a serious chunk of 3500Mhz spectrum they can use, if they will only make the investment that's needed.
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Problem is Trump and the US influence on Europe, networks were full steam ahead with 5G but the anti-Huawei campaigns created too much uncertainty, with 2020 compounding the problem I think everyone is holding out for Biden to take office before they proceed with adding 5G to their Huawei networks or lay down the capital to rip and replace with another provider
 
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