| Author |
Which provider to choose in UK? |
calvin0927
Joined: Mar 11, 2002
Posts: 135
From: Israel
PM |
I have a friend who is going to England soon for a few years, and he of course wants to get a cell phone there. He'll be in Cambridge, and will need to use it mainly there (so it's important that he have excellent reception there), but also occasionally when he goes to London (and I assume less frequently in other parts of the country).
Can UK users please give me your opinions on the different service providers (based on your experience), as well as an idea of what my friend might have to pay for a decent plan (and what such a plan includes)?
Thanks!  |
|
|
bart
Joined: Feb 03, 2002
Posts: > 500
From: Flanders
PM, WWW
|
when i go there and use roaming i use vodaphone its cheap and good reception.
With Ericsson and Nokia gone: we must keep their spirits alive and buy JOLLA or YOTA |
englishmanabroad
Joined: Aug 14, 2002
Posts: 163
From: UK
PM |
I have tried all the networks and found that for contract usage - the best provider is still Orange. if you make a lot of calls from the UK to overseas - it is the most reasonable and you don't have to pay for the Privilege (Vodafone charge £2:50 for international caller option). International roaming is as good now as vodafone - international texting from the UK is also cheaper than T-mobile and voda and i think O2. Calls to other mobile networks are fair (in relation to Vodafone) , Itemised billing is free and informative.
The only complaint I have with Orange is that they continue to supply software adjusted and locked handsets - which can be a real pain.
|
rudeboymcc
Joined: May 25, 2002
Posts: 287
PM |
well about vodafone being cheap, i wouldn't say that. i pay £16 a month and get only 20 min anytime and 50 txts. but reception is very good. vodafone are in nearly all europena countried so voicemail and stuff like that is local whereever you go (rateh than paying international fee to listen ot voicemail).
i'm not sure about cambridge, but in universities orange seems to be the most common network. this is the case in bristol. evey one has orange and they all fill the service so the network is busy many times. but in london, vodafone is the most comon, so you get network busy as well at midday.
i don't advise you to go for anything but orange or vodafone. take into accountt that your friend won't be able to put any otheer sim card but an orange one if he goes for it. vodafone do not lock their contrat phones to anything, only the pay as you go ones. |
calvin0927
Joined: Mar 11, 2002
Posts: 135
From: Israel
PM |
thanks for the info! can you also give me some examples of prices of different plans offered by vodafone and orange? and what do these include? is there any plan that doesn't include any minutes, but that doesn't have a monthly fee either, so that if you don't use your phone a given month, you don't pay anything? what about if you come with your own phone, and just want the plan (i.e. a sim card, without a phone)--is that possible, and would it be cheaper?
i would also appreciate hearing anyone else's opinions on these two and the other service providers in the UK. thanks again! |
New Beetle
Joined: Jan 11, 2002
Posts: 133
From: NW England
PM |
Calvin, if your friend brings his own handset he is sorted, for around £10 to £15 he can choose any UK network simcard, Pay as you talk, type thing. So if he doesn't use it he is not being charged a penny.
But, if he wants to make more and more calls, especially out of the UK to europe etc, he will probably get charged more than he would if he went for a monthly subscription plan. |
decoy7
Joined: Feb 06, 2002
Posts: > 500
From: NW London
PM |
if you have your own handset and want a payasugo sim card, look at www.o2.co.uk
if you spend £10 minimum per month on airtime you get 300 free sms to send worldwide and still have £10 worth of credit for voice calls.
call charges are possibly better on other payasugo tariffs, but if you text alot it more than makes up for it.
BBBold on T-Mobile UK |
oxegn
Joined: Aug 29, 2002
Posts: 63
From: my secret hideout
PM |
Go for either O2 of Vodafone. On my current O2 contract (Which was origonally with Genie) I get 600 sms's free a month, that would have cost me £72 if I was still on Vodafone. However I never use even close to that amount!
I also agree the best deal if you aren't going to call cross network/international too much is the 02 pay as you go.
Steer clear of T-Mobile! |
decoy7
Joined: Feb 06, 2002
Posts: > 500
From: NW London
PM |
there is no best network, only whats best for you.
dont hate on T-Mobile, for £20 per month who else offers free national calls to anywhere in the country and same network handsets?
BBBold on T-Mobile UK |
calvin0927
Joined: Mar 11, 2002
Posts: 135
From: Israel
PM |
ok, now if it's not asking too much, could someone just list the different service providers available? from the answers to my original question, it seems like the networks available are: vodafone, orange, O2, T-mobile, and genie. is that right, or did i miss any? also, and again if it's not too much trouble, could someone briefly list the best deal each of the providers offers (so that i can compare them one to the other)? thanks again for all the info! |
decoy7
Joined: Feb 06, 2002
Posts: > 500
From: NW London
PM |
go to http://www.carphonewarehouse.co.uk
and look at 'Networks & Tariffs' if you want all the info.
BBBold on T-Mobile UK |
riflogic
Joined: Jun 17, 2002
Posts: > 500
From: London,UK
PM |
@calvin0927
I suggest you read the following Esato thread. Then you will have a good idea. http://www.esato.com/board/viewtopic.php?mode=viewtopic&topic=7566&forum=30&start=0
[ This Message was edited by: riflogic on 2002-09-21 22:08 ] |
rdlc
Joined: Dec 21, 2001
Posts: 90
From: uk
PM |
I think vodafone is best there slightly more expensive but im happy 2 pay 4 quality which i think they are, but stay away from t-mobile and o2
This post was posted from a T68i |
decoy7
Joined: Feb 06, 2002
Posts: > 500
From: NW London
PM |
everyone seems to think their own network is the best...your all sad.
BBBold on T-Mobile UK |
Cophia
Joined: Jul 22, 2002
Posts: > 500
From: Sydney
PM |
Go here: http://www.dialaphone.co.uk
It is a website that offers some of the best prices on monthly tariffs you can get (many better than high street shops).
All the networks are pretty much the same coverage-wise as GSM has been around that long now. However, if you want to buy a phone then get an O2 or Vodafone contract as Orange and T-Mobile LOCK their phones so you will not be able to put in another operator's SIM.
|
|
|
Posted: 2002-09-21 11:17
