5 x SIM only plan? Why not use a MVNO?

[RemarkLima]

Hi all,

I have 5 SIM only plans with Three - this is getting more expensive, and the coverage is still rubbish. I know Vodafone and Three have merged but all the main networks multi SIM plans aren't great value, I'm looking at a business plan for SME ideally so a single invoice.

Is there any real reason not to use SMARTY or the like? They seem to fix prices rather than bake in an increase each year, and offer EU roaming for free.

Any other options for a single monthly bill?

[heisthegaffer]

Ive just moved from ID mobile (Three) which was terrible reception wise vs 1PMobile (EE) who are loads better. Night and day for me.

They do a deal where it is £25 fir first u/l SIM then £12.50 for each thereafter. Amazing value.

https://www.1pmobile.com/siminfo?prodid=SBUN1

[hellorent]

Sky do plans like that, you can share data between the sims as unused data rolls over

[RemarkLima]

I'll check 1p mobile as well - SMARTY seem decent as well?

So, really although these providers are piggtybacking off of the main 4 (three now) networks, the service is just as good?

[jfdi]

We're on Smarty. Both plans were started when it was on a discount offer £7 for 30gb and £8 for 50gb. I get a 10% discount on each sim for having multiple sims under one account so £6.30 and £7.20.
The discount offer was 18 months on both but you can cancel anytime. It got near the 18 month point so I was expecting them to go up and started looking around for alternatives. I then received an email from Smarty giving me another 24 months at the same price. Signal and speed have been fine.

[Uncle Meat]

I've been using Smarty for years and they're brilliant. The roaming limits are a bit less than some other MVNOs though.

The coverage (and speed, over 1Gbps in some places) are excellent in the areas I use but don't forget they are Three's sim-only company.

[Mr Pointy]

What about Lebara? They use the Vodafone network & there are no annual rises: you can add multiple SIMs to the app & manage them from one login. 30Gb/£10, 50GB/£15, Unlimited (ish)/£25.

https://www.lebara.co.uk/en/home.html

[beko1987]

Nowadays I think any SIM depends on which of the 3 networks have the best signal for your area/usecase.

I'm on Lebara currently which gives me 2 bars of Vodafone at my house and mostly around the town I live in. 3 would give me signal if I was in the garden, but no service when in the house. I'm only in South Oxfordshire 🤣 Otherwise it's all the same costs for the same data once you look very closely.

I have an android auto headunit in my car though, and wifi hotspot my phone to it. Get 2 or 3 miles out of the major town and boom, no signal. Motorways etc, nothing! I drove to Wakefield the other week and did most of it offline, I guess I was going too fast* for the mobile network to catch me (or my Pixel 8 was awful, not really studied how the S24 I now have compares but I haven't done a long trip where I need* wifi for maps yet

[GlenMH]

I am also on Lebara and manage 4 SIMs in the app.

Recently I have been doing Bristol to Portsmouth regularly and have no issues with coverage. Sometimes 4G when I would have been on 5G on my previous Voda contract. But the price is so much better and the included EU roaming makes it a no brainer for me.

Coverage at my house is pretty crap on all the networks so wifi calling works well for me.

1p mobile's roaming *is* better though.

[slievenashaska]

RemarkLima said:

Is there any real reason not to use SMARTY or the like?

To be pedantic, Smarty (and Giffgaff) are not MVNOs. Smarty is wholly owned and operated by Three (as is Giffgaff with O2). They are 'flanker-brands' offering a service for those who don't want to pay the branded name price but keeping all the money in house.

As for a reason not to use them or a real MVNO, the answer is usually customer service - not that you get much customer service with the main brands but it is generally less with the sub-brands or MVNOs.

However I have been using Mozillion, an MVNO that runs on EE, for the last six months with a couple of sims, and frankly the mobile service has been far better than when using EE sims.

I now find that in locations I had signal but no data with EE I now have signal and data, and I can only surmise that EE de-priortise the cheap sims they offer with their broadband, and that isn't happening with the (cheaper) MVNO service.

Anyway, £5 a month for 80GB of dat, with unlimited calls and EU roaming works for me.

[megaphone]

Another happy Lebara customer, I have two sims on the same account.

[RemarkLima]

@slievenashaska

I didn't know that about Smarty or GiffGaff - goes to show the main players are making fortunes surely?

I'll pick one and give it a go! Get those PAC codes at the ready

[slievenashaska]

RemarkLima said:

Get those PAC codes at the ready

And as soon as you send the text requesting a PAC get ready for the 'we can do a better deal' calls.