best PAYG SIM only for mobile phone internet access

wallacewilliams

Hello all,

I recently switched to ASDAs SIM only PAYG tarriff because it seemed like the best option for my mobile phone usage which is

- rarely use it for voice calls (max 10 mins a month!)
- text quite a bit (about 150+ a month)
- check my e-mails and surf online a lot (30 mins a day ish)

I thought I'd get away with topping up £10 a month, but it seems like I'm topping up around £20 a month at the minute.

O2 have a PAYG SIM only tarriff that gives you free texts and free mobile internet when you top up by £15 a month.

This seems ideal for me.

Has anyone had any experience with this O2 tarriff? What's the coverage like? Is the data connection 3G/HSPDA or it it mainly GPRS (which is slower I think). Can you keep your old number?

Thanks in advance,
Wallace

redux

for internet use, wait 2 days and then look at giffgaff, as this is rumoured to have free data to start with

for texts, look at mobile Java programs that send an equivalent via data, such as Fishtext at a couple of pence each, or smsbug, mobisms, Vyke ...

or go for inclusive data bundles, such as 3's £5 a month, or they allow 150 MB a month free if you top up every 3 months

Snakeeyes21

if you want it for the Internet i would avoid o2, they have the worst 3g / HSDPA coverage of all the networks.
I think the t-mobile one is better value, topup £10 a month and get free texts and Internet http://www.t-mobile.co.uk/shop/free-pay-as-you-go-sim-cards/
all the info is on that page.

BIGWHEELER

Hi tesco payg now do internet @ £2 per week, so if you top up £10 per month it gets doubled to £20, less £8 inernet which leaves you with £12 calling credit per month

randomtask_2

giffgaff launches on the O2 infrastructure so the 3G coverage, as pointed out by Snakeeyes21, may not be all that great depending on where you are...that said, data is free for the first 6 months at least so if you do have good O2 reception where you are, it could be worth investigating

billsavings

randomtask wrote: »

giffgaff launches on the O2 infrastructure so the 3G coverage, as pointed out by Snakeeyes21, may not be all that great depending on where you are...that said, data is free for the first 6 months at least so if you do have good O2 reception where you are, it could be worth investigating

Are they just a virtual network piggybacking on o2,or are they part of O2.

wallacewilliams

Snakeeyes21 wrote: »

I think the t-mobile one is better value, topup £10 a month and get free texts and Internet <link here> all the info is on that page.

Thanks very much for this. I'm probably being dim, but I'm slightly concerned by the wording on the T-mobile site; "Simply top up £10, and the following month you can start texting and surfing for FREE. And top up £10 each month to get FREE texts and internet for life!"

Does this mean you have to wait 30 days before getting the free texts and internet? What happens if there is a month when you don't top up by £10 - does the offer become void and do you revert back to a different tarriff even if you top up by £10 again? What would happen if you topped up 32 days after your last top up? Any ideas?

Thanks in advance,
Wallace

greyster

as long as you get onto the promotion, you won't lose the promotion, however you won't get the benefits when you don't top up £10 in a given month.

So if you topped up 32 days later, you get your texts/internet the following month.

randomtask_2

billsavings wrote: »

Are they just a virtual network piggybacking on o2,or are they part of O2.

officially they are an MVNO using O2's network (in the way Virgin Mobile use T-Mobile) but O2 own the brand completely, but operate it separately to their core business

nbaki82

redux wrote: »

for internet use, wait 2 days and then look at giffgaff, as this is rumoured to have free data to start with

for texts, look at mobile Java programs that send an equivalent via data, such as Fishtext at a couple of pence each, or smsbug, mobisms, Vyke ...

or go for inclusive data bundles, such as 3's £5 a month, or they allow 150 MB a month free if you top up every 3 months

To me Vyke stands out from the list. It is the simplest and best quality VoiP