MSE guide discussion - 'Piggybacking' and which network provides your mobile service

Former_MSE_Rebecca

Hi all,

We've written a new guide to piggybacking and which network really providers your mobile service and we'd love your feedback.


Thanks,

MSE Rebecca

silvercar

Good article.

Should add that a danger, particularly with the minnows, is that should they go bust you could lose anything you have paid up front for and risk temporarily losing your number.

lean&mean

Really interesting article. I didn't realise BT used EE, which makes me think the chances of them bidding for EE rather than O2 is now higher, so they didn't have to migrate existing customers over to a new network.

Couple of suggestions: if your signal is poor, there's also the option of using a 'signal box' at home, which the network might give you free (otherwise £100-150). It plugs in to your broadband router and establishes a mini 'network mast' in your home. Your phone won't notice the difference. EE, T-Mobile and Orange may offer them free to customers if you are a decent spender with them and you can use any other EE piggybacking phone with the box, like Virgin. Vodafone (called Sure Signal) and Three (Home Signal) have one as do O2 (Boost Box - but you have to be a business user with O2, and each phone number has to be registered, so no piggybacking users can access it). Talk to your network about the issue.

The other provider I would add to the list is MobiData. Like GlobalGig they are data only and use the Three network. In fact they are linked to GlobalGig, but MobiData is for UK use, whereas GlobalGig is for international use. That said Mobidata still offer 100MB a month for use in many overseas countries included in their tariff, which starts at a fiver a month for 1GB. I've used them and they have been great. Great for a tablet or MiFi unit.

joeluken

MSE_Rebecca wrote: »

Hi all,

We've written a new guide to piggybacking and which network really providers your mobile service and we'd love your feedback.


Thanks,

MSE Rebecca

It may alo be worth mentioning that whilst MVNO's use a host provider it doesn't mean the service such as data will perform the same as using a product directly form the host network. Giffgaff recently explained that it rents a limited amount of bandwidth and once this reaches capacity, irrespective of location, O2 will drop its data packets and its internet slows and/or becomes unsuable compared to O2 direct.

Stuartli

I buy my own phone on eBay or Amazon and use GiffGaff.

GiffGaff is owned by O2, yet is approximately half to one-third of its cost on an ad hoc or rolling monthly PAYG contract with payment by Direct Debit.

Great value for money and it's very easy to Port your present mobile phone number to GiffGaff if you wish....:cool:

tallsam

Unfortunately, due to poor signal at the office I can only use the EE network. As BT is piggybacking on the EE network this should work for me. Plus their rates and charges are much more favourable than EE.

So can I use them even though my employment status is that of an employee (one full time job and some part time work in the summer at another place - both different businesses).

lean&mean

Hi Rebecca
Your guide to piggybacking mentions the O2 and Three apps that allow calls over over wifi. It also mentions that EE is launching a 'wifi calling' app. This isn't quite right. EE has announced that it is launching a 'wifi calling' service, but there is no app involved. The software is built into the phone. Some parts of EE's website have wrongly claimed it had launched but the main page still says 'coming soon' and has done so since the summer. This seems rather misleading, especially as some EE shops have apparently been tempting people to switch networks. The continued delay is bad enough but encouraging people to switch because of a non-existent service is scandalous.
If your EE reception at home is terrible, the best course of action seems currently to either switch networks if you can, or demand a signal box from EE.

tyllwyd

Why are White Mobile not included in the table as piggybacking on EE?
https://www.whitemobile.com/
They get mentioned quite often on the forums.


I've been with them for about a year now, and so far everything has been good - they are very cheap for a low user. My only quibble is that they don't allow premium SMS.

tallsam

Blimey, 5p per text on White. Fine if you don't text but that would soon add up for me.

tyllwyd

tallsam wrote: »

Blimey, 5p per text on White. Fine if you don't text but that would soon add up for me.

Well, for a PAYG tariff it's cheap, but obviously if you are sending a lot of texts it's not the right option. I'm only spending a few pounds a month, so I like the fact I'm not tied into paying a fixed amount.

System

Like 99% of all pay as you go providers

tyllwyd wrote: »

I'm only spending a few pounds a month, so I like the fact I'm not tied into paying a fixed amount.