Tesco Mobile SIM Card

Lugh_Chronain

I’m thinking :think: of switching my Virgin sim card to Tesco but before I do can anyone answer this question:

Tesco Mobile uses the O2 network which covers 99% of the UK population, however, does this mean their reception is good??

andy88_2

I don't think you'll have problems. There may be the odd patchy area on any network, and in different places, but on average O2 coverage is probably slightly better than T-mobile.

skintscotsman

Lugh_Chronain wrote:

I’m thinking :think: of switching my Virgin sim card to Tesco but before I do can anyone answer this question:

Tesco Mobile uses the O2 network which covers 99% of the UK population, however, does this mean their reception is good??

Call Tesco Mobile Customer Services and ask them!!

They should be able to give you the quality of signal by postcode - give them the postcodes you are regularly in and you should get a good ides.

I had a quick look on their website but cannot find a coverage map. As they use O2 I tried to look at httpO2's UK Coverage Map Here but my work won't let me access it. Strange.

skintscotsman

Lugh_Chronain wrote:

Tesco Mobile uses the O2 network which covers 99% of the UK population, however, does this mean their reception is good??

"covers 99% of the population"

That is a very good way of the network fooling the customer into thinking that coverage is over 99% of the UK.

In fact, it means 99% of the 65million people in the UK can get reception.

That means 0.65 million people can't get any - that's the population of a large town!

O2 are generally quite reliable though, unless you live in a bothy in the middle of the Highlands.

Hunnymonster

O2's network is substantially more developed than T-Mobile's - it's been there for longer and has grown for longer. I personally find that Vodafone/O2 are always present in more places than Orange, and Orange is present in more places than T-Mobile.

In fact I'm moving to O2 as soon as my current T-mobile promo (personal) SIM runs out of promo for just that reason - fed up of being out of coverage when my (works) Voda is in coverage - and a network search on the handset that's out of coverage O2 & Voda are always there, Orange nearly always there.

andy88_2

Hunnymonster wrote:

I personally find that Vodafone/O2 are always present in more places than Orange, and Orange is present in more places than T-Mobile.

On average I'd suggest -

Orange, O2, Vodafone, T-mobile

jon_r_2

tesco mobile definately better than t-mobile, go to tescomobile.com and scroll down LH side for tariffs etc, plus they update your balance by text each time you make a call.

pricefighter

As Tesco use O2 perhaps the simply fone access no 07744 974 363 works. As you are allowed to nominate 3 numbers to get calls to them for 10p.What is there to stop you putting in the simply fone number as one of them.If it worked it would allow you to phone mobiles for 10p,and phone overseas for this rate.Has anybody tried this.

Lugh_Chronain

Thanks to all of the above and anyone else who may contrabut. Pricefighter, I have 07744 974 363 simply fone number already in my phone book. I will give it a go if I need to call abroad at anytime in the future.

Checked O2 current coverage too and it says high.

Thank you all :beer:

andy88_2

also look at http://www.pre-dial.com/

not only for international calls but cross-net mobiles as well - ie all calls

Lugh_Chronain

Thanks Andy88. I’m not sure how pre-dial works. I think Simply-Fone might be better :think:. However, pre-dial does look like it might be cheaper to use but I don’t think I will be getting inclusive minutes with a new Tesco SIM card. I could be wrong though.