1pMobile - London Underground/TFL - No Internet Access Using EE-WIFI

JamPotQueries

I recently moved over to 1pMobile to get a great deal but still use EE's network. A big draw back of 1pMobile is you cannot use EE-Wifi on the TFL/London Underground. 1pMobile confirmed this today.

Wondered if anyone else has had the same issue, and if so, how you have potentially worked around this?

eDicky

Although using EE's infrastructure, 1p Mobile is a separate network so I wouldn't expect access to EE WiFi...

premierfella

The historic answer to that used to be the (defunct) Three Data Reward SIM and keeping it active at a cost of a penny or two a month.

I believe Three changed their policy on Underground access (this year maybe?) as it looks from the website like you now just need a "valid Three SIM". So probably worth ordering a free SIM and trying it in the second SIM slot on your phone and seeing if that works!

dansus

Its should work for calls and texts at the very least. This from 1pmobile website help pages.. 

Wi-Fi calling allows you to use a Wi-Fi network to make and receive phone calls, rather than using the traditional mobile network.

This benefits those in poor signal areas, such as rural villages and underground stations, as you'll be able to harness the power of available Wi-Fi networks to stay connected.

It's not just calls that are supported though, you can also send and receive texts.

savergrant

dansus said:

Its should work for calls and texts at the very least. This from 1pmobile website help pages.. 

Wi-Fi calling allows you to use a Wi-Fi network to make and receive phone calls, rather than using the traditional mobile network.

This benefits those in poor signal areas, such as rural villages and underground stations, as you'll be able to harness the power of available Wi-Fi networks to stay connected.

It's not just calls that are supported though, you can also send and receive texts.

I think the issue the op is experiencing is that previously as an ee customer they got free access to ee wifi, but now they have moved to 1pmobile they no longer do.  It has nothing to do with the phone signal or settings.

400ixl

Pay for a cheap service you get a cheap service. You don't get the same services (or speed) that you get with being an EE customer.

Not sure there is a work around unless you have some other service that allows you to use one of the providers services that cover the underground, maybe BT/EE broadband for example.

savergrant

Ee's wifi policy for tfl;
https://ee.co.uk/help/mobile/manage-use/using-phone-features/wifi-on-the-london-underground

Available to pay monthly customers and payg subject to account topup. Ditto vodafone;
"You are an active pay as you go customer if your pay as you go account has been topped up with a minimum of £5 within the last 30 days."

And o2;
"if you’re on Pay As You Go) you’ve topped up in the last 30 days"

Three policy suggests you just need an active (not disconnected) sim in your device (maybe an esim?)

https://www.three.co.uk/support/device-support/free-wifi-on-london-underground

There is nothing to suggest mvno customers can access any of these services.

savergrant

Three's website would seem to suggest you would need to make an initial topup before the sim is considered 'activated' so it looks like you would need to make a one-off payment then chargeable usage every 180 days;

"How to activate my Pay As You Go SIM?

Once you’ve received your free SIM in the post, it’s easy to get set up in 3 simple steps.

• Insert your SIM - you'll get a text with your new number.
• Download the Three app and register your details.
• Select your Data Pack or top up with credit, and you’re ready to go. If you set up auto-renew, which means your Data Pack will keep renewing, you’ll get extra data on us, every month.

Do Pay As You Go SIM cards expire?

Pay As You Go SIMs can expire. To keep your number active, you must use it for at least one chargeable activity every 180 days. A ‘chargeable activity’ is something like making a call, sending a text, using your data, or using an existing top-up credit or Data Pack allowance."

It still sounds like the cheapest option in the long term.

dansus

400ixl said:

Pay for a cheap service you get a cheap service. You don't get the same services (or speed) that you get with being an EE customer.

Not sure there is a work around unless you have some other service that allows you to use one of the providers services that cover the underground..

Smarty, VOXI, GiffGaff, Lebara.. all MVNO's that offer access to wifi on the Underground, so it can't be that hard. 

dansus

savergrant said:

dansus said:

I think the issue the op is experiencing is that previously as an ee customer they got free access to ee wifi, but now they have moved to 1pmobile they no longer do.  It has nothing to do with the phone signal or settings.

BAI Communications (now Boldyn Networks) build, maintain the network and supply access under licence from TFL, they just need to pay the required fee to gain access, most MVNO's will just use an SSID that is based on their backbone, ie EE-Wifi in this case. I can't see EE contractually preventing them from offering the service, but never know.

savergrant

dansus said:

400ixl said:

Pay for a cheap service you get a cheap service. You don't get the same services (or speed) that you get with being an EE customer.

Not sure there is a work around unless you have some other service that allows you to use one of the providers services that cover the underground..

Smarty, VOXI, GiffGaff, Lebara.. all MVNO's that offer access to wifi on the Underground, so it can't be that hard. 

I am sure that none of them allow access to ee wifi. Voxi, smarty, and giffgaff are all owned by the main provider so it is possible they would class as qualifying customers since the network will have the account details. Lebara I don't believe.
If ee/voda/o2 restrict usage to stop their own payg customers who haven't topped up for over a month from using it I am pretty sure they are entitled to stop mvno customers from using it. It is pretty simple, if you don't have an ee sim in your device you can't connect. Ee can tell the difference between their own sims and 1p/lyca.