May 30, 2013, 7:52 pm
Last edit by: Silver Fox
This is a stub Wiki for this thread - the idea is that any member can edit it to keep it up to date as a distillation of the best info from the thread.
3 - 200MB Free data SIM
3 - 15 pounds for 300 minutes, 3000 texts, and unlimited 3G data for a month (http://store.three.co.uk/view/searchSimOnly?tariff=112) The deal might not be dead but to buy the addon you need to switch WiFi off (!!) and open http://three.co.uk/my3 on your device as this unlinked support page says. Three customer service and store both says this doesn't work with tablets -- however customer service are idiots and doesn't know what is a tablet only knows phones and iPads (both phone and chat -- this is apparently company level). Tread carefully. Anyways, this method still worked on January 13, 2015.
Note the GBP15 all you can eat deal has now been pulled(Note 8/3/16: All in one with All you can eat data is now GBP25): http://www.threemicrosites.co.uk/AIO20B
If you don't want to buy a bundle or a plan, Three's flat rate for calls is now 3p per minute. The expiry time of one month or three months for topups has now been removed. So you pay only 3p per call minute for what you use.
Three's data is only 1p per MB, and you can buy packages (eg 500MB for 5 pounds). The packages ("add-ons") may not save money directly, but those data packages are eligible for use in "Feel at Home" countries (Australia, Austria, Denmark, Hong Kong, Italy, Indonesia, Macau, Ireland, Sri Lanka, Sweden, USA) at no extra charge. See http://support.three.co.uk/SRVS/CGI-...se=EXT(EM11925)
EE: http://shop.ee.co.uk/price-plans/free-sim
Vodafone: https://freesim.vodafone.co.uk
O2: https://www.o2.co.uk/freesim/
giffgaff: www.giffgaff.com/orders/affiliate/nfh (£5 free credit) or www.giffgaff.com/orders/free-sim (no free credit)
Three: https://www.three.co.uk/Support/Free_SIM/Order
How do I top up with an overseas card, or can I use PayPal?
Strangely, some firms insist that you must use a UK issued credit card to topup. Some do take PayPal:
Giffgaff
Vodafone
But it is not as prevalent as it should bein this day and age admittedly. There is a firm that some people have reported success with and they are:
https://www.mobiletopup.co.uk/
What frequencies are used in the UK?
There are a total of 5 different frequencies used in the UK used by the mobile networks to deliver their 2G, 3G and 4G mobile services.
800MHz (Band 20)
900MHz (Band 8)
1800MHz (Band 3)
2100MHz (Band 1)
2600MHz (Band 7)
Here's a chart for iPhones and which bands each model can use. http://www.apple.com/iphone/LTE/
If you're not sure which model you have, look on the back of your iPhone or go into Settings-->General-->About-->Legal-->Regulatory
iphone 5 users note that: iPhone 5 cannot get 4G/LTE on the 800MHz or 2600MHz frequencies but it can on the 1800 frequency.
For other users there are a number of resources to check the frequency your phone supports including:
Global Certification Forum
As an example this is the data for a Samsung J1 Ace SM-J111F
GSMARENA
What frequencies do the different operators use?
Each operator in the UK utilises different frequencies to deliver their mobile networks with the core networks being EE, O2, Vodafone and Three. Then there are also operators, called mobile virtual network operators (MVNO), who utilise the backend of the core networks to offer their own services.
The frequencies used by the major UK networks are:
EE (2G) 1800MHz (3G) 2100MHz (4G LTE) 1800MHz & 2600MHz
O2 (2G) 900MHz & 1800MHz (3G) 900MHz & 2100MHz (4G LTE) 800MHz
Vodafone (2G) 900MHz & 1800MHz (3G) 900MHz & 2100MHz (4G LTE) 800MHz & 2600MHz
Three (2G) N/A (3G) 2100MHz (4G LTE) 800MHz & 1800MHZ
The frequencies used by UK’s MVNO’s are listed below:
Asda Mobile (2G) 1800MHz (3G) 2100MHz (4G LTE) N/A
BT Mobile (2G) 1800MHz (3G) 2100MHz (4G LTE) 800MHz, 1800MHz & 2100MHz
iD Mobile (2G) N/A (3G) 2100MHz (4G LTE) 1800MHz
Freedom Pop (2G) N/A (3G) 2100MHz (4G LTE) 800MHz & 1800MHz
GiffGaff (2G) 900MHz (3G) 900MHz & 2100MHz (4G LTE) 800MHz
Lebara Mobile (2G) 900MHz (3G) 900MHz & 2100MHz (4G LTE) N/A
LycaMobile (2G) 900MHz (3G) 900MHz & 2100MHz (4G LTE) 800MHz
TalkMobile (2G) 900MHz (3G) 900MHz & 2100MHz (4G LTE) N/A
TalkTalk (2G) 900MHz (3G) 900MHz & 2100MHz (4G LTE) 800MHz
Tesco Mobile (2G) 900MHz (3G) 900MHz & 2100MHz (4G LTE) 800MHz
The People’s Operator (2G) 1800MHz (3G) 2100MHz (4G LTE) 800MHz, 1800MHz & 2100MHz
Virgin Mobile (2G) 1800MHz (3G) 2100MHz (4G LTE) 800MHz, 1800MHz, & 2600MHz
Please add and edit!
3 - 200MB Free data SIM
3 - 15 pounds for 300 minutes, 3000 texts, and unlimited 3G data for a month (http://store.three.co.uk/view/searchSimOnly?tariff=112) The deal might not be dead but to buy the addon you need to switch WiFi off (!!) and open http://three.co.uk/my3 on your device as this unlinked support page says. Three customer service and store both says this doesn't work with tablets -- however customer service are idiots and doesn't know what is a tablet only knows phones and iPads (both phone and chat -- this is apparently company level). Tread carefully. Anyways, this method still worked on January 13, 2015.
Note the GBP15 all you can eat deal has now been pulled(Note 8/3/16: All in one with All you can eat data is now GBP25): http://www.threemicrosites.co.uk/AIO20B
If you don't want to buy a bundle or a plan, Three's flat rate for calls is now 3p per minute. The expiry time of one month or three months for topups has now been removed. So you pay only 3p per call minute for what you use.
Three's data is only 1p per MB, and you can buy packages (eg 500MB for 5 pounds). The packages ("add-ons") may not save money directly, but those data packages are eligible for use in "Feel at Home" countries (Australia, Austria, Denmark, Hong Kong, Italy, Indonesia, Macau, Ireland, Sri Lanka, Sweden, USA) at no extra charge. See http://support.three.co.uk/SRVS/CGI-...se=EXT(EM11925)
EE: http://shop.ee.co.uk/price-plans/free-sim
Vodafone: https://freesim.vodafone.co.uk
O2: https://www.o2.co.uk/freesim/
giffgaff: www.giffgaff.com/orders/affiliate/nfh (£5 free credit) or www.giffgaff.com/orders/free-sim (no free credit)
Three: https://www.three.co.uk/Support/Free_SIM/Order
How do I top up with an overseas card, or can I use PayPal?
Strangely, some firms insist that you must use a UK issued credit card to topup. Some do take PayPal:
Giffgaff
Vodafone
But it is not as prevalent as it should bein this day and age admittedly. There is a firm that some people have reported success with and they are:
https://www.mobiletopup.co.uk/
What frequencies are used in the UK?
There are a total of 5 different frequencies used in the UK used by the mobile networks to deliver their 2G, 3G and 4G mobile services.
800MHz (Band 20)
900MHz (Band 8)
1800MHz (Band 3)
2100MHz (Band 1)
2600MHz (Band 7)
Here's a chart for iPhones and which bands each model can use. http://www.apple.com/iphone/LTE/
If you're not sure which model you have, look on the back of your iPhone or go into Settings-->General-->About-->Legal-->Regulatory
iphone 5 users note that: iPhone 5 cannot get 4G/LTE on the 800MHz or 2600MHz frequencies but it can on the 1800 frequency.
For other users there are a number of resources to check the frequency your phone supports including:
Global Certification Forum
As an example this is the data for a Samsung J1 Ace SM-J111F
GSMARENA
What frequencies do the different operators use?
Each operator in the UK utilises different frequencies to deliver their mobile networks with the core networks being EE, O2, Vodafone and Three. Then there are also operators, called mobile virtual network operators (MVNO), who utilise the backend of the core networks to offer their own services.
The frequencies used by the major UK networks are:
EE (2G) 1800MHz (3G) 2100MHz (4G LTE) 1800MHz & 2600MHz
O2 (2G) 900MHz & 1800MHz (3G) 900MHz & 2100MHz (4G LTE) 800MHz
Vodafone (2G) 900MHz & 1800MHz (3G) 900MHz & 2100MHz (4G LTE) 800MHz & 2600MHz
Three (2G) N/A (3G) 2100MHz (4G LTE) 800MHz & 1800MHZ
The frequencies used by UK’s MVNO’s are listed below:
Asda Mobile (2G) 1800MHz (3G) 2100MHz (4G LTE) N/A
BT Mobile (2G) 1800MHz (3G) 2100MHz (4G LTE) 800MHz, 1800MHz & 2100MHz
iD Mobile (2G) N/A (3G) 2100MHz (4G LTE) 1800MHz
Freedom Pop (2G) N/A (3G) 2100MHz (4G LTE) 800MHz & 1800MHz
GiffGaff (2G) 900MHz (3G) 900MHz & 2100MHz (4G LTE) 800MHz
Lebara Mobile (2G) 900MHz (3G) 900MHz & 2100MHz (4G LTE) N/A
LycaMobile (2G) 900MHz (3G) 900MHz & 2100MHz (4G LTE) 800MHz
TalkMobile (2G) 900MHz (3G) 900MHz & 2100MHz (4G LTE) N/A
TalkTalk (2G) 900MHz (3G) 900MHz & 2100MHz (4G LTE) 800MHz
Tesco Mobile (2G) 900MHz (3G) 900MHz & 2100MHz (4G LTE) 800MHz
The People’s Operator (2G) 1800MHz (3G) 2100MHz (4G LTE) 800MHz, 1800MHz & 2100MHz
Virgin Mobile (2G) 1800MHz (3G) 2100MHz (4G LTE) 800MHz, 1800MHz, & 2600MHz
Please add and edit!
Prepaid SIM - UK/Great Britain/England/Scotland/Wales
Oct 2, 2022, 12:39 am
#526
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2001
Posts: 10,970
I am back from my trip and the service generally worked OK. It seems in some cities it took a little time to "settle and connect" upon landing. In the US, it actually went among AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile. I did not make a single call and only used 2,5 GB of the 10 GB I bought. So, the £10 4 GB plan would have been enough. Still the £15 10 GB plan was not too bad and I didn't have to worry about hitting the limit.
Feb 22, 2024, 6:01 am
#527
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2001
Posts: 10,970
Does anyone know what the status is with the Old 3UK Paygo? My SIM card still worked last time I did the "Call Every 6 Months to Keep it Active" thing. My 6 months is up and I am stuck overseas without my SIM card. Does you lose the balance around that time? Do they keep your number for a little longer?
Thanks.
Thanks.
Last edited by username; Feb 22, 2024 at 6:39 am
Apr 25, 2024, 3:42 pm
#528
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2001
Posts: 10,970
So, I got home (to the US) a few days after the 6 month limit. The phone connected to the US network and I got the Rate Advice from Three. However, I could not make calls or send texts. I was able to log on after it sent me the 2FA message.
I could also get text messages but calling that number did not work - it seems the called was charged but the connection was never made.
I called Customer Service (+44 7782333333) and the guy told me the account was still active and I did have a chargeable event of 15p. So, I guess the number is still good. We will see.
I could also get text messages but calling that number did not work - it seems the called was charged but the connection was never made.
I called Customer Service (+44 7782333333) and the guy told me the account was still active and I did have a chargeable event of 15p. So, I guess the number is still good. We will see.