Best mobile provider in UK??

brian ireland

Looking for a bit of advise here . I will be working in the UK for a few months. I have a wifi enabled phone. I want to call home, send international text and use wifi spots with my phone for Skype and also some internet (not loads).
Can anyone recommend a good provider with a good deal. I not looking for links to Orange or 02. I was hoping some one could point me to a specific package form their experience.
Nice1 thanks

KrazyKazzz

Hi Brian,

I would reccomend 3UK.... however I wouldnt go for a contract as with the 3pay phones, once you top up by £10 a month (maybe £20) you get free internet, free msn, free skype to skype calls and also free 3 to 3 minutes and texts. If it is a specific person you will be in regular contact with, i would suggest getting them a 3uk sim card also as its free to roam in Ireland with a 3uk mobile, at the moment.. It means, you can use your free minutes (300 per month) and texts to this person anytime you like. My boyfriend is in London and i'm in Kildare, and this is the cheapest way we have found over the past 3 years of keeping in contact. We have tried all other options but 3UK seems to be the cheapest. None of the bill options or packages suited us and this was the cheapest way.

Kaz

brian ireland

Thanks for that. Do you know how long free roaming will last? I looked on their site but I can't find out. Sounds like a good deal. Does you OH use data?


Thanks for you answer KrazyKazzz.

Davy

The roaming deal is a long term thing, so i wouldn't be worried about it going

Walkman

KrazyKazzz wrote: »

Hi Brian,

i would suggest getting them a 3uk sim card also as its free to roam in Ireland with a 3uk mobile, at the moment..

Kaz

3UK got rid of 3 Like Home during the summer so it is no longer free to roam here. However if you get a 3IRL 3Pay phone it will be free to roam in the UK. Just top it up with €20 pm and you will receive free texts back to any Irish network, free weekend calls to any Irish network, free Skype to Skype calls and free MSN. From the start of mey you can also get 250MB for €5 once you top up by the €20. All this will be free once your are roaming on 3UK as 3Ireland still have 3Like Home

KrazyKazzz

Walkman wrote: »

3UK got rid of 3 Like Home during the summer so it is no longer free to roam here. However if you get a 3IRL 3Pay phone it will be free to roam in the UK. Just top it up with €20 pm and you will receive free texts back to any Irish network, free weekend calls to any Irish network, free Skype to Skype calls and free MSN. From the start of mey you can also get 250MB for €5 once you top up by the €20. All this will be free once your are roaming on 3UK as 3Ireland still have 3Like Home

Some part of what you said is true... however 3 like home is not completely gone, as I still use my 3uk mobile in Ireland every day. The free 3 to 3 calls/internet/texts are gone while roaming but it does not cost anything to recieve a call or text while roaming in Ireland. Therefore, my boyfriend can still use his 300 inclusive minutes while in the uk, to call me in Ireland on my 3 mobile... Also... we were going to try the 3ireland option, but as you said above, the calls are free weekends... with 3uk.. calls from UK to a 3UK number in Ireland are free anythime you call, once you are within your 300 free minutes... and even after that, its 10p per minute after the minutes have gone... its by far the cheaper option.

KrazyKazzz

brian ireland wrote: »

Thanks for that. Do you know how long free roaming will last? I looked on their site but I can't find out. Sounds like a good deal. Does you OH use data?


Thanks for you answer KrazyKazzz.

No worries...

Hi Brian,

Yes my OH uses data on a daily basis as he has a voip system set up on his server also and uses it via mobile while out and about... we both have sip on our mobiles running over the data... however, mine (while in ireland) runs thru my wifi or takes from my credit (a tiny amount) and his is free as he gets his free data every time he tops up. We have been trying and testing which is the cheapest option with him being in the uk, for 3 years now.. and we have never found anything better than 3uk....

Regarding the roaming ending... 3 like home ended last January... but within 2 months... it was free to revieve calls and texts again.... They usually text you and give 3 months notice with regards to any changes in roaming... but i cant see it changing again any time soon.

Kaz

brian ireland

Thanks again, you are a great help.

scudzilla

Hey Brian

I'm from Wales and have been living in Dublin for 4 years, i have a LOT of family and friends i want to keep in touch wit back in Wales.

I have an O2 Pay as you talk phone, and with a few basic add ons it saves me a fortune.

Ireland Bolt-On, This costs 1.99 a month and classes Ireland as part of the UK network, that is, when you're in Dublin you won't have to pay roaming charges to answer a call. Also all calls/texts are charged at your home UK rate, 35p per min for first 3 mins then 5p per min after that. 10p per text

International Bolt on, This costs a one off fee of 4.99 and allows you to call most landlines in most countries for 5p a minute, i regularly call back to Dublin when i'm in the UK and it costs me 50p for a 10min conversation, also when i call friends in U.S from UK, on there mobiles too, costs 10p per min (5p per min to a landline)

Top up more than 20notes at a time and get free data roaming.

Sorry but IMO that pisses over anything 3 will offer

I've a spare unused & unopened O2 sim here (a few actually) thats yours if ya want it

Walkman

KrazyKazzz wrote: »

Some part of what you said is true... however 3 like home is not completely gone, as I still use my 3uk mobile in Ireland every day. The free 3 to 3 calls/internet/texts are gone while roaming but it does not cost anything to recieve a call or text while roaming in Ireland. Therefore, my boyfriend can still use his 300 inclusive minutes while in the uk, to call me in Ireland on my 3 mobile... Also... we were going to try the 3ireland option, but as you said above, the calls are free weekends... with 3uk.. calls from UK to a 3UK number in Ireland are free anythime you call, once you are within your 300 free minutes... and even after that, its 10p per minute after the minutes have gone... its by far the cheaper option.

It is free to receive when roaming anywhere with any Irish/UK network...but yes I didn't fully take into account the 3UK offer (I hang my head in shame )
How strange for a UK network to be much better value then it's Irish counterpart (yes I know they are seprate companies, differnet markets blah, blah, blah)

KrazyKazzz

Walkman wrote: »

It is free to receive when roaming anywhere with any Irish/UK network...but yes I didn't fully take into account the 3UK offer (I hang my head in shame )
How strange for a UK network to be much better value then it's Irish counterpart (yes I know they are seprate companies, differnet markets blah, blah, blah)

Not to be picky or anything, but its not free to recieve on all networks.. Vodafone UK only offered it for a limited period last year but now, it costs to receive while in Ireland, a call on a UK Vodafone number. I have one here... I have tried it.. and nope, I have no credit on it, so calls wont come through.

With regards to UK being better than its Irish counterpart, well obviously this would be the case. Ireland being such a small nation, the amount of 3Ireland users in comparison to 3uk, is unreal... 3uk are cleaning up, therefore they can afford better deals. It aint rocket science.

Anyway seems some people are getting off the point... Brian can decide for himself with regards to the 2 relevent replies he got regarding the price plans etc on o2 and 3uk.. After all, both myself and scudzilla are using the networks for 3-4 years now. If you have any experience, please feel free to voice your opinion to Brian, because currently all I can see is you confusing the issue..