List of United Kingdom mobile virtual network operators
This article needs additional citations for verification. (February 2020) |
Mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) in the United Kingdom lease wireless telephone and data spectrum from the four major carriers EE, O2, Three and Vodafone for resale.
SIM cards provided by MVNOs that are using Three's network will only work with 3G, 4G and 5G devices, as Three does not operate 2G infrastructure in the UK.
Active operators[]
Brand | Host network | Wireless technology | Voice over LTE | WiFi calling | MVNE | MVNO type | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2G | 3G | 4G | 5G | ||||||
1pMobile[1] | EE | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
Anywhere SIM[2] | EE, O2, Three, Vodafone | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | ||
Asda Mobile | Vodafone | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes [3] | PAYG | |
BT Mobile | EE | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | PAYM | |
CMLink | EE | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Transatel | PAYG |
Ecotalk | EE | Yes | Yes | Yes | Coming soon[4] | Coming soon[4] | Coming soon[4] | Transatel | PAYM |
Extreme Connect | O2 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Coming soon | ? | |||
FreedomPop | Three | No | Yes | Yes | ? | Yes | Yes | PAYM/PAYG | |
giffgaff | O2 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes[5] | No | No | PAYG | |
iD Mobile | Three | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | PAYM/PAYG | |
KC Mobile | O2 | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | No | No | ||
Lebara Mobile | Vodafone | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | ||
Lycamobile | O2 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | ||
Now PAYG | EE | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | No | No | ||
Plusnet Mobile | EE | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | No | No | Transatel | PAYM |
Sky Mobile | O2 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | PAYM | |
SMARTY | Three | No | Yes | Yes | Coming soon [6] | Yes | Yes | ||
Superdrug Mobile | Three | No | Yes | Yes | No | Coming soon | Coming soon | PAYM | |
TalkTalk Mobile | Vodafone | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | ||
Talkmobile | Vodafone | Yes | Yes | Yes | No[7] | No | No | PAYM | |
Tesco Mobile | O2 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | PAYM/PAYG | |
The Phone Co-op | EE | Yes | Yes | Yes | Coming soon[4] | Coming soon[4] | Coming soon[4] | Transatel | PAYM/PAYG |
ToTheMoon[8] | EE | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Transatel | |
Truphone | O2 | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | No | No | ||
Utility Warehouse-Telecom Plus | EE | Yes | Yes | Yes | Coming soon | Yes | Yes | ||
Vectone Mobile[9] | EE | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | ||
Virgin Mobile | EE, Vodafone[10] | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
VOXI | Vodafone | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | PAYG |
Defunct, merged and acquired operators[]
Brand | Host network | Defunct date | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
AfriMobile | Three | 13 October 2020 | Dissolved 13 October 2020 |
Andrews & Arnold | Three | 30 April 2013[11] | Ceased operations when their upstream partner "pulled the plug".[12] Later relaunched on O2. |
Blyk | Orange | 26 August 2009[13] | Ceased operations. |
Delight Mobile | EE | 30 November 2017[14] | Existing customers were consolidated in the sister brand, Vectone Mobile. |
Dialog Vizz | Vodafone | 1 January 2015 | Ceased operations. |
Dalya Mobile | ? | ? | Liquidated. |
Easymobile | EE (T-Mobile) | 13 December 2006[15] | Ceased operations. |
Econet Mobile | EE | 20 July 2015[16] | Ceased UK operations. |
Family Mobile | EE | 31 August 2015[17] | Ceased operations. |
Fresh Mobile | EE (T-Mobile) | 19 March 2010[18] | Ceased operations. Existing customers were incentivised to move to the sister network, Talkmobile. |
GT Mobile | O2 | July 2016 | Existing customers were consolidated in the sister brand, Lycamobile.[19] |
Kontakt Mobile | Vodafone | 15 December 2016[20] | Ceased operations. |
LIFE Mobile | EE | 29 November 2016[21] | Acquired by Plusnet. |
Mobile by Sainsbury's | Vodafone | 15 January 2016[22] | Ceased operations. |
Our Telecom | EE | 16 August 2016[23] | Dissolved. |
Ovivo Mobile | Vodafone | 19 March 2014[24] | Ceased operations. |
PG Mobile | Three | 2016[25] | Ceased operations. |
Post Office Mobile | EE | 8 August 2016[26][27] | Ceased operations. |
Priyo Mobile | EE | 5 November 2013[28] | Ceased operations. |
RSPCA Mobile | EE | October 2014 | Ceased operations. Operated as a white-label under Shebang.[29] |
Shebang | Three | 2015[30] | Acquired by PG Mobile. |
Simple Call Mobile | EE | 31 October 2014[31] | Ceased operations. |
Stan Mobile | Three | ? | Ceased operations. |
The People's Operator (TPO Mobile) | Three | 26 February 2019[32] | Entered Administration. Existing customers were incentivised to move to SMARTY.[32] |
U2i Mobile | EE | 11 July 2017[33] | Ceased operations. |
Vizz Africa | Vodafone | ? | Ceased operations. |
See also[]
- Mobile virtual network operator
- List of mobile network operators of Europe#United Kingdom
References[]
- ^ Jackson, Mark (2021-09-03). "1pMobile UK Introduces Minimum Monthly Spend Requirement". ISPreview UK. Retrieved 2021-11-21.
- ^ "Anywhere SIM helps avoid UK 'not spots,' but at a cost". Engadget. Retrieved 2021-11-21.
- ^ [1]
- ^ a b c d e f "Transatel - 5G". Transatel.
- ^ "giffgaff - 5G". giffgaff.
- ^ "5G yippee! Improvements all the way". SMARTY. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
- ^ "SIM-only deals | Contract SIM-only plans | Talkmobile". talkmobile.co.uk. Retrieved 2021-10-01.
- ^ "To The Moon? Mobile operator launches "FinTel" current account". AltFi. Retrieved 2021-11-21.
- ^ "International SIM card guide: how to make cheap overseas calls on your mobile phone". Uswitch Mobile Phone Deals. Retrieved 2021-11-21.
- ^ New customers are placed under the new Vodafone agreement. Old customers continue to be served by EE's infrastructure until the end of 2021, whereafter they will be transitioned to the Vodafone network by early 2022. ("Virgin Media's 5G Mobile Goes Live via Vodafone UK UPDATED". ISP Review. 25 January 2021.)
- ^ "Andrews & Arnold Ltd - Telephony". Andrews & Arnold. Archived from the original on 30 April 2013. Retrieved 25 November 2017.
- ^ "Andrews & Arnold Ltd - Telephony - SIP2SIM". Andrews & Arnold. Archived from the original on 18 March 2014. Retrieved 25 November 2017.
- ^ "A fond farewell to our UK members". Blyk. 27 July 2009. Archived from the original on 30 July 2009. Retrieved 25 November 2017.
- ^ "Delight Mobile - Home". Delight Mobile. Archived from the original on 24 February 2018. Retrieved 24 February 2018.
- ^ "Easymobile to close down service". BBC News. 13 November 2006. Retrieved 29 July 2017.
- ^ "Pay as you go tariffs, Mobile SIM tariffs with econet mobile". 2015-08-01. Archived from the original on 2015-08-01. Retrieved 2020-02-27.
- ^ Kubiak, Paloma (7 July 2015). "Family Mobile to close, but unused credit will be refunded". Money Saving Expert. Retrieved 29 July 2017.
- ^ "Carphone Warehouse apologises for Fresh confusion". Mobile Today. 18 March 2010. Archived from the original on 29 July 2017. Retrieved 29 July 2017.
- ^ "Lycamobile a Global MVNO will withdraw GT Mobile from all its markets, which includes Australia, The Netherlands and the UK, and will now focus on its own main brand". MVNO Dynamics. 22 January 2014. Retrieved 3 September 2017.
- ^ "Kontakt Mobile - Home". Kontakt Mobile. Archived from the original on 10 December 2016. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
- ^ "What's happening?". LIFE Mobile. Archived from the original on 15 November 2016. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
- ^ "Mobile by Sainsbury's - Mobile Phones, PAYG and SIM Only Deals". Archived from the original on 2 January 2016. Retrieved 29 April 2017.
- ^ "OUR TELECOM LIMITED - Overview (Free company information from Companies House)".
- ^ Razavi, Lauren (24 March 2014). "Ovivo Mobile goes dark, leaving thousands without connectivity". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
- ^ Boland, Hannah (7 July 2016). "Personal Group To Wind Down PG Mobile Business By End Of Year". Morningstar. Retrieved 29 April 2017.
- ^ "Post Office Mobile | Order Free SIM". Post Office. Archived from the original on 7 August 2016. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
- ^ Majithia, Kavit (19 May 2016). "UK's Post Office to can MVNO venture". Mobile World Live. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
- ^ "PRIYO COMMUNICATIONS (UK) LIMITED - Overview". Companies House. Retrieved 30 July 2017.
- ^ "NEW BR/MVNO – RSPCA MOBILE, in cooperation with Shebang". MVNO Dynamics. 9 May 2012. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
- ^ Pearce, James (28 April 2015). "Personal Group to axe Shebang brand after MVNO buy - but Iain Humphrey stays - Mobile News Online | Mobile News Online". Mobile News. Retrieved 29 April 2017.
- ^ "simplecall mobile". Simple Call Mobile. Archived from the original on 24 November 2014. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
- ^ a b "The People's Operator". 13 February 2019. Archived from the original on 16 February 2019. Retrieved 17 February 2019.
- ^ "U2I NETWORK LTD". Companies House. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
Categories:
- Mobile phone companies of the United Kingdom
- Mobile virtual network operators
- Lists of mobile phone companies
- Telecommunications lists