List of United Kingdom mobile virtual network operators

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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[]

References[]

  1. ^ Jackson, Mark (2021-09-03). "1pMobile UK Introduces Minimum Monthly Spend Requirement". ISPreview UK. Retrieved 2021-11-21.
  2. ^ "Anywhere SIM helps avoid UK 'not spots,' but at a cost". Engadget. Retrieved 2021-11-21.
  3. ^ [1]
  4. ^ a b c d e f "Transatel - 5G". Transatel.
  5. ^ "giffgaff - 5G". giffgaff.
  6. ^ "5G yippee! Improvements all the way". SMARTY. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  7. ^ "SIM-only deals | Contract SIM-only plans | Talkmobile". talkmobile.co.uk. Retrieved 2021-10-01.
  8. ^ "To The Moon? Mobile operator launches "FinTel" current account". AltFi. Retrieved 2021-11-21.
  9. ^ "International SIM card guide: how to make cheap overseas calls on your mobile phone". Uswitch Mobile Phone Deals. Retrieved 2021-11-21.
  10. ^ 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.)
  11. ^ "Andrews & Arnold Ltd - Telephony". Andrews & Arnold. Archived from the original on 30 April 2013. Retrieved 25 November 2017.
  12. ^ "Andrews & Arnold Ltd - Telephony - SIP2SIM". Andrews & Arnold. Archived from the original on 18 March 2014. Retrieved 25 November 2017.
  13. ^ "A fond farewell to our UK members". Blyk. 27 July 2009. Archived from the original on 30 July 2009. Retrieved 25 November 2017.
  14. ^ "Delight Mobile - Home". Delight Mobile. Archived from the original on 24 February 2018. Retrieved 24 February 2018.
  15. ^ "Easymobile to close down service". BBC News. 13 November 2006. Retrieved 29 July 2017.
  16. ^ "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.
  17. ^ Kubiak, Paloma (7 July 2015). "Family Mobile to close, but unused credit will be refunded". Money Saving Expert. Retrieved 29 July 2017.
  18. ^ "Carphone Warehouse apologises for Fresh confusion". Mobile Today. 18 March 2010. Archived from the original on 29 July 2017. Retrieved 29 July 2017.
  19. ^ "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.
  20. ^ "Kontakt Mobile - Home". Kontakt Mobile. Archived from the original on 10 December 2016. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
  21. ^ "What's happening?". LIFE Mobile. Archived from the original on 15 November 2016. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
  22. ^ "Mobile by Sainsbury's - Mobile Phones, PAYG and SIM Only Deals". Archived from the original on 2 January 2016. Retrieved 29 April 2017.
  23. ^ "OUR TELECOM LIMITED - Overview (Free company information from Companies House)".
  24. ^ Razavi, Lauren (24 March 2014). "Ovivo Mobile goes dark, leaving thousands without connectivity". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
  25. ^ Boland, Hannah (7 July 2016). "Personal Group To Wind Down PG Mobile Business By End Of Year". Morningstar. Retrieved 29 April 2017.
  26. ^ "Post Office Mobile | Order Free SIM". Post Office. Archived from the original on 7 August 2016. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
  27. ^ Majithia, Kavit (19 May 2016). "UK's Post Office to can MVNO venture". Mobile World Live. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
  28. ^ "PRIYO COMMUNICATIONS (UK) LIMITED - Overview". Companies House. Retrieved 30 July 2017.
  29. ^ "NEW BR/MVNO – RSPCA MOBILE, in cooperation with Shebang". MVNO Dynamics. 9 May 2012. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
  30. ^ 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.
  31. ^ "simplecall mobile". Simple Call Mobile. Archived from the original on 24 November 2014. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
  32. ^ a b "The People's Operator". 13 February 2019. Archived from the original on 16 February 2019. Retrieved 17 February 2019.
  33. ^ "U2I NETWORK LTD". Companies House. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
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