Best network at the moment to use.

[Mekrel]

I'm more interested in providers that don't have the CPI +3.9% clause in their contract? Are there any?

I think it's ridiculous that if inflation is positive, you get hit with the CPI and +3.9% but if inflation is negative, you'll still get the +3.9%.

I'm aware there's some legislation coming down the line around this, but I'm not clear on if the legislation is to ban mid contract price rises or if they're just changing how they're implemented.

It's so stupid - a couple of years ago I was with Plusnet for broadband and they wanted £27.99 a month after mid-contract price increase for 76mb FTTC, I saw an advert for the same package last week which was advertising it ~£24/25 a month.

 

[jpaul]

It's so stupid - a couple of years ago I was with Plusnet for broadband and they wanted £27.99 a month after mid-contract price increase for 76mb FTTC, I saw an advert for the same package last week which was advertising it ~£24/25 a month.

you mean it's a newbie con by plusnet and the £24/£25 will itself be hiked mid-term

----------------------

HD calling OK seems HD calling is stil patchy between networks - like

Three to EE is HD
EE to Three is not

maybe my vodaphone/lebara iphone sim imposes further limitations.

EVS ! I'd never heard of EVS mentioned in that thread

EVS (Stands for Evoluted Voice Services) only works for EE to EE calls, Three to Thee calls and Vodafone to Vodafone calls. It offers CD like audio quality and is the best you can get. These calls sound like the person is in the room with you - EVS calls require a supported device and network to function accordingly.

 

[Orcvader]

you mean it's a newbie con by plusnet and the £24/£25 will itself be hiked mid-term

----------------------

HD calling OK seems HD calling is stil patchy between networks - like


maybe my vodaphone/lebara iphone sim imposes further limitations.

EVS ! I'd never heard of EVS mentioned in that thread

Huh, can't believe I never noticed that. Just checked my call history with someone I contact with often, I'm on EE, they're with 3, never realised all my outgoing calls to them weren't on HD, yet all the incoming calls are.

Checking with another person on O2, EE to O2 both ways at least seems to be HD. No idea about Vodafone, don't know anyone on them.

 

[Disco_P]

I'm more interested in providers that don't have the CPI +3.9% clause in their contract? Are there any?

I think it's ridiculous that if inflation is positive, you get hit with the CPI and +3.9% but if inflation is negative, you'll still get the +3.9%.

I'm aware there's some legislation coming down the line around this, but I'm not clear on if the legislation is to ban mid contract price rises or if they're just changing how they're implemented.

It's so stupid - a couple of years ago I was with Plusnet for broadband and they wanted £27.99 a month after mid-contract price increase for 76mb FTTC, I saw an advert for the same package last week which was advertising it ~£24/25 a month.

I'd say most providers don't increase prices by CPI + 3.9%, it's just the large brands who have to pay for retail stores and Kevin Bacon who do.

A contract for sim only is pretty unnecessary nowadays with so many MNVOs offering loads if data for dirt cheap on a monthly basis.

 

[Firegod]

Just to say EE have dropped the CPI % increase thing. They now just do a £1.50 increase instead. So a 24 month contract will be no more than £3 extra in the final year.

 

[Mekrel]

I'd say most providers don't increase prices by CPI + 3.9%, it's just the large brands who have to pay for retail stores and Kevin Bacon who do.

A contract for sim only is pretty unnecessary nowadays with so many MNVOs offering loads if data for dirt cheap on a monthly basis.

Hmm, I'm not sure I agree with that. The big 4 (EE, Three, Vodafone and O2) account for 70%+ market share and they all increased their prices by either CPI or RPI +3.9% in April this year.

I would be onboard with going the a MNVO that ran on a decent network (Vodafone or EE) if they didn't have a price increase clause.

Just to say EE have dropped the CPI % increase thing. They now just do a £1.50 increase instead. So a 24 month contract will be no more than £3 extra in the final year.

After I posted above, I can see Ofcom are pressing for operators to state increases in absolute cash rather than percentage. I'm assuming EE are just getting ahead of the game, and their absolute increase will be based on average earning per user + desired %increase.

I personally think mid contract price rises need banning, there's nothing stopping an operator from increasing prices as the end of the contract to offset trading cost increases and/or to invest in their network.

 

[Disco_P]

Hmm, I'm not sure I agree with that. The big 4 (EE, Three, Vodafone and O2) account for 70%+ market share and they all increased their prices by either CPI or RPI +3.9% in April this year.

I would be onboard with going the a MNVO that ran on a decent network (Vodafone or EE) if they didn't have a price increase clause.

Those are the 4 that have to pay for retail stores and Kevin Bacon.

1p, smarty, lebara and giffgaff are MVNOs all don't rise prices and are on the big 4 networks in the order listed above.

I use 1p mobile as they provide the full EE reception, receive all calls and texts and for a reasonable price on a 1 month rolling contract. I think Lebara do the same on vodafone and are incredibly cheap with deals.

I understand the principle behind the mid contract price rise but it's implemented in completely 1 sided fashion. If the price could go up or down with inflation then it'd be fine but banning it is much better than what we have now.

 

[jpaul]

well it's the same as the home energy/price caps those are related to the economy, just a pity there don't seem to be good combined mobile&broadband tarifs

HD calling - need to find a vodaphone buddy to experience this near cd quality EVS.

 

[quackers]

I'm with 02 and it's terrible up here but my contract has finally ran out so I'm free to month from this month, I was thinking Lebara as it's on Vodaphone and people seem to say the Vodaphone signal is generally pretty good. Do we have many people on Lebara here? If yes, what are they like?

 

[Disco_P]

I'm with 02 and it's terrible up here but my contract has finally ran out so I'm free to month from this month, I was thinking Lebara as it's on Vodaphone and people seem to say the Vodaphone signal is generally pretty good. Do we have many people on Lebara here? If yes, what are they like?

Whether the signal is any good is entirely dependent on where you are. I rate Vodafone as 2nd to EE for coverage (o2 third and 3 last)

Lebara are pretty good, for the price you can trial it at no great loss.

 

[Freefaller]

On a slight tangent to this thread. 3 used to have a 100mb free sim that would just give you 100mb per month for free. I used to use it in my wife's car for her infotainment system, it was brilliant. I lost the dongle, though after a bit of a clear out at home, I found it again. Clearly it doesn't work anymore it won't connect to 3, but are there any sims around that do something similar at the moment?

 

[mdaw]

I would echo what many have said above. It definitely depends on where you live and tend to visit. For me personally in the south east, mainly on the coast of east and west Sussex EE have been the best. I have switched between EE based networks (virgin before moving away from EE and BT) and Vodafone for my last 4, two year contracts currently on Vodafone with a pixel 7 pro. For me when I switched to Vodafone the first time on a Huawei mate 20 pro, it didn't seem too far off EE just a bit slower for 3 and 4g. Went back to EE via BT SIM only on a 2 year deal and immediately noticed EE were that bit better again. Where I work EE definitely trump Vodafone and O2 but not sure about 3. Got a good deal for my current phone on Vodafone and didn't really want to go back but the deal was so much cheaper than EE. This time I really noticed a difference. I'm pretty sure the signal is actually a bit worse than before in some places even before the 3g switch off. Very few areas near me have gained 5g on Vodafone either. Personally I'm a bit disappointed in Vodafone. I had hoped it would have improved in the 2 years away but almost seems the opposite. Only 6 months to go now. Im definitely thinking of going to an mvno on EE SIM only again. Before all these contracts I was with 3 for about 3 years. Didn't find them bad either having switched from O2. At that time I found them at least as good as O2 but probably behind both Vodafone and EE. My Mrs is with O2 and can't say I'm impressed. I may look at a 3 mvno as their network has apparently undertaken big improvements in the last few years. The good thing is with a lot of mvno you can get 1 month deals. So if it's not to my liking, I only have to put up with it for 1 month and then just switch. Just moving my number being the annoying part.

 

[mitch212k]

Definitely area dependent. Where I live (weirdly) Voda is the only network with decent coverage. Naturally that's a shame given all the deals are with 3 .......

 

[Disco_P]

Definitely area dependent. Where I live (weirdly) Voda is the only network with decent coverage. Naturally that's a shame given all the deals are with 3 .......

Lebara