Which UK Phone Network Should I Choose? - O2

Overview Of The Phone Networks - O2

In the UK, there are 2 types of phone network, the main networks (currently 4 of them) - O2, EE (formerly Orange & T-Mobile), Vodafone & Three.

From this base, there are a selection of virtual networks and these guys buy air time from one of the 4 providers above.

Each network has its own quirks and benefits, depending upon your phone usage, age, location, type of calls you make & incentives / bundles etc, so depending on what you are looking for, 1 may suit you better than some of the others.

Let's take a look at these networks, 1 by 1 and see what we can learn about them.

O2

Formerly Cellnet / BT Cellnet - O2 is now owned by Telefonica and has a large customer base  & are available both on the internet through their website, via 3rd party websites, retailers, high street stores & comparison sites.

Products 

O2 provide rewards programmes & incentives designed to keep hold of their customers & especially appeal to a younger demographic, although is equally  suitable for all in my opinion.
They pricing is competitive, with 5p a minute, text & data, voicemail & customer service.  You do need to topup at least once every 6 months or add a bolt on, otherwise you will be disconnected. O2 have 10,000 hotspots across the UK for free wifi access.

Priority

Through their 'Priority' site, Pay as you go customers can get between 5 - 10% cashback every 3 months on your topups.  The priority programme also provides offers, tickets & experiences, so you can get, for example, VIP tickets at their venues.

Bolt Ons

There is also the bundles to their customers 'bolt ons' for text, data & calls packages (UK or international) ranging from 1 day to 31 days for various amounts of additional minutes, sms or data etc.

 

Network Coverage

O2 offer 2g, 3g & 4g coverage, & has 97% outdoor coverage.  It is the only operator with a regulatory requirement that it needs to achieve 98% indoor coverage by the end of 2017.
It uses 4g which it generally around 5 times faster than 3g, but is not available right across the country.  It is currently available in cities such as Brighton, Glasgow, Antrim, Manchester, Pontypool & more (but not every town/city yet).

 

Type Of Sim Only Cards

There are 3 types of sim card available with O2, Nano sim, Micro sim & Standard sim, so within this range you should find a type that suits your particular handset.