Just saw an article about cheapest unlimited data plans and the cheapest deal appears to be from Virgin Mobile on a 30 Day recurring SIM Only plan.

"Virgin Mobile’s SIM-only AYCE+T plan costs £12 per month on a 30-day contract, less than half Three’s cheapest all-you-can-eat data plan that includes tethering. What this means is that in theory, you could pair that that SIM with a low cost Android smartphone (like the £49.95 Motorola Motosmart) and get a versatile hotspot that can do much more than a bog-standard Mi-fi device for the same price. Oh and you get unlimited texts and 150 minutes. Virgin Mobile piggybacks on EE’s network, which should ensure optimum mobile coverage nationwide."

Read more: http://www.itproportal.com/2012/12/3...#ixzz2GvrKvCJd

Good deal, Just to bear in mind that there is a cap of 10GB data on Virgin's Unlimited tariffs. After 10GB you get speed capped at 384kbps which isn't great for tethering but should be ok for basic phone usage.

So not the same as Three's One Plan but then again not many people use 10GB a month, so this is a great deal if you want more than 1GB data with tethering ability (on the cheap). Three do a similar deal but as wavejock said tethering is not included so this deal is great for tethering. Plus you get 2G backup with EE.

http://www.virginmobile.com/vm/gener...r.sm068#Virgin

When it comes to mobile Internet and data here is only one option, 3. I was on 02 before moving to 3 an let me tell you. 02 IS CRAP, never used virginmedia but I totally recommend 3 for tethering and unlimited data.

Avoid 02 at all cost IMO.

This is a pretty good deal! Closest is Three's £12.90 but doesn't include tethering.

EE are just as good as well for 3G seeing as they're part of MBNL too. T-Mobile do a good plan for high users at £21pm at the moment which is unl texts/calls/data (no tethering) But you're right that if you want tethering & Unl data (without being blocked/finding a work around) Three's one plan is the only legitimate choice.

we've been thru the arguments regarding three already in other threads.

as they don't have a 2G data network you really need to ensure that you won't go anywhere that doesn't have 3G coverage otherwise you're screwed.

How is this relevant to this thread apart from flaming?

I'm on virgin mobile and the only place I have had data problems is somewhere where no carrier except vodaphone works. So speaking from experience your statement is tosh

Don't forget that deal included unlimited virgin mobile to virgin mobile and virgin landlines to virgin mobile calls which for some like me where me and my partner are both on VM is ideal.

One other thing, I am not sure if that £12.90 deal is for existing VM broadband or TV or landline customers

It's not relevant of course! It is just flamebait!

Re 2G, it's not only important in places with no 3G it's vital in some major areas in buildings that have poor 3G reception. 2G is vital for the best reliability for voice calls so the Virgin offer seems to offer a combination of services that should be a very good proposition for most mobile users.

This could be a great secondary package to have for tethering for a tablet or laptop if you don't have access to Wi-Fi most of the day.

I know some who has the £12 plan from 3 and regularly downloads 30gb a month, 3 don't seem to care and he does it via tethering.

Couldn't find anything on there to state if its existing customers only but the deal is £12 a month, not £12.90

Yes but according to the terms and conditions it's not allowed. I know people who get blocked straight away, and then again i know one guy who's got away with it on a payg sim for a few years now. So thats why the Virgin deal is good as it does include tethering.

Anyway, no need to continuously troll mate.

I have been on the £12 plan (1GB data and 1200 mins) for a couple of months now (15% student discount too so it's a little cheaper) and have had no issues.

I get good internet speeds pretty much everywhere now which I didn't with GiffGaff.

Can I ask how you got the student discount?

You need an NUS card - http://shop.virginmedia.com/content/..._discount.html

Cheers mate, might get this for £10.20pm if o2 cant do anything for me by Easter.

Unless you're served by the p*ss poor Orange data network, under the EE banner, rather than the (better) T-Mobile part of MBNL, also under the EE banner, then you'd be just as well using GPRS frankly.

Not sure why this deal needed a new thread to be honest. It's not exactly a new deal and it has been mentioned by others (including myself) on this forum before and the OP even replied to one of the messages

http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showt...=#post62088140

thanks for the link, my mrs has just started uni and will look into if she can get a discount on her existing contract.

Been looking at this for sometime when it came out a few months back. I am defo moving to it when my Orange Contract is up in March.

Virgin Mobile runs on the EE network so we will get the improvements which are coming their way, and 10GB is amazing before being throttled. Think it is a decent deal especially when you can tether

Hello, Is this still available to buy and Tethering is still included?

also will it be possible to put the SIM into a mobile broadband dongle and use it just with a laptop?

The deal is still available but tethering has now been excluded in the T&Cs. Having said that, I am still happily tethering away on my android phone. Nice thing about this is it's only a 30 day commitment so soon as they stop me tethering i will be off to 3.

PS No idea about the dongle question, sorry.

It says only new and upgrading customers from 24/1/13 cannot tether, nothing about existing.

Agreed but the cut in the usage before throttling from 10gb to 3.5gb is a real bummer imo.

I have never used over 1GB but if you do then yes it makes the so called unlimited much worse. It could be worse, they could limit you to 5mbps like T-Mobile do.