Actually, I think you just carry on using data but at a throttled speed. Mail and browsing certainly still work.

I thought that was on Virgin? I thought that on EE you were redirected to buy a booster or an addon?

On EE sim only £1.99 for 100mb or 24hrs whichever reached first.

This changed last year. Used to be the same as phone customers who get more choices.

I know you get people on here defending EE as a premium brand which I accept because of their excellent 4g and 3g network but when they do things like this it really doesn't get justified like this. Oh well at these prices they'll be laughing all the way to the bank.

I get 1GB data per month and a fair chunk of calls/texts for less than £10 on EE SIM only plan. That suits me fine.

Not on EE, that worked on T-Mobile plans. On EE it stops.

Adding to the poor data on ee.

a quote from the daily mail site today re whatsApp
"Research company Ovum found that the decline in the use of traditional text messages in favour of messaging apps was estimated to cost mobile network providers $54 billion by 2016."

I suspect limited data with high overuse charges coupled with higher data charges will become the norm to try and recover the ££££s with apps like this taking call revenue.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencete...ks-use-it.html

Shouldn't be too bad for the operators. Most 1GB or more data plans come with unlimited talk and unlimited texts already. I've been on unlimited since 2013.

The problem that WhatsApp calling (and Facetime, Skype etc) gives is the loss of international call revenue.

Does that really have that much of an effect though? Most people I know are on contracts, so the networks are getting the same amount of money regardless of if they use SMS or WhatsApp. I get that it makes a difference for PAYG, but even for that surely most people on PAYG now use the various packs / add-ons? Or am I totally underestimating the people who use normal PAYG? And even if I am, wouldn't the data charges for using WhatsApp etc (assuming no pack / add-on) give the networks similar amounts of revenue considering how expensive data can be on PAYG?

It seems Vodafone has continued the discount on SIM only that was due to end at the end of March.

So you can still get unlimited calls, texts and 20GB of data for £30, which comes with a choice of services such as Spotify (worth £10). As a Spotify customer, that makes Vodafone just £20 (plus 3 months unlimited data).

Damn; if only Vodafone offered a good overall experience compared to EE or Three. Until it does, it is effectively ruled out - but it's a very good deal, and what you'd hope for with a SIM only deal that has no subsidy on a handset for Vodafone to fund up front.

BT then comes in with the benefit of (single speed) EE speeds and coverage, but without any tethering and some questionable roaming fees.

The upside is that even if EE plans to keep charging a premium by being number one, the others will improve every month. Who knows, either O2 (with or without Three) or Vodafone might be serious contenders in a year or so from now.

I signed up for another 12 months late-night spoke to retentions and got 5GB data for £16.99.

I have stayed with EE, having been on TMobile, with a sim only deal only because they are the only network where I live that has a 4G signal.
As soon as O2 gets 4G here (and they are presently working on their local masts), I will be switching to Tesco Mobile.

three's network isnt the same as EE's network, the quality is miles apart.

When I got my PAC of O2 to join EE they offered me a financially better deal on the S5 and 4G, I was tempted to say well your 4G isnt in the same league as EE hence I am leaving but I was polite and just said I will think about it.

EE's problem now is congestion on 4G. It might have invested a lot in rolling out 4G, and signing up customers, but this is having a noticeable impact in places already.

The usual 'victim or their own success' story.

Three would also be appear to be suffering the same on 4G in and around London.

Yup massive congestion in Newcastle. 8Meg in the city centre, an easy 50-60 just outside of it

Is it actually congestion on EE or just not enough masts upgraded to 4G so far. In regards to Three 4G it seemed to be suffering all over the country when I was with Three.

For three at least I'd go for the latter, not enough masts. I was on a rural mast and 60mbps. In the centre it slows down because everyone's crammed on one mast

When you say good overall experience, what is it that you find lacks with Vodafone?

Been testing the network for the last three weeks, and very pleasantly surprised. From my short experience, a step above three, and while not quite the overall package of EE, is competitive.

I genuinely believe a year from now once rollout complete, Voda/EE will be toe to toe.

Where Vodafone hasn't yet upgraded, just like O2, I can get speeds of 0.01Mbps and 1000+ms latency, which is virtually unusable. And this isn't just out in the sticks - I've had it within the M25 numerous times.

And of course there's the places still without 3G.

But, yes, given time there's not going to be much in it.

I don't know how long these prices will last as I'm not one to follow these sort of things too closely but I've been informed a refresh is imminent for phone contract tariffs. This isn't for sim only but I think they normally follow after a delay.

For 24 month month phone contracts the top tiers with Spotify/Sky/Now content come with 25GB, 15GB or 8GB of data and inclusive call minutes can also be used in Europe. There's also supposed to be versions of the existing tariffs but without content at lower price points. There's probably more but I can't remember. Can't see anything online yet so not sure if they are live.

You class that as congestion?

I know EE's speeds have been much better previously, its only natural as more join the network the speeds will fall. I assume you were on Northumberland or close by when you noticed the speeds?

Forgive me I'm not trying to be provocative, personally I have seen speeds drop to that level when in an area of high footfall. I was in Trafalgar square last month which always has lots of people, yet I still managed a respectable 12meg or so.

I think personal customers are losing sight of 4G being an enabler as opposed to revolutionise mobile phones. I am not an EE spokesperson or flag carrier, the speeds we are seeing are more than enough in which to do daily activities (for now).

Though your point (and jonmorris) relating to this around capacity, clearly EE needs to get on top of this, their planning appears a little more thought through than their MBNL partner. Several masts in my local area had been shown very poor throughput and signal, it took them around a month in which to alleviate the issue. However when completed service was better than before, not the same for Three however.

I think as this technology matures further things will progress, even though EE has been at the game for nearly 3 years now (or more?), they are still learning on the job. Vodafone are having an even bigger hassle because they want to lay their own fibre (amongst problematic planning).

This reminds me of a thread last weekend that was saying 4G was about speed, and I posted that I saw 4G as about "good connectivity" even if 2mbps if the latency is low and everyone in a cell area can get connectivity the 4G / LTE rollout has made a difference. Currently 3G and 2G can get saturated in those conditions and people can't get IP connectivity.