Mobile Network Comparison

With 4G finally becoming ubiquitous in the UK and smartphone-ownership at a new high, we thought it was time to take a look at the best value rolling bundles currently available on the market. We’ve always been a site that aims to save you money and PAYG rates simply don’t offer the value of SIM-only monthly bundles for the majority of users’ needs any more. In this post, we’ll be taking a look at the best priced monthly packages currently available on the UK market.

We’ll be rounding up the offers with at least 2GB of data per month. Why this size of bundle? 2GB of monthly data is plenty for the average customer’s browsing habits and, we think, is also at the price point that offers the best ratio of allowance to hard-earned cash.

It’s almost the weekend, so we’ll start off right away with the good stuff. In our opinion, the best choice for almost everyone is the TPO 2GB Goodness Plan which comes in at a bargain £6.49. For this, you get a generous 1000 any-network minutes and completely unlimited texts too.

TPO have been featured on this site a few times before and we’ve seen them consistently offer some of the most competitive monthly bundles on the market. Since they launched 4G last year, we’ve been happy to recommend them as an ethical and price-conscious choice.

TPO operates on the Three network (rated most reliable in the UK) and boasts 98.5% coverage and they also have great in-house customer support so you’re not compromising on service. They save money by avoiding flashy billboards — this also means that 10% of everything you spend with them goes to any cause or charity you choose, at no additional cost to you. Grab it while it’s hot!

Another offer that is worth mentioning in this round-up comes from iD Mobile. While it is a new network and doesn’t have the greatest of reputations, they do have well-priced deals with a £7.50 bundle that lasts 30 days and gives you 2GB of 4G data, 500 mins and 5000 texts which is as good as unlimited for all but the most dedicated finger-tappers. They also run on Three and allow data rollover which is a plus.

If you don’t have Three signal where you live, you might have no choice to go with an alternative MVNO. The next best offering is Giffgaff and, surprisingly, they are really not competitive at all. While price hikes have been a trend over at Giffgaff over the last two years, it is quite a shock how far off the rest of the top end of the market they are. If you want a monthly data allowance of 2GB you’ll get unlimited texts but will only have 500 included minutes. Worst of all, the goodybag costs over 40% more than TPO coming in at a pricey £10/month.

But, to summarise, TPO offers by far the best price and comes with strong credentials and customer feedback. For just £6.49 a month, 2GB of data, 1000 minutes, unlimited texts and knowing that you’re supporting an ethical network is about as good as it gets. TPO also love it when you spread the goodness. When you refer a friend to their service, you and your friend get £5 credit, completely free. That means they not only get to enjoy all the great TPO perks you do but you both get to support good causes with your phone together. You can find out more about this and other rewards when you sign up.

So if you want the cheapest 2GB rolling bundle and the feel-good factor of helping some great causes, what are you waiting for?

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Ethical mobile virtual network operator, The People’s Operator, has launched their new pay monthly SIM-only deals. They have a range of 30-day rolling contracts as well as a data plan designed specifically for tablets. Prices range from a super-low monthly rate of £5 all the way up to £25/month.

To celebrate the launch, they are offering a great added incentive to make the switch. For a limited time, members can get triple the calls, five times the data, and unlimited messages from just £10 per month. You can also save £10 for the first two months when you sign up to their £25 ‘Super Value’ deal which comes with unlimited minutes, unlimited texts and 1GB of mobile internet. This is certainly the most interesting option in our eyes and is definitely worth a look at that price. There is even a tablet deal giving 500MB of data for just £5. To see the full list of deals, head over here.

At the core of The People’s Operator’s business model is their aim to raise millions for UK causes by offering great value mobile deals. Not only do they enable members to give 10% of their bill to a charity or cause of their choice, but they are also committed to sharing 25% of profits with good causes. As this doesn’t cost you the user anything extra, you can’t complain about that.

The charitable funds are allocated through the TPO Foundation, a transparent and independent legal entity run by trustees and chaired by Sir Christopher Kelly. The Foundation was set up to award funds to organisations, local communities and charities making a positive difference to people’s lives.

The People’s Operator runs with the the belief that no cause is too big or small, and so it gives users the opportunity to donate to any cause close to their heart. Members can nominate a charity they would like to help or choose from the network’s long list of partners, which includes national organisations such as The Big Issue, Children’s Heart Federation, Childline, NSPCC, Regenerate, The Trussell Trust, and Trinity Hospice.

The People’s Operator launched only a few months ago in November last year and it already received a great deal of interest for their innovative approach. Running on the UK’s biggest 3G network provider, EE, they boast over 98% coverage of the UK and have taken steps to ensure switching from other operators is simple and easy to do. Unlike some other virtual networks, they offer an in-house customer service team on-call seven days a week, as well as simple set-up for data settings on Android, iPhone and other major mobile platforms.

Having only initially launched with PAYG services available, TPO has continued to offer some of the lowest pay as you go prices in the UK. Calls cost half that of other major operators such O₂, Orange, Vodafone, and T-Mobile however they are not the cheapest available. However, like some other cut-price networks, members also benefit from free calls and texts to others on the network. The People’s Operator say that the addition of pay monthly deals will only go to further attract new members and strengthen their support for good causes. And with some of the competitive offers available on a monthly basis, we’re inclined to agree. So, if you’re interested doing what The People’s Operator say and “turning your calls into kindness” why not check out the deals today and take a look at their new money saving deals.

What’s your thoughts? Are these monthly bundles good value for money? Are you tempted to switch? And do you think that the opportunity to do something good while using your mobile is an effective incentive?

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