Unfortunately, in the UK it’s pretty much impossible to get unlimited data especially on PAYG? Even the monthly contracts don’t offer truly unlimited data. For example, many networks claim to give you unlimited internet but actually have a sneaky “fair use” cap at 500 MB/month or even less. In May 2010, Vodafone scrapped their unlimited data plan to save money and O₂ followed suit in June 2010. If you like to use your phone to stream video for example, this can be incredibly restrictive.

Mobile companies say that they found that 97% of their users use less than 500 MB/month and only a tiny fraction use over 1 GB. However, this doesn’t stop it being slightly disingenuous to offer “unlimited” data which is, in actual fact, very limited. Those who are high data users should have an option. And, to be frank, especially when 4G is rolled out across the UK, people’s usage patterns are going to change. The trend is definitely toward more and more data and 500 MB/month is really a quite pitiful amount.

So are there any ways to get unlimited data on PAYG phones in the UK?

Not impossible?

Giffgaff

Thankfully there is a solution out there. The amazing PAYG network, Giffgaff offers truly unlimited internet for only £20/month. Not only that, but you also get unlimited texts and unlimited any network minutes.

Order a free SIM with £5 free credit. Even if you don’t need unlimited data and don’t want to pay for a goodybag, you always get unlimited free calls to any other Giffgaff customer. All freephone numbers are also free to call. Remember, Giffgaff offers unlimited mobile data and you can even tether with it. The only restriction is if you somehow manage to use 6GB you’ll lose 4G speeds outside of midnight until 8am. If you want to learn more about the network, please read our Giffgaff review.

Don’t delay, get a free Giffgaff SIM with unlimited data now to get £5 free credit.

3

3 have also got a brand new unlimited data offer. You just need to order your free free SIM, then you can sign up for true all-you-can-eat for just £25 a month. Just like Giffgaff, this is truly unlimited data without any caps or fair use policy too! So tuck in. They’ve even thrown in plenty of texts and minutes with this great offer. We’ve also considered the whole experience in our 3 tariff review.

Why not order your free 3 SIM today?

T-Mobile

T-Mobile also have a great offer for data with their optional Internet Boosters. You can get 5 days internet for only £2.50, a month for just £5 or 6 months for £20 which is only £3.33/month or just £40 per year. Just be aware that this isn’t truly “unlimited” – there’s a fair usage policy limit of 500MB per calendar month.

If you want, start using a T-Mobile Mobile SIM today or check out our T-Mobile review.

Tesco Mobile

Tesco Mobile also have a deal on for PAYG customers. You can buy a 7-day unlimited internet pass for £2. This gives you free data for a whole week (although it’s not truly “unlimited”, it’s actually limited to 100 MB which is pretty far from unlimited).

Get a Tesco Mobile SIM now or read our review of Tesco Mobile first.

Vectone Mobile

Another option for PAYG users is Vectone. Like Tesco, it’s not truly unlimited but you can buy a one day unlimited data pass for only 50p. However, in this case, “unlimited” means 125 MB. They also offer 7 days for £2.50 (with a 250 MB limit) or £5/month (with a maximum of 1 GB).

Read a Vectone review or try out a Vectone Mobile SIM today.

Other ways to get unlimited data?

Please leave a comment below if you have any corrections or if you know of any other way to get unlimited texts that we’ve not mentioned on this page. Thanks.

Free PAYG SIM with unlimited free calls

Many networks offer free Pay As You Go (PAYG) SIM cards. These free SIM cards sometimes even come with free credit once you activate them so you can start using mobile internet right away. Below is a list of mobile networks that will offer free SIM cards and unlimited mobile data.

• Giffgaff SIM card – now with £5 free credit
• 3 SIM card
• Tesco Mobile SIM card – triple credit
• Vectone Mobile SIM card