Tag: network

Huawei 5G – It can’t be ripped out easily

Until now, the UK government have decided to allow Huawei to play a role in the 5G deployment here in the UK. Despite US concerns, the UK allowed Huawei to be used in “non-core” kit. However, GCHQ’s National Cyber Security Centre has delivered new findings into Huawei and …

EE to deliver air-to-ground 4G for the emergency services

EE, working with Nokia, have announced the world’s first 4G Air-to-Ground network. The A2G network will support 300,000 emergency service personnel, providing high speed 4G broadband services, with a range from 500 feet up to 10,000 feet above ground. It’ll deliver seamless connectivity between ground operations and air …

UK’s First Shared rural network goes live

In south Wales there’s a small village called Devauden. It’s tucked away in the Wye Valley but has become the first rural community to receive new mobile coverage. Why is this a big deal? Well, the government-backed plan for operators to share masts and other infrastructure hit a …

Oppo X2 Pro and X2 Lite arrive on Vodafone

Well, we liked the look of the Oppo X2 Pro and now both the Oppo X2 Pro and X2 Lite have arrived on Vodafone. They’re available on the Vodafone unlimited data plans and you can add Amazon Prime Video, Spotify Premium, Sky Sports Mobile TV or a NOW …

Happy Birthday UK 5G – One today!

5G has been available here in the UK for a whole year! EE now have 80 large cities and towns across bathed in 5G, with the highest 5G availability compared to all other 5G networks. YouTube is the most popular app for their customers – 5G users are …

Pay As You Go now added to NHS and Care Worker unlimited Vodafone deal

Nearly two months ago, Vodafone announced their free data for NHS staff. They then added care workers too as the coronavirus pandemic put additional stress on these essential workers. Now, they’ve also added in Pay As You Go customers in these categories. So, you can now get free …

Deal – Three SIM-only, unlimited everything for £16 p/m

Head over to the Three website today and you can get a 5G-ready SIM-only plan unlimited plan which will cost a mere £16 per month. This two-year deal has unlimited data, unlimited minutes and unlimited texts – plus you can roam and use your phone as a personal …

More on the POCO F2 Pro flagship killer

We’re liking the look of the (Xiaomi) POCO F2 Pro. It’s available on Gearbest for £449.28 or you can have a look at Tecobuy to get it for £405.99 (and, if you hang around their site, they’ll give you £6 off, bringing it down to £399.99). For less …

SMARTY – 100GB Monthly data for £15 per month

Well, this is another article where the title kinda tells you everything you need to know. Right now, SMARTY (an MVNO using Three UK masts) has doubled their data allowance on their £15 package. There’s no big contract (it’s a one-month rolling deal so you can cancel at …

Boost your digital skills with the giffgaff Academy

While we’re mostly still stuck indoors, it’s important to make use of this extra time we have. Mobile network giffgaff have launched their new giffgaff Academy. It’s the place to go if you want to increase you digital skills. You don’t have to be a giffgaff customer – …

O2 and Virgin Media to merge

Well, that was certainly quick. After O2 almost-but-not-quite got sold to Three, Spanish parent company Telefónica have instead signed off on their merger with Virgin Media. I’m using Virgin Media right now for my internet, and you can read all about my switch to cable internet. They provide …

Vodafone extend their free NHS data and add in care workers too

It’s been over a month since Vodafone started dishing out free data for NHA staff and now they’re giving unlimited data offer to both NHS staff and care workers. Free access to unlimited mobile data will now continue for a massive six months. Vulnerable customers can also benefit …

Virgin Media and O2 look to merge?

Virgin Media, which is actually “Virgin” purely in name because they’re actually Liberty Global, could be merging with O2 soon. O2, as you may remember, was the target of a Three attempted purchase some years ago. Whilst the BT purchase of EE was given the green light, Hutchison …

The easy guide to switching networks

I’ve written about this in the past but still get emails about it so, as we’re all on lockdown right now, I thought it’d be a great time to go through the steps of switching networks. Yes, actually switching. It can see like a frightening thing for some, …

Free unlimited data for Vodafone customers

If you’re a Vodafone customer, head into the “My Vodafone” app on your phone and, within the “VeryMe” section, you’ll be able to claim 30 days of unlimited data right now. This is all part of the Vodafone “#KeepingtheUKConnected” mission during the coronavirus lockdown. The data should be …

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip and Samsung Galaxy Fold 5G now at Vodafone

If you’ve got a whole mess of money then you can grab yourself either the Galaxy Z Flip or the Fold 5G from Vodafone. They’re available on unlimited data plans and you can add Amazon Prime Video, Spotify Premium, Sky Sports Mobile TV or a NOW TV Entertainment …

No more O2 deals with Carphone Warehouse

Although physical stores are closed right now, you can still get a phone or a SIM-only deal online. Networks available with Carphone include Vodafone, Voxi (sitting on Vodafone), Virgin Mobile (on EE masts), their own iD Mobile network (using Three infrastructure), EE and, until yesterday, O2. Carphone Warehouse …

Vodafone announce new coronavirus measures

If you’re at home and fighting over the broadband bandwidth, Vodafone have some options. The first is their short-term and mobile broadband packages. These can deliver solutions such as the Vodafone Gigacube, giving you fast broadband via the Vodafone masts. Secondly, Vodafone have also got in touch with …

5G launches in 21 new towns and cities

The guys at EE have flicked the switch so that 21 more 5G destinations are now available. It brings the total EE 5G locations to 71, which is more than any other operator. Areas benefitting include Rugeley, which is just up the road from where I’m sat, plus …

Another 5G safety study published

Here in the UK we’ll be seeing 5G on “sub-6GHz frequencies”, with the main networks using between 3.4GHz and 3.6GHz. The higher the frequency, the greater the capacity and speed. Today the International Commission on Non‐Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) found absolutely no evidence suggesting that these frequencies of …

Shared rural mast network – a bit delayed, but back on.

Last year we covered the new shared rural network but things hit a bit of a wall when operators objected to the cost of using the EE equipment. The plan was to share masts and other infrastructure in areas which wouldn’t normally be considered as “beneficial” or cost-effective. …

Win yourself a Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G and more

Vodafone are launching a new Augmented Reality (AR) game which gives you the chance to unlock thousands of tech prizes. Called “Find Unlimited”, you can also win one of 25 new Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G handsets. You’ve got to find and interact with AR “V-Atoms”, which have …

Vodafone slices half off SIM-only plans for 6 months

Vodafone have gone a bit bonkers today, and are offering their Unlimited SIM-only plans at half the price for the first six months. It’s on their 24-month SIM-only deals, so you do have to buy into it for a couple of years. However, what it does mean is …

Tesco Mobile launches 5G

Sitting on the O2 network, Tesco Mobile have just announced that they will be launching 5G. Things start with 24 cities across the UK, including Coventry, Glasgow, Leeds and London. The Tesco Mobile SIM-only 5G plans start at just £15 per month and pay monthly contracts begin at …

SIM-only Vodafone deal. £12 per month for 10GB

Afternoon all. Quick one this as we don’t know how long the code will work, but if you’re looking for a Vodafone SIM-only deal, head to their website where you can get 10GB of monthly data for £15 per month. However…. Vodafone are currently running a 20% off …

EE become an exclusive BritBox partner

You may have heard about BritBox. It’s a video subscription service created by BBC and ITV which delivers TV entertainment from the main UK public service broadcasters across the UK, USA and Canada. It’s different to the BBC iPlayer and ITV Player because older content is included. Today …

BT make 5G available to all customers

With BT swooping in some time back to buy EE, it’s unsurprising that they’re pushing hard with 5G – both as “EE” and “BT”. This morning BT announced that they’re making 5G available for all customers, with 5G BT plans and 5G smartphones from Samsung, OnePlus and Huawei …

Hold the phone. Unlimited Data for just £11 with Three

Well, this happens every single time. I’ve literally just added the SIM-only Vodafone deal and you lot have been in touch to let me know that there’s better options out there. This one is available via MoneySuperMarket and it sees you getting unlimited everything (yes, everything – data, …

O2 SIM-only deal. 100GB monthly, cheap!

Another offer this morning, and this time it’s a SIM-only deal with O2. There’s 100GB of data to be had each month, plus unlimited texts and calls. It’s £20 per month over 18 months, but you can get £50 cash-back with TopCashback, bringing the total £360 total cost …

EE wins Best Network again

Yet again EE have grabbed the top spot in performance as part of the RootMetric’s testing results. The network, now owned by BT, is obviously pretty happy about all, with BT CEO Marc Allera telling us.. We’re continuing to invest in our network to help keep our customers …

Using Pay As You Go? Use it or lose it!

Whilst browsing through my tweets I noticed this exchange between Phones Show producer Steve Litchfield and the Vodafone Twitter account. It relates to a Pay As You Go handset / SIM and the fact that it’s been unexpectedly disconnected… The disconnection of an apparently unused line might seem …

Motorola RAZR up for pre-order on EE

With so many similar-looking phones available on the market, it’s good to see EE picking up the new Motorola RAZR. It’s a classic-but-seriously-modern flip-phone, with 128GB of storage, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 CPU (octa-core with 2×2.2 GHz and 6×1.7 Ghz), 6GB RAM and a dual 16 megapixel rear …

Sky Mobile adding 5G

Sitting on the O2 network, Sky Mobile have today announced that customers will be getting 5G for no extra cost if you’re on their Sky VIP loyalty programme – this is a free perk for existing users. Sky Mobile is promising to deliver 5G in 50 towns and …

EE January sales offers kick off

Free gifts and savings of up to £120 are available in the EE sales. Deals are available on the iPhone 6s, Huawei P30 and Sony XPERIA 10. In addition, there’s offers on tablets and smartwatches. The Apple iPhone 6s will get reduced by £72. There’s no upfront cost …

Let the sales commence! Sky Mobile kicks things off

After spending a stack of money in the Black Friday sales and then a stack more money in the run-up to Christmas, what better than another round of sales? Traditionally these would kick off on Boxing Day, but the internet has enabled things to start earlier and run …

5G – Not quite ready yet

Back in August I parked up near Wembley Stadium to do some “real world” tests with a 5G phone. I did this because I’d seen testers competing to get the highest speeds possible. Usually this involved someone waiting for a quiet day – like a Sunday morning – …

Kippy Evo (V-Pet Tracker) now down in price

Down to just £49.50 (instead of £99), the V-Pet Tracker also includes 12 months of free tracking service so that you can see exactly where your furry friend is, even when they’re out of sight. Not only that, but the WiFi, Bluetooth and GPS-capable tracker will keep up …

Vodafone shrink SIM card packaging

In an “effort to reduce plastic waste”, Vodafone will be supplying your SIM cards in a more eco-friendly way soon. They’ve (literally) cut the size in half, meaning that your SIM will be delivered in a smaller card. The guys at Voda are keen to point out how …