Recommendation for data SIM in UK

[wisniak]

Hi,

I'll be traveling twice the the UK this July/early August, shall be staying in the London/South UK areas.

Is there an updated page showing the prepaid 3G data offers? Full data, not WAP.
I saw the voice page United Kingdom, I was hoping there's a similar page for data.

Further, I wanted to ask about the viability of purchasing a SIM card abroad. The question regards the need for registrations and regarding the card activation.


Thank you.

[NFH]

You can order free SIM cards from most UK networks on their web sites for delivery to a UK address. Vodafone is the easiest for micro-SIMs. T-Mobile are doing some good deals for data. If you want to receive the free SIM before you arrive in the UK, you'll need to get someone in the UK to receive it at their UK address and then post it to you. Some cards are pre-activated; others require a brief phone call with no formalities.

[wisniak]

Thank you, NFH.

I just found a local site that sells t-mobile prepaid pre-activated SIM cards.

Is there some sort of plan that I need to purchase in order to have data? eg 1/3GB.

Further, are there SIM cards than can do both voice & data?

In 2010 I had a Vodafone SIM card in Italy, it was a mess, huge costs for data (which is my main use). Throughout my 2-week visit I was unable to change the plan I was in to a more appropriate one.
Same happened on a 2009 visit to Paris.

On later visits to other European countries there was no such problem - the SIM worked immediately and had very good 3G coverage - Greece, Spain, Sicily (Italy) and other countries.

[NFH]

I've just checked and it seems that the deal on T-Mobile has ended. The deal was that you could get free data (maybe 500MB/month or something) for a year, just with a one-off top-up of £10. Your best bet is to order a free SIM from each network and then choose which one to use based on who's offering the best deal when you first arrive in the UK. Do you have a friend with a UK address who could post them to you if you order several in advance?

[NFH]

Also don't pay any attention to your previous experience with Vodafone in one particular country. Like most large brands operating in multiple countries, Vodafone is fragmented and the customer experience will be very different in each country.

One use for a Vodafone UK SIM is £5 for 25MB of data roaming outside the EU. Although you're unlikely to want to roam with a UK SIM, you can use this deal on aircraft (OnAir, AeroMobile etc) where the cost of data is usually extortionate.

[dxy]

Originally Posted by wisniak

Thank you, NFH.

I just found a local site that sells t-mobile prepaid pre-activated SIM cards.

Is there some sort of plan that I need to purchase in order to have data? eg 1/3GB.

Further, are there SIM cards than can do both voice & data?

In 2010 I had a Vodafone SIM card in Italy, it was a mess, huge costs for data (which is my main use). Throughout my 2-week visit I was unable to change the plan I was in to a more appropriate one.
Same happened on a 2009 visit to Paris.

On later visits to other European countries there was no such problem - the SIM worked immediately and had very good 3G coverage - Greece, Spain, Sicily (Italy) and other countries.

I think this is the one you want because it has the most free data
https://freesim.vodafone.co.uk/text-and-data-sim-card
However, you can spend your top up how ever you want. you dont need data separately unless it is a contract SIM. Because you are going for Pay as you Go then just dont worry about it.

[wisniak]

I'll be in the London area twice in July/Aug, about 1 wk each time.
Knowing my browsing habits, I'll need about 2GB total.
Obviously I'll be using the same SIM.

Are there branches of t-mobile or others in the arrivals hall at Heathrow?

[NFH]

Originally Posted by wisniak

Are there branches of t-mobile or others in the arrivals hall at Heathrow?

Vodafone has a landside shop at Heathrow terminal 5, but according to the Heathrow web site, there aren't any others at other terminals or for other networks.

• Do you have a friend with a UK address?
• Do you need a micro-SIM?
• Would 1GB for each month be enough? O2 have a £10/1GB bolt-on. With any UK network, you should expect to pay around a penny per megabyte with a bundle.

[NFH]

GiffGaff may be better for the data quantity you need. Unlimited data for £10. You could even try ordering an unofficial micro-SIM where the address fields are free text and may accept an address outside the UK.

[zvoneb]

Unfortunatelly not postcode must be entered in British format.

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