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Steve D



Member Since: 19 Jan 2013
Location: Essexshire
Posts: 4091

United Kingdom 
Mobile phone sim only contract - how times have changed!

I've just taken out a new 12 month sim only contract. Main reason for it was I'm changing networks from T-Mobile to Three because I'm getting a lot of missed calls and 'no service' in areas I go whereas others on 'Three' enjoy good service at all times in the same places.

For £12 a month I'm getting 8Gb of 4G data, 600 minutes and unlimited texts. Personal hotspot use and full usage when roaming in the EU plus many other world locations on their 'feel at home' advanced plan. I won't use a tenth of that.

I've had a mobile phone since 1985 and I used to sell (or at least connect) them up many years ago - at one point you got over £600 for every phone you connected - good times! PAYG wasn't about then so you generally had to be a business man, high earner or a Yuppie to even be accepted to take out a contract. As the mobile number was assigned to the ESN that was built into the phone, it was a right faff changing phones and getting numbers transferred.

Anyway, my point is that in 1985 when you took out a contract it was usually for five years (three if you were lucky). There was a £50 one-off connection charge, £25 a month standing charge (no inclusive calls) and each call was 50p per minute or part minute. Two networks only (Vodafone and Cellnet) with pretty poor coverage. Texts and data were not even on the horizon.

Just my 600 minutes alone plus the standing charge would have cost me £325 a month thirty odd years ago!! To put that in perspective, my mortgage was just under £300 a month in 1985. Unbelievable. Past: FL2 TD4 HSE Auto
Evoque SD4 Dynamic Lux Auto
Present: Audi A3 S Line.

Post #325130 14th Jun 2017 9:21 am
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chicken george



Member Since: 05 Dec 2007
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United Kingdom 2008 Freelander 2 TD4 XS Manual Santorini Black

My mates dad had one of the early mobiles, basically a suitcase with a handset, he was the local disco king providing dJs and decks to wedding parties etc and need to be available at all times.

Said mate killed himself 20 years ago ,,, god bless him Confused R.I.P Tosh. At work
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Post #325143 14th Jun 2017 11:58 am
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Northcroft



Member Since: 29 Jan 2017
Location: Durham
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England 2007 Freelander 2 TD4 HSE Manual Zermatt Silver

I recall a return trip from London to Newcastle on a cheap bus called The Clipper in 1987, I sat at the front and then some guy say next to me with what was apparently a mobile phone, I recall it was a contraption he kept on the floor probably the size of a desktop PC tower, with a handset on the top, stuck in my mind as I thought how pretentious Rolling with laughter

I have been with THREE network for years now and whenever I go to the Yorkshire Dales I rarely get any signal, I am not 4g or 3g so that could explain it, only use the mobile for checking Facebook or the success of my photos on FLickr, so I am happy to pay £5.69 a month for Unlimited Internet, Unlimited Text, and about 70 minutes call time, since I never call anyone I never use that allowance.

I simply cannot comprehend why anyone would pay £900 for a phone (saw one in Tesco's this week) or even pay over £15 for a contract deal Rolling with laughter Rolling with laughter

Post #325144 14th Jun 2017 1:25 pm
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Steve D



Member Since: 19 Jan 2013
Location: Essexshire
Posts: 4091

United Kingdom 

Well, I don't know about the Yorkshire dales but I know when we go to the Peak District, not only is the mobile coverage poor, even the radio signal drops out in the car! I suppose they look at the area to be covered times the number of people in the area. Most providers state a 'population' percentage cover and not an 'area' percentage cover. Turning off 3G/4G will give you better voice only (calls) coverage. Past: FL2 TD4 HSE Auto
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Present: Audi A3 S Line.

Post #325145 14th Jun 2017 2:07 pm
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RogB



Member Since: 16 Dec 2014
Location: Mansfield
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England 2013 Freelander 2 SD4 HSE Lux Auto Santorini Black

TBH the networks were probably better in the mid 90's than they are now. They are just an over priced pile of Censored now with the decent 4G coverage centred on what some program in Bangalore says has the most facebook/twitter/instagram users.

Post #325146 14th Jun 2017 2:20 pm
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mcsimmo



Member Since: 01 Feb 2016
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It never ceases to astound me when on the news you see huge queues outside the Apple Store waiting the buy the latest IPhone on the day when its released. Updated- Waiting for a Scotland v England 6 Nations home win. 24th Feb 2018
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Post #325147 14th Jun 2017 2:28 pm
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Purplemadboy



Member Since: 22 Jul 2014
Location: Scotland
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I got my first phone in 87 , £18.50 + vat , no calls, no text .. internet what was that ? I'm on sim only with Tesco (O2) , works for me, £12.50 for 750min 5000text and 6.4gb data Do it now ! Your a long time dead !!

Post #325151 14th Jun 2017 3:35 pm
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768will



Member Since: 08 Jan 2012
Location: South Devon
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United Kingdom 2011 Freelander 2 TD4 GS Manual Bali Blue

When Vodaphone was part of Racal our department had one of their early mobile phones which was like a house brick with a handset on top. Coverage was cr*p, in fact we had BT phonecards to use when in a no signal zone.
My current mobile phone was the cheapest and most basic I could find. Every couple of months I put £10 in to cover phone calls. So, why bother at all? I was persuaded to have a phone because (quote) ' If you're in the woods with a chainsaw and cut your leg off then you can phone for an ambulance' By all accounts this person would make a good politician.
Only calls I get are:
1. the lowlife telling me about PPI repayments.
2. my wife telling me when she'll be home
3. my farmer friend asking me how many pigeons I've shot.
So I not going to upgrade to a phone with 3G, 4G, or 5G and beyond.
Must finish now 'cos my phone's ringing Laughing 11 GS Bali Blue
07 GS FL2. Usually muddy. Gone
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Post #325154 14th Jun 2017 5:12 pm
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Steve D



Member Since: 19 Jan 2013
Location: Essexshire
Posts: 4091

United Kingdom 

mcsimmo wrote:
It never ceases to astound me when on the news you see huge queues outside the Apple Store waiting the buy the latest IPhone on the day when its released.

Yes, I see it every year. Always on a Friday and I think they must cancel Friday prayers on those days. Past: FL2 TD4 HSE Auto
Evoque SD4 Dynamic Lux Auto
Present: Audi A3 S Line.

Post #325155 14th Jun 2017 5:35 pm
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Steve D



Member Since: 19 Jan 2013
Location: Essexshire
Posts: 4091

United Kingdom 
Re: Mobile phone sim only contract - how times have changed!

Steve D wrote:
I've just taken out a new 12 month sim only contract. Main reason for it was I'm changing networks from T-Mobile to Three because I'm getting a lot of missed calls and 'no service' in areas I go whereas others on 'Three' enjoy good service at all times in the same places.

For £12 a month I'm getting 8Gb of 4G data, 600 minutes and unlimited texts. Personal hotspot use and full usage when roaming in the EU plus many other world locations on their 'feel at home' advanced plan. I won't use a tenth of that.



I'm cancelling it and ordering it again! Just found out I can get the same deal through my TopCashback account and get £55 cashback for doing it which brings it down to £7.42 a month. Can't believe I missed that one! Past: FL2 TD4 HSE Auto
Evoque SD4 Dynamic Lux Auto
Present: Audi A3 S Line.

Post #325224 15th Jun 2017 9:32 pm
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dorsetfreelander



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I had one of the first car phones in my company in 1985 and it found it embarrassing calling people and saying I was in the car. On one occasion I went to see a customer and there was a yellow stickynote on his computer screen from his secretary saying
"<myname> has just called form his car phone - what a poser!" after that I used to stop in lay by and pretend I was in the office. 3 x FL1 2 manual + 1 auto
5 x FL2 4 manual + 1 auto
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Post #325226 15th Jun 2017 9:58 pm
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Steve D



Member Since: 19 Jan 2013
Location: Essexshire
Posts: 4091

United Kingdom 
Re: Mobile phone sim only contract - how times have changed!

Steve D wrote:
Steve D wrote:
I've just taken out a new 12 month sim only contract. Main reason for it was I'm changing networks from T-Mobile to Three because I'm getting a lot of missed calls and 'no service' in areas I go whereas others on 'Three' enjoy good service at all times in the same places.

For £12 a month I'm getting 8Gb of 4G data, 600 minutes and unlimited texts. Personal hotspot use and full usage when roaming in the EU plus many other world locations on their 'feel at home' advanced plan. I won't use a tenth of that.



I'm cancelling it and ordering it again! Just found out I can get the same deal through my TopCashback account and get £55 cashback for doing it which brings it down to £7.42 a month. Can't believe I missed that one!


All fine with above contract - good coverage with '3' network and boy, is that 4g fast or what!!!!. I never used 500Mb a month on my old contract, let alone 8Gb so still have 7.38Gb left and 19 days to use it. I'll make sure I do - the work internet is not particularly fast so I'll tether that to my phone - I'm getting over 40Mbps on 4G!

Just an update. I've recently changed broadband suppliers at home and I've gone with TalkTalk. We're getting fast Fibre broadband (getting 35/36 Mbps), line rental and anytime calls to landlines and mobiles. Free router, no upfront fees for £30 a month, fixed for two years. PLUS, they are sending me a free sim card with an allowance of 500Gb data, 200 minutes and unlimited texts. I'll make sure it has good coverage in the areas we go and if ok, I'll cancel my wife's contract (exactly the same - 500Gb/200mins/unltd texts) and port her number onto that. It's a rolling 30 day contract and is free for as long as I'm with them on my broadband. If you'd had tod me you would be getting this for free 30 years ago, I'd had said you were bonkers - it would have cost over £150 a month in those days. Past: FL2 TD4 HSE Auto
Evoque SD4 Dynamic Lux Auto
Present: Audi A3 S Line.

Post #327086 14th Jul 2017 11:26 am
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RogB



Member Since: 16 Dec 2014
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you sure that's 500Gb of data and not 500Mb ( 1/2 a Gb) of data ??

Post #327087 14th Jul 2017 11:35 am
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dorsetfreelander



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You can get 3G ? ! most places I go in the South West I am lucky to get GPRS (2.5G) or Edge. 3 x FL1 2 manual + 1 auto
5 x FL2 4 manual + 1 auto
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Post #327088 14th Jul 2017 11:49 am
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RogB



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that's because Dorset, Devon and Cornwall still have signal fire baskets on poles Very Happy (but at least it works Laughing )

Post #327089 14th Jul 2017 12:10 pm
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