BT unlimited 4g limit?

Hi has anyone come across any usage limits etc on BT unlimited 4G?

We have a family sim pack with 5 sims, 4 in phones & 5th in a router for home use, all has worked perfectly until Friday when the sim card refuses to connect. I tried it in a phone same issue no connection, the other 4 work perfectly still. I've had no emails, texts or messages in my BT account to suggest a problem.

BT have been useless so far, so I've ordered a new sim to see if its that.

Has anyone hit a usage limitation on "unlimited" I know EE say 1tb on their unlimited but BT have said it is unlimited in the past.

Well new sim didn't resolve it so got to try & chase BT up somehow, hmmmm

Hi,

My question would be, how much data did that SIM card use? Were you streaming a lot of films? Making a lot of video calls? All of these consume a lot of data which might have tipped the scales. You might be better off using a business package if you are consuming a lot of data. Another thing might be that the SIMs might be phone SIMs and as such shouldn't, really, be used in a router. BT might have blocked that SIM because you used it in a router. You might have to ask for a DATA only SIM for the router.

HTH,

In reply to a post by mking90031:

Another thing might be that the SIMs might be phone SIMs and as such shouldn't, really, be used in a router. BT might have blocked that SIM because you used it in a router. You might have to ask for a DATA only SIM for the router

Three was the only network that did that, and it was not in line with Ofcom's requirements, so they have now stopped. The other networks generally sell amounts of data, now with unlimited options. (Which all have fair usage in the terms).

Hi,

I was more talking about the fact that some operators might not like a phone SIM being used in a router and therefore might block it as it contravenes their T's & C's. Might be worth checking them out to see if there is any mention of using mobile SIMs in something other than a mobile phone.

HTH,

In reply to a post by mking90031:

I was more talking about the fact that some operators might not like a phone SIM being used in a router and therefore might block it as it contravenes their T's & C's. Might be worth checking them out to see if there is any mention of using mobile SIMs in something other than a mobile phone.

And I was pointing out that you are wrong, and Ofcom says this is not allowed for all operators.

Hi Mark,

Have a read of this article:

Ken's Tech Tips - SIM Cards

There's a link to an Ofcom ruling in 2018, which means that "mobile networks shouldn’t discriminate based on the device or the equipment you’re using to access their network" - so basically, you should be free to use any SIM in any device that you want to - so yes, you can use a phone SIM in a router.

I'm currently using two 4G links (Three & Vodafone), with both SIMs in separate Huawei B525 4G routers (I will soon install external antennae for these too, one omni-directional and one directional), which are then Load-Balanced with my slow PlusNet ADSL (2Mbps) broadband (which is the only form of fixed line broadband available in my location) - and this setup works very well. I'm using "phone SIMs" in both routers (which means I can also used the unlimited minutes by connecting a home phone to the RJ11 ports on these particular routers).

So: in summary: due to an Ofcom ruling in 2018, you can use any SIM in any device, the providers aren't allowed to discriminate or prevent customers from doing this - luckily for those of us who now rely on 3G & 4G (& for some very lucky people, 5G - maybe in my area within 50 years!!) for their main internet link due to no other realistic option being available.

So - providers *shouldn't* discriminate - and if they do, Ofcom may be interested to hear from you!

I can't understand why providers offer separate "data only" SIMs for the same (or higher) prices as those for phones that include texts & call minutes.

NOTE: Most (all ?) 4G routers allow you to send & receive SMS text messages via the router's web admin interface - but not many have an RJ11 connection for a phone (to use for VOIP and/or using the inclusive SIM minutes).

In reply to a post by AdamInTheSticks:

There's a link to an Ofcom ruling in 2018, which means that "mobile networks shouldn’t discriminate based on the device or the equipment you’re using to access their network" - so basically, you should be free to use any SIM in any device that you want to - so yes, you can use a phone SIM in a router.

Thanks that is what I was thinking of. I have a Vodafone voice SIM in my iPad !

Nor can an ISP impose a limit on the traffic through such an "unlimited data" SIM.

What they do seem to be allowed to do, as per Three's policy, is say that 1TB could be suspected to be business use, which is expressly ruled out in the their Ts & Cs.

Proving the users are not using it for business could be difficult, and asking the ISP to prove it is probably impossible.

Possibly we are moving slightly away from the point.

I would suggest you login into your bt account and look at your order details and try and pin down exactly what you have ordered.

Is it some sort of Halo package?

If it is a family pack you all have the same data allowance right? Five sims all with unlimited data just seems very expensive from BT. But I may just not be up to date on the options.

Does the sim in the router still work with texts and calls but the data has stopped?

''''''''''
Edit: hmm £90 for five unlimited sims is not as bad as I expected actually. Though that is on top of the £60 for halo 2 broadband. You are definitely on bt halo? https://www.bt.com/mobile/family-sim/

Edited by mnbvcxz (Tue 19-May-20 11:18:22)

I think you have hit the nail on the head there.

On the Family SIM page that would be costing £90pm on top of the Halo cost, or £95 without Halo. Though quite how a Family SIM works in the Hub I don't understand. Unless it is unplugged from the landline.

Re Halo, isn't the idea of that a seamless failover to a free SIM supplied with the Hub if the landline connection fails?

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

Re Halo, isn't the idea of that a seamless failover to a free SIM supplied with the Hub if the landline connection fails?

I thought that, wasn't it convergence of landline and mobile data? But reading about it more it says if your landline goes down they will send you a 4g hub with unlimited data to tide you over till it is fixed. Which is rather less exciting. So perhaps less a convergence of technology and more a convergence of billing and marketing...

Ah, it must just be Business Halo that supplies it from the start.