Mobile sim instead of data sim in the router?

A long time ago I saw someone claim that Ofcom allows us to what's in the title. Are we really allowed to do that or was that person just confused? I don't see why anyone would buy a mobile sim with double the cost/bandwidth ratio and lower speed (EE restricts some frequencies) if so.

In reply to a post by weelan:

I don't see why anyone would buy a mobile sim with double the cost/bandwidth ratio and lower speed (EE restricts some frequencies) if so.

Please explain what frequencies are restricted? You may be thinking of EE and Three's restriction on the 800 MHz (Band 20) for phones that don't support VoLTE. This restriction doesn't apply to data devices like a tablet, or pocket router/MiFi thing.

However a data device that identifies as a phone may be restricted, but in many cases missing 5 MHz of spectrum is not going to make any difference to speeds. For both networks you really want to pick up their 1800 MHz (Band 3) spectrum for capacity.

In reply to a post by weelan:

Are we really allowed to do that or was that person just confused? I don't see why anyone would buy a mobile sim with double the cost/bandwidth ratio

Yes you are really allowed to do that.

As to why "anyone" would buy a data SIM:

- you kind of answered that by asking the "are we allowed" question...
- some people know you didn't used to be able to do it on some networks and assume you still can't
- some people have no idea that a phone SIM could ever work in a router
- some people have no idea that you can put your own SIM in a router and just buy a router with a data SIM already in it
- the networks (generally) make it very unclear that you can use a phone SIM, if you go on to most of their websites looking for home broadband over 4G they'll push you towards a router with a data SIM in it

OK, I thought 800 MHz made a difference. Thanks, it doesn't then.

That means it's just predatory marketing then! Thanks that was what I was looking for.

In reply to a post by weelan:

OK, I thought 800 MHz made a difference. Thanks, it doesn't then.

Specific to EE and Three, they each have a 5 MHz block. Unless you are extremely rural, both networks will plan for you to ALSO receive other spectrum. If you are on O2 or Vodafone, they each have a 10 MHz block, and don't have the same constraints.

If you ARE extremely rural then you will need to do a little more digging not only to spectrum allocations but as to load from other users.

Remember that a phone sim is priced on the basis that it will probably receive phone calls, which bring the network a termination fee each time. A data sim won't, so they up the cost a little to make up for this.

No good complaining, it's how it is. There's a reason for the difference.

It's a bit like women complaining that pink razors cost more than blue ones (because they're made in smaller numbers). They could buy blue ones or yellow ones cheaper, and they'd work as well.

Don't argue. Vote with your wallet.