Lyca o2 mobile join BTw EE mobile

https://newsroom.bt.com/lyca-mobile-partners-with-bt...

I wondered why one of my phones was showing EE | LycaMobile.

Any idea if they do mobile broadband?

In reply to a post by hk11:

Any idea if they do mobile broadband?

The mobile virtual operators (MVNOs) don't generally as they have to pay the host network for their usage.

Many fixed line broadband users use 1000 GB (1 TB) a month with one person in the home, using any sort of video streaming (iPlayer, Netflix etc). The mobile networks tend to think 500 GB is a lot.

Check terms carefully.

You may be better looking at Starlink.

Edited by jchamier (Fri 14-Jul-23 17:08:49)

In reply to a post by jchamier:

In reply to a post by hk11:

Any idea if they do mobile broadband?

You may be better looking at Starlink.

Looking at the other thread, would probably be better ordering a higher FTTP product, this would either give better speed, or trigger a visit to fix fault.

The OP wants to move away from FTTP.

I wonder why, there is no other more reliable service available.

In reply to a post by Realalemadrid:

I wonder why, there is no other more reliable service available.

Long thread in the other forum about the problems the ISPs have caused.

In reply to a post by jchamier:

The OP wants to move away from FTTP.

True, but there appears to be a problem which Vodafone are not interested in fixing as speed is above minimum guaranteed, as you know there should be no problem with ordering a package with faster speed from another ISP (or vodafone) this will set a higher minimum speed, then the service will either exceed this speed or OR will have to investigate.

There is an interesting paragraph of the BT press release:

“The deal will see Lyca’s entire customer base move across to EE in what is set to be record time, with BT Wholesale team showing industry-leading capabilities in ensuring a smooth transition of an MVNO between networks.

Usually when providers say an "entire customer base will be moved to" themselves, they mean the original provider will basically cease to exist. (As in when providers went bust).

However at the end it looks much more likely Lyca will continue under its current name, as an independent MVNO using the EE network. The customers themselves not being moved to EE. As in John Lewis and Plusnet in their initial partnership.

Which leads me to agree with you that mobile broadband from Lyca is unlikely, at least in the short to medium term.

When I was with a MVNO which changed networks it required a SIM change, but one post seems to suggest that it swapped networks without a SIM change, unless I've read that wrong.

In reply to a post by burble:

When I was with a MVNO which changed networks it required a SIM change, but one post seems to suggest that it swapped networks without a SIM change, unless I've read that wrong.

I think this depends if the host network is running the SIM for the MVNO, or if the MVNO company has purchase enough equipment to run their own SIM deployment. The larger MVNOs (e.g. Virgin Mobile, Tesco Mobile etc) are the latter.

In reply to a post by pluralist:

Which leads me to agree with you that mobile broadband from Lyca is unlikely, at least in the short to medium term.

The only real network with true unlimited plans is Three on their 5G areas, the others all have quite limited FUP, even if they sell "unlimited". Fixed line will always win that race in the long run. Three with their 100 MHz and 40 MHz blocks are trying to see if they can make it work, but the costs of installing these new street works poles is not cheap. Also if the merger with Vodafone goes ahead some spectrum need to be offloaded, which may spoil the party.

Both my phone and Home Broadband are on Three 4G true unlimited*. The Home broadband happily drives streaming F1 on my Sony Bravia (smart) TV, with live timing via the app on my iPad. The router is a couple of years old bog standard Tree.

5G is not an essential. As you have pointed out, 5G national coverage in general isn't widespread by any provider.

* Years ago as you will remember "unlimited" was often accompanied by Ts & Cs of nearly all providers containing restrictions which were either very tight or very low. Ofcom queried Three's and the then CEO published that 1GB was perfectly acceptable but if consistently exceeded might be considered to be business use rather than SOHO.

Yes, and why I said Three above. EE and O2 are around 650 GB a month fair usage in their “unlimited” domestic plans and EE Business is 1000 GB. Not sure about Vodafone. MVNOs like SMARTY are usually lower usage.

Three is unique in having 100 MHz in band 78 but you need to be fairly close to a modern mast to get that. There’s deployment is a bit random.

With only 9.7 million customers compared to the others with 17+ million the Three network does sell some compelling deals. They are also saying it is unsustainable as part of the application to merge with VF.

In reply to a post by pluralist:

5G is not an essential. As you have pointed out, 5G national coverage in general isn't widespread by any provider.

I'm finding my phone (on 1p mobile/EE) showing 5G fairly often now, sometimes in the most unexpected places, but a low signal strength so no real advantage that I can see.

That's good to know as my area doesn't seem to have 5G coverage.

https://www.signalchecker.co.uk/sheerness?postcode=ME12

In reply to a post by hk11:

That's good to know as my area doesn't seem to have 5G coverage.

I wouldn't trust that site. Use the networks themselves, or BIDB(which seems to use the network's checkers). You may have O2 5G coverage, EE and Three are close. Majority of 5G is at 3500 MHz and so you often need to be in line of site of a mast. Some 5G is at 700 MHz rolling out slowly, but this won't have the speeds of the higher frequency.

Given UK homes are pretty much brick built, its worth doing all checks with phones outside.

BIDB just sits there loading; I'll try another device.

https://thumbsnap.com/sq2UzJYm

3 NETWORK ZTE MF286D and Three SIM on their way, so will be testing shortly.

Edited by hk11 (Sun 16-Jul-23 12:27:08)

Post deleted by hk11

In reply to a post by hk11:

BIDB just sits there loading; I'll try another device.

Better with a bigger screen.

For guess house number 10 at postcode ME12 1AG

EE - https://thumbsnap.com/i/SGRhARjR.png
Three - https://thumbsnap.com/i/FzmgBz7g.png
VF - https://thumbsnap.com/i/K2N2Cz4H.png
O2 - https://thumbsnap.com/i/jeK1tiPF.png

The colours are the same as on the network's own coverage map pages, BIDB just overlays on their map to make it easier to compare.

From this I think you have 5G on O2, and NOT on any other network.

Yes, not easy to view on a small screen.

I'm right on the edge of coverage areas so I might be lucky or someone in another thread has suggested putting the router in the loft.

In reply to a post by hk11:

I'm right on the edge of coverage areas so I might be lucky or someone in another thread has suggested putting the router in the loft.

Loft, or a window facing the direction of the mast. (if the sun comes in that window, a piece of card can prevent the router from being cooked whilst letting radio signals through).

Do you like your router well done sir?

Beware that the maps show the coverage as reported by the network operators so they have a vested interest in showing greater coverage than is actually achieved on the ground. Where we live even outside there is no coverage at all (you can test by trying to make an emergency call which should be routed by any network that the phone can access). I haven't checked lately but last time I checked only Three reported that fact honestly with all the other networks claiming that there is definitely outdoor and in some cases adequate indoor capability. This has been raised with the individual operators but with no discernible effect on the coverage maps.

In reply to a post by hk11:

Do you like your router well done sir?

I've seen two friends routers (ADSL days) get "cooked" by strong sunlight and fail. In the UK we put things in windows in the winter and forget how strong the heat can be in summer, behind glass.

Yes, despite us joking about the cold, the sun can be mighty powerful.