Giffgaff UK Launch 5G Unlimited Data Golden Goodybag Plan

Mobile operator giffgaff has this week finally jumped on both the “unlimited data” (mobile broadband) and 5G bandwagon with the launch of their new £35 “golden goodybag” plan, which is not to be confused with their existing £25 “always on” package and we’ll explain why. Get ready for caveats.

Until now all of giffgaff’s goodbybag plans have been 4G-only and their top plan was the £25 per month “Always On” option, which included unlimited minutes, unlimited text messages and “always on” data. The catch being that “Always On” isn’t quite the same as a true “unlimited” tariff because after gobbling 80GB of data you’d experience a reduced data speed of 384Kbps from 8am to Midnight. So you’d still be able to get online, albeit at a slower speed than a copper ADSL line from nearly 20 years ago.

By comparison the new £35 “golden goodybag” finally adds 5G support (it’ll still work on 4G too) and offers “unlimited data,” but like most of the other major mobile operators there is a Fair Usage Policy (FUP) to consider, which appears to threaten to “disconnect” customers or slow their speeds (the Advertising Standards Authority might not be happy with that).

FUP on Unlimited Data

If you have a goodybag with ‘Unlimited’ allowance (including our ‘Unlimited’ golden goodybag) then we’ll monitor the amount of data you’re using. If we reasonably believe that your usage is harming our Network or other members’ access or use of our Network then you will breach this Fair Usage Policy. Avoid regularly tethering to 12 or more devices or regularly using unreasonably large amounts of data, including but not limited using around 650GB of data twice within a 6-month period. If we suspect you are in breach of this Fair Usage Policy, we may investigate your usage further to ascertain whether your unlimited data usage is in line with this Fair Usage Policy and take action as set out below.

5. What happens if your usage falls outside this Fair Usage policy?

Calls, texts and data:

If we reasonably suspect you’re not acting in accordance with this policy, we reserve the right to impose further charges or disconnect your SIM card or your goodybag at any time, having attempted to contact you first. If you have a goodybag, you will be charged 0.36p/MB for data, 3.2p/minute for calls and 1p/text for texts, otherwise our standard Pay As You Go rates apply.

We also we reserve the right to; (i) investigate your usage, (ii) impose Network protection controls (which may reduce your speed of connection) (iii) suspend you from using our services, (iv) disconnect your SIM card at any time (v) transfer you to a plan with a reduced data allowance and/or (vi) prevent you from purchasing further goodybags.

We note that other operators with an “unlimited data” allowance often deliberately use more ambiguous language so as to avoid running into problems with the advertising watchdog, which since 2012 has had a strict policy on the promotion of unlimited plans. In short, “marketers will no longer be able to use a fair-use or traffic management policy to slow down legitimate users, nor will they be able to impose an additional charge or suspend the service.”

Otherwise giffgaff states that the new goodybag will be “available now for new members joining giffgaff, members using the app and in your recurring options,” although at present they don’t appear to have added it to their line-up of SIM-Only plans on the public website. No doubt this will soon change.