Mobile network operator EE (BT) has launched a new range of contract free ‘Connected Data SIM‘ packs for their 4G using Pay As You Go (PAYG) customers, which are specifically designed to help fuel connected tablets, laptops or other Mobile Broadband devices (e.g. USB Wi-Fi routers / dongles).
The new packs are available either on their own or bundled with 4GEE WiFi devices. The Connected Data SIMs hold a preloaded data allowance, starting at £30 for 30GB (GigaBytes) of data for use over two months and rising to £50 for 120GB over 12-months, plus the usual options for 30-day data add-ons and subscription packages.
The pricing could make these SIMs handy for casual internet use or home workers who require a bit of redundancy protection if their fixed line broadband goes down, but at the time of writing we’re still struggling to find any mention of them on EE’s website. It probably doesn’t help that EE seems to make even their regular PAYG plans hard to find when browsing from the front page, but even that and the mobile broadband page still only show the old plans. We’ve asked EE about this and will update again when they reply.
UPDATE 1:46pm
The operator has informed us that, confusingly, their new SIMs are actually being sold through “external partners“, rather than on their own website. They have so far gone live on Amazon with other partners due to go live over the next couple of weeks. For example, see the 120GB SIM Deal.
We had to do a bit of hunting (Amazon is full of unrelated EE data SIMs), but we also found the 30GB Deal for 2 Months (£30) and a 60GB Deal for 2 Months (£40). But it seems clear that the 12-month preload is the best of the bunch.
UPDATE 2:06pm
We’re now being told that another update is coming on this, so hang tight..
£50! Just over £4/month for 120GB over a year is perfect for a backup 4g router or iPad that is normally within WiFI range. Will take a look (when they appear on the site)!
Very expensive for 120GB to me
@oliver see scancom’s 6 month EE sims if you can live with content lock moderate.
@Nathan. It’s not about the amount of data – I probably wont use it. It’s really a backup that costs £4 a month.
@s Thanks – scancom looks interesting, but the 6 month 60gb deal is more expensive per month than EE’s offering.
4g Ee data not strong enough signal to watch Fire stick anymore also to work Scrabble app anymore Chapel St Leonards
SW
4g Ee data not strong enough signal to watch Fire stick anymore also to work Scrabble app anymore Chapel St Leonards
No network works in Chapel St Lenards as its tourist season. Try anywhere between Chapel down to Skegness with Fantasy Ispand the worst affected with congestion
Chapel St Lenonards to Skegness has a mast down, and no ETA to fix it from EE/BT as was talking to one of our national roaming sim suppliers.
Its also been useless since Feb.
Never liked EE myself. The biggest rip off company with very expensive EE.
how is 4 pound a rip off
I’ve recently switched to EE from Three. Yes they’re the most expensive of the lot but Vodafone and O2 are completely unusable in my area and Three’s network was so unstable I couldn’t rely on it. Plus EE now seem to have full 4G coverage across most of the Yorkshire Dales whereas none of the other networks have coverage.
Although I think £50 is far too expensive for the target audience. Vodafone do cheaper PAYG mobile broadband SIMs that are capped to slower speeds. Most business users don’t require speeds faster than a few megabits anyway to send e-mail or make a Teams call.
You get what you pay for, they are consistently the fastest and most reliable provider.
The high prices keep the penny pincher away and speeds higher.
That’s interesting packaging and pricing? Advertising the cost for 12 months, or 2 months. Cheap as chips though.
As this product seems to be targetting people’s secondary devices e.g. tablets and mobile broadband dongles I think a better idea would have been to launch a SIM card for existing EE contract customers that deducts the data used out of your primary phone contract’s allowance, rather than the customer paying a fortune twice for a second data plan.
Can’t you already do this using data gifting?
Yes EE already do this providing a 10% discount on the supplementary SIM. The interesting thing here though is that EE SIM prices have steadily increased so that it will cost over £10 for a base 5GB SIM. Whilst you can donate data it is still costing £10 per month. This offer provides for a SIM at just over £4 per month and reasonably high data.
As with all plans it is use specific.
Be aware EE PAYG terms are ‘Connection action’ is required ever 180 days. Connection actions include by way of example only, topping up Your Account, using data and making a chargeable call or sending a chargeable text. Its not clear if these are waved on the 12 months offer. So backup yes but period used needed to keep alive.
Be aware EE are offering Summer PAYG SIM offers including 100GB for £30 with Free Minutes which is far better for those using Incoming PSTN and outgoing VoLTE or total VoLTE.
Existing pay monthly customers do not appear to be offered PAYG and current 12 month deals not as good despite data sharing. Assume this is a short term offer.
Since they don’t provide a contract via Amazon and label the product to give a different impression, then they may find it difficult to enforce that 180 days ‘connection action’. The ASA might want words if they do anything naughty. Just for the record, this is how they’re advertised on Amazon’s page, as at 5th August 2021:
– 120GB of Data Included
– Lasts up to 12 months from activation
– No contract, no commitment. You can top-up to buy more data.
– The EE PAYG 120GB data SIM is compatible with the all unlocked devices or those that are locked to the EE network
– SIM Card – Standard, Micro, and Nano SIM all-in-one with 120GB of data
On the other hand, it’s not hard to connect once every 180 days :).
Yep. its only because Oliver started the comments with a suggested use as Backup. Nothing like a backup that doesn’t work when its needed.
The rules are data/call/text/top up must be used once every 180 days or sim is deactivated (this is normal inactivity PAYG rules that all Networks use) after I think 240 days the account is permanently closed and can’t be reactivated
Having 12 month payg sim doesn’t change them
Rules
Is it still possible to have Netgem TV on the EE operator?!
From now on ( Aug 4, 2021) there is a new “new children’s TV hub feature”, called “School’s Out Avenue”.
Also, this Freeview Play box reaches 200 channels and launches new feature with perfect timing ONE OF THE MOST popular Freeview Play boxes, Netgem TV, has confirmed that it has reached 200 free-to-watch channels with the arrival of a new children’s TV hub feature in collaboration with Channel 5 and Viacom CBS.
Rear more at:
https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/science-technology/1472021/Freeview-Play-channels-kids-hub-Netgem
By any chance are you comparing £35 per *month* with £50 per *year*? If not, what exactly are Voxi and Three offering for £35 per year?
The EE deal is about £4 per month for an average of 10GB per month – and the bonus is that if you need to use the whole 120GB in one go, you can.
Unless it’s a misprint, the “Connected Data Sim” picture states:
“Get double your data when you setup direct card payments”
Could that mean 240GB for £50.
It’s not clear to me whether there’s any option to pay for an occasional SMS. I can’t see any per-SMS or per-minute pricing on EE’s website – it’s all based on monthly “packs”. Anyone know if traditional SMS PAYG is available with this data SIM?
All very expensive but then again it’s ideal for irregular users and compared to BT WiFi works about the same.
What would make these new plans better is if they throw in free BT WiFi access too just incase you have poor or no signal, I would say that is keeping connected!
BT Wifi (BT Openzone) was charging around £40 for a month of unlimited access to its hotspots. I think it costs £4 just for one day.
O2 has been offering the same mobile broadband plans for some time now.
No 5G? I’d have bought the 120GB if 5G was included.
120GB for £50 and no 5G
LULZ.
Not for the first time, it looks like EE have made a right mess of the T&C.
30GB to use over 2 months – £50
60GB to use over 2 months – £40
12GB to use over 12 months – £30
https://ee.co.uk/help/help-new/terms-and-conditions/pay-as-you-go/data-sim
120gb/12month deal makes perfect sense for an occasional use second home.
Just hope it is still available in 6 months time when my current NowTV ADSL broadband deal ends contract (made sense at the time for voice call package, circumstances change)
Mark, any further update on this card? Can you roam abroad with it and if so with what limitations?
I’m looking at this as back up to my Three 5G broadband that’s gone down for an indeterminate period in St Albans.
Seems to be the best option I can find on a reliable network, unless anyone knows an alternative on 02? Vodafone sucks here.
Amazon haven’t made these SIMs easy to find either. Several searches based on terms like “EE” “120GB” “Data” “SIM” failed to bring it up. I eventually found it by clicking on something similar and it was there in the “You may also like…” section.
Did any one try talkhome unlimited data sim runs on EE network?
https://talkhome.co.uk/plans/monthly