Ycorp Launch New Data-only eSIM Driven UK Mobile Operator Ymobile
A new UK mobile operator called Ymobile (Ycorp) has officially launched today and claims to be the United Kingdom’s “first data-led, eSIM MVNO“, all while claiming to offer users a “simpler, more streamlined and environmentally friendly” alternative to traditional mobile networks.
The operator, which is being powered by Three UK’s national 4G and 5G network via a virtual operator (MVNO) agreement, appears to have avoided the usual approach to mobile plans (i.e. bundling data, calls and texts together) and instead offers a range of data-only (mobile broadband) eSIM plans.
Ymobile are initially offering customers a choice of five different 30-day data plans – 2GB for £2, 5GB for £5, 10GB for £7, 50GB for £10 or 100GB for £15 – on a rolling basis, with no minimum contract required. Users need to simply sign up via the Ymobile app on Android or iOS, and download and activate their eSIM.
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The approach is one that seems intended to serve as an option for “users who no longer require traditional voice or messaging capabilities“, or those who may be seeking a “second line for business use or for data-intensive tasks like tablet streaming.”
Mike Greaves, Founder and CEO of Y Corp, told ISPreview:
“We are so excited to be launching the UK’s very first data-led eSIM MVNO. Ymobile aims to tackle two of the biggest frustrations many mobile users face: firstly, that much of their monthly plan is wasted on voice calls and texts they no longer want or use. And secondly, the environmental impact of physical SIM cards, that are bad for our planet and can be a fiddly nightmare to switch out and change.
Ymobile is built on Ycorp’s MVNO platform, which offers brands and businesses a truly bespoke way to both drive customer and employee engagement, and to better understand these groups too. With both our B2B and B2C propositions now live, we look forward to seeing the disruptive impact that we believe data-led eSIMs will have on the market.”
The approach being taken by Ymobile is interesting, although the data-only focus also means that customers won’t be able to take advantage of features like 4G Calling or Wi-Fi Calling, while roaming usage is capped at 1GB per 24 hours (credits to our forum members for spotting this). Overall, this is not a million miles from the approach that a good deal of travel eSIM providers already take.
Ymobile also might not be the only operator to come from this group, since Ycorp are promoting themselves as being able to enable brands and businesses to easily build their own privately labelled Full or Lite data-driven eSIM MVNO. In other words, we could be about to see a rush of new virtual providers.
Mark is a professional technology writer, IT consultant and computer engineer from Dorset (England), he also founded ISPreview in 1999 and enjoys analysing the latest telecoms and broadband developments. Find me on X (Twitter), Mastodon, Facebook, BlueSky, Threads.net and Linkedin.
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I do like their approach. I have had a plan with them for three weeks. Also with 2gb costing only £2, it can give others some competition! The only odd problem I have… [& this is an iphone problem] is there is a pop up that displays every now & then asking to enable or disable imessage. When it does open I need to tap it a few times for it to go away but a day or three later I’ll have to do it again. Imessage is off in settings as it always has been. iOS is only my spare device & doesn’t get used, but if anyone else notices this please do say. I’ll be moving it to my pixel 6 after my new pixel 9 arrives anyway.
This is an iOS thing not unique to any provider. Its essentially the iphone saying “to validate your number for iMessage we need to send an SMS to Apple which may be international and may cost you”. I think its a UK based number though so not likely to end up costing anything. The phone still throws up the notification regardless. It’ll do this initial validation SMS even if youve got imessage turned off.
I don’t think theres a way around it. You might be able to set up imessage with your email address instead of phone number but I don’t know if that would remove the notification.
“second line for business use”
The lack of any voice service makes this not only a contradiction, but totally pointless.
A data connection for a second device maybe or a backup connection, but not many devices allow different apps to used different data connections at the same time.
doesn’t compare well with smarty imho
smarty’s website says they don’t currently support esim though
I don’t know why anyone actually cares about esims..
Appears to be another fern fibre company.
https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/14232896/persons-with-significant-control
And, unsurprisingly, out of the Vitrifi/Jeffares stable.
Had they made a network with voice and data, via eSim and app only (in the line of Verizon’s ‘Visible’ subsidiary) and then allowed people a free period of say 10 days to test the network (unlimited calls / texts but limited data), I feel they would have been onto something. However, this could be useful and I wish them all the best.
£5 a day for 1GB roaming isn’t a great deal, but still way cheaper than SMARTY who want as “little” as 10p per MB to FIVE POUNDS per megabyte.
I like that they have a £2 plan that you can enable and disable whenever you like, or upgrade and downgrade whenever you like. EE is decent around here, and so is Three. Having an eSIM on Three will help plug any coverage gaps without being tied to a contract.
Speeds are about 1/3rd that of Three.
Three: https://www.speedtest.net/result/i/6354294041 1657 down, 132 up
Ymobile: https://www.speedtest.net/result/i/6354292387 473 down, 133 up
Looks like they may be routing traffic over a VPN or something.
By no means slow, but worth keeping in mind.
Both tests were done around the same time on an iPhone 16 Pro, with a Three mast about 20 metres away with line of sight, so ideal conditions for a speed test which shows in the 1.6Gbps result on Three.
with a Three mast about 20 metres away with line of sight
Real world scenario then, or are we going to have masts every 40m across the country :-D, we could also use them for xmas lights nationally, not sure where we could put the fairies though, or perhaps ofcom could come out with a regulation in 4 or 5 years or so for the CSPs to put illuminated fairies on masts, they could light up RAG depending on their service and capacity status :-}
Would be interested to hear if anyone knows if the “freeze” feature stops the clock ticking as being able to buy a 100GB block and unfreeze it as and when it’s needed would be a useful feature, and one that might even be unique in the industry.
I have been trying it for a week or so and no, it doesn’t. The freeze functionality only cuts off all data (the card stops working completely) but the expiry/renewal date stays the same.
I don’t see why anyone would use them over Smarty Mobile.
This is super expensive. All fine if you stay under the 1gb but if not? every time topping up. My data provider will still be Firsty (they even offer free data for certain apps) and for 2 euros I get 5 GB.
I purchased the 10GB plan as the eSIM format is convenient for me but I’ve yet to see 5G on my phone in areas that I know have 5G coverage on Three.