BT Group Explore Launch of Budget UK Mobile Brand to Complement EE UPDATE
Telecoms and broadband giant BT is reportedly exploring the possibility of launching a new low-cost mobile service brand to complement their premium EE service. Such a move would seek to replicate Three UK’s approach with sub-brand Smarty or Vodafone’s approach with VOXI, albeit with some of BT’s own unique twists.
The network operator has occasionally hinted at this idea before, although until now they’ve often seemed to be too focused on other projects to really develop it into something serious. But according to the FT‘s (paywall) sources, the telecoms giant is now alleged to be actively exploring a number of different options for launching a budget mobile brand.
One such option could involve creating an entirely new brand, in much the same way as Three UK and Vodafone already did above (not forgetting that O2 also did this with giffgaff) – starting from scratch. The other option could involve BT moving to acquire an existing Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) and then changing it to suit their purposes.
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The move, if confirmed, could be seen as a response to how competitive the UK’s mobile market has become in recent years. Virtual operators seem to have been springing up all over the place, while pure eSIM providers (usually focused more on travel / roaming solutions) have recently added yet another new dynamic to the market.
UPDATE 10:11am
BT has responded to say they have “no plans” to change their mobile offering, although we always take any statement using this phrase with a pinch of salt as plans can change, often suddenly. The operator does confirm that they’re working to reinvigorate the BT brand and recently selected agency partner, Uncommon Studios, to help. But Uncommon Studios’ remit is solely to support their BT brand strategy and activation, they are NOT currently responsible for any broader brand strategy review.
A BT Consumer spokesperson said:
“We regularly review our offerings across all our brands to ensure our customers have access to the best products and services on the best network. At present, we have no plans to change our mobile offering.”
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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Why do I read “twists” in the above as “problems”. 🙂
Only doing this to kill MVNO’s off.
If they were bothered, they could have had “no frills” plans in place for budget end under EE brand.
BT’s own unique twists will be 2mbps speed cap and twice the price
5G optional for extra £5pm
They should have kept the Plusnet one, give a little bit extra to people with plusnet, but then also give a decent to deal to people that don’t have plusnet. I had a Plusnet sim for a while, but the signal was pretty naff in a lot of places I go to, and Smarty offered a better deal anyway. Cheaper package, even if it was less data, which was fine and still is fine for me.
I doubt very much if I would change back to EE network if I can help it, going by people that have it, the signal in a lot of places is still naff.
Also, it is BT.
Problem is, what doi you go for, now that Three have joined forces with Vodarubbish and O2 is part of Virgin. I am so glad I don’t rely on my phone a lot and payt pittence for my sim only contract.
As for networks, was looking at a BBC artical, (Spit), anyway, looking at one about 5G, it was interersting.
Is my mobile lying to me? When 5G doesn’t mean 5G
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crexqyj7n5lo
I don’t have 5G yet, seems to be hassle for some people, certainly in larger cities where are more hi rise buuildings
Christ.
You know it’s not compulsory to post if you have nothing of import to share?
“Is my mobile lying to me? When 5G doesn’t mean 5G”
That’s not news to most who frequent this site, though, is it? 5G NSA is generally still faster than 4G variants.
He likes to practice his spelling.
I find Vodafone coverage to be really good, it’s not the fastest but it is reliable. I have a EE SIM as a backup when I don’t have coverage from Vodafone.
@HR2Res, ask the BBC, it is their article. By all accounts phones can still be using 4G, even if say 5G on the screen, not having a 5G phone myself, I don’t know. I thought it was just an interesting article. The one thing I did not agree with is when they say people pay more for 5G, I don’t think anyone do these days. The stand alone 5G they may.
@84.08khz, I do it just to annoy people on here, and what do I import? It is also not compulsory to reply.
Didn’t they have this with plusnet mobile
They did. They also had BT Mobile. Well, i think BT Mobile came before EE bought BT but it was cheaper than EE, ran on EE, and provided good service apart from being astronomically expensive to roam in the US.
Plusnet had a good reputation once upon a time but BT allowed it to fall into similar ways to TalkTalk, As the other network operators all have a “value” brand it seems odd that EE doesn’t. Now they’ll have to spend money creating an mvno. Wouldn’t it have been cheaper to invest in PN and re-focus it?
@Rik BT bought EE, not the other way around.
It makes sense they look to provide a value offering because EE is very much seen as the premium network and I’m sure many customers would be happy with a cut down service so having this as a backup would hopefully stop customers churning to the other networks.
All we need now is a provider that isn’t hitting all mobile plans with the same £4 or £5 a year annual price rises. Yes, I know OFCOM mandate the providers mention price rises in pounds and pence but this is sheer greed on the providers part and a huge oversight from OFCOM for not seeing this would happen.
If they launch a budget sim only brand then it needs to be a 1 month rolling contract as Smarty & Lebara do for example. Then if they do start hiking prices then you always have the option of jumping ship at a minutes notice.
What happens to all the other EE based Mvno’s? I am with 1p and I quite like getting EE service withouy all the add ons
Pretty much all MVNOs do not do any yearly price rises, only the big 4.
Plusnet Mobile used to do it which was something that made it a pretty poor long-term deal, because the value proposition would be ruined every April when they put the price up.
If you don’t like yearly price rises, just switch to one of the 10+ networks out there that doesn’t have any…
@Big Dave, or at least a choice, but still need a decent offer with monthly tariffs. They have to compete with Smarty, Lebera, Gifgaf and others, there are some good offers out there.
I like these sim only deals, just get a cheaper phone and a sim only plan and safe a flipping load over 3 years or more. The one problem is that support for phones seems to end after a while, my Oppo don’t get any updates now. Still, I have saved money in the long run, not paying silly contract prices for phones that offer more than I need and loads of data I will never use.
Unfortunately if you want a linked smartwatch plan (ie smartwatch can receive calls on the same phone number as your phone), no MVNO offers this (afaik) limiting you to the big 3 providers.
Well, they already exists..
There are cheaper providers that used we full network, what’s the point of creating another one that offers even less
BT Group doesn’t own any of them. That is the difference. Why let 1p or Lyca take a cut of the profit from your lower end marketshare when you can do it yourself?
I just want 5G on pay as you go! And speed up the cap to 50 meg.
1p are good, very good. I was recently in Skegness near Butlins and I was getting 955mbps on a 1P sim – so they 1000% do not cap the speed!
Why would you even be on EE PAYG anyway, just go on a network like 1p… cheaper, no price rise, better EE network access…
EE is a premium service does that include no signal indoors and robotic voice
EE already have plenty of budget offerings – all their plans fall into categories like “essentials” or “full works”. But I guess that these are too complicated for most people (*cough* sales agents *cough*) to understand. Time to spin off the Essentials packages into their own branding? Our lords and masters seem to think so.
They’re just crap tariff offerings mostly that are barely competitive e.g. 10Mbps cap on data speeds.
They need to ditch EE with BT being their full service brand and Plusnet being their value brand
EE’s budget is still more expensive than what many MVNOs offer, and that’s without looking at things like speed caps.
No the plan is to dump all but EE and put it under 1 brand – been that intent since 2017.
Really? I have just looked at their site, the cheapest one is £18 a month for 50GB, unlimited voice and text on a 24-month contract, then next year that will rise to £20.50 and the year after £23.
I would not call that budget, Giff gaff have the same sort of thing, but on a monthly thing for £15. Unlimited everything if you want to be tied into an 18-month contract for the same price
That was just having a quick look.
It pays to look around, while I am happy with Smarty, I still have a peek to see what is available
Doesn’t ofcom still prevent BT group from selling services much cheaper than their competitors ?
It prevents them from selling under cost. Each market is regulated slightly differently.
There already exists a value MNVO on the EE network, it’s called 1p Mobile and gives you everything EE can provide but at far better value.
Of course it doesn’t include SA 5G but than again, no MNVO currently offers that.
Does it not? The option is turned on on my Iphone – so maybe it should not be?
i use 1p mobile- very reasonable and uses ee network ? no contract
Instead of ‘Everything Everywhere’, perhaps the sub-brand could be ‘Something Somewhere’! The acronym won’t be popular, though.
They had a budget MVNO in BT Mobile, but Marc Allera’s vanity killed that off.
ID mobile ? Pretty sure curry’s were looking to sell them and assuming hey could change from three seamlessly that might be a good option.
EE need to dump BT altogether and go full premium service remove speed caps on low tier airtime plans including cheapest unlimited data.
So far, BT can’t make its mind up on mobile. It’s had cellnet, BT cellnet, BT Mobile (Vodafone) BT Mobile (EE), EE, Plusnet Mobile and now just EE. Launch a line called EE Essentials and be done with it. They really do come across as clueless without a strategy a lot of the time. Are you BT or are you EE. Figure it out. Rebrand properly one way or the other.