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EE sim only now only 24 month contracts

Which one is the viable competitor to EE?

Vodafone or Three UK?

Both. I need conference calling and call merge as a network feature (I rely on it several times a week) and EE are the only network that don't support it. Therefore I use Vodafone and 3 for my phones. Vodafone and Three currently compete against each other but if they merge there will be no competition at all for this service.

Somehow Three can do call merge even for prepay customers as can Lebara (who use Vodafone) but EE can't provide it even if you're a large corporate customer with 10000+ devices (I have asked). If Three and Vodafone merge there are no other prepay options on other networks with HD calling that support it that I'm aware of (no prepay services on O2 offer it and EE can't do it at all, Lyca might via their own IMS but that's not HD and probably the less said about them the better as no sane person would use them).

If EE wanted to provide a basic service their customers are asking for and which they used to provide (check their forums) then I'm sure they could, but they don't. In fact they've actively removed it and don't care, so less competition is not going to encourage them to invest in a better network and removing the only usable competitor for the service I and others need* is not going to make that service cheaper or available on prepay, as anyone with even basic understanding of economics can confirm.

*Conference calling and call merge is used for disabled audio assist services as well as making life easier for those of us with relatives that need it, apart from it's normal uses. It's also used by some of our support staff to add an interpreter to international calls. That may be a small subset of customers, but it's an important one. EE ignoring that when they know it's an issue tells you all you need to know about what they care about which is NOT the quality of their service but just how little they can provide for as high a price as possible**.

**See also speed limitations and in-contract price rises.

Edit: I'm aware this has turned into a rant about EE and conference calling but this is a very sore point as this was a service I used for years on Orange until they got borked by EE and anyone who suggests EE are a serious competitor to the other networks for a lot of customers needs their head examined. Some of use still rely on the "phone" part of a phone. :)
 
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What's your plan?

Avoid EE/Voda3 and use VMO2? But O2 may not need to keep their prices that low. Not only there will be no cheap competition, but they'll still be the 2nd largest network and can reserve better deals for those who also use their broadband.

Maybe you're planning to use MVNOs or travel eSIMs? The problem with those is that EE/Voda3/O2 still controls the prices, plans, speeds, etc, they can offer you. Right now we have some interesting deals, for example, 1p and Spusu on EE, but eventually their contract needs to be renewed and it makes no sense for EE to allow unlimited speeds when their own more expensive plans have speed caps. If the cheap wholesale prices from 3/VF disappear, that will also remove pressure from EE and O2.

I think we should get used to the idea that mobile service will cost more. We're also probably experiencing the "golden era" of MVNOs. I wouldn't be surprised if we start seeing speed caps or lower priorities from them in the future.

In theory VodaThree will offer better service than EE and therefore be competitive in service. Dirt cheap service will disappear and good service will remain at competitive prices. VMO2 will slowly improve their service to remain competitive in service and price.
 
In theory VodaThree will offer better service than EE and therefore be competitive in service. Dirt cheap service will disappear and good service will remain at competitive prices. VMO2 will slowly improve their service to remain competitive in service and price.

That's not going to help a friend I have that relies on Three prepay for conference calling as even if they could pass a credit check for a contract they probably couldn't afford the extra.

At present for many customers Vodafone and 3 are BETTER than EE. A merger is not going to change that for anything other than the worse.

What you're effectively saying is that you think some people should not be able to afford to use, or even have access to phones so you can have what you think is a "better" one.*

You've also not explained how removing a competitor from EE will either make EE cheaper or persuade EE to offer services that EE currently don't offer that the removed competitor does currently offer.

*This of course is a failure of regulation, but I have no hope that Ofcom or the CMA will even consider this aspect of the merger, given they've never cared before.
 
That's not going to help a friend I have that relies on Three prepay for conference calling as even if they could pass a credit check for a contract they probably couldn't afford the extra.

At present for many customers Vodafone and 3 are BETTER than EE. A merger is not going to change that for anything other than the worse.

What you're effectively saying is that you think some people should not be able to afford to use, or even have access to phones so you can have what you think is a "better" one.*

*This of course is a failure of regulation, but I have no hope that Ofcom or the CMA will even consider this aspect of the merger, given they've never cared before.

You imply that:

1. The new company will offer no more prepay
2. Vodafone and Three are currently better than EE which hardly anyone will concur
3. The new service will be unaffordable to some.

For you affordable might mean "free" or "ultra cheap" but that is unsustainable.

Let the Ofcom or CMA define an affordability criteria so that each provider can offer a conforming plan.
 
A convoluted trick to get a discount EE is to get a PAYG sim top it up and wait a short while. If you check the app every so often they will display an offer to get a 30% discount on a sim only plan if you call a number.

It seems that many networks are no mistreating pay monthly customers. For some networks out of plan charges are more expensive than if you were on PAYG, or for example 3 charge for roaming on pay monthly but not on PAYG.
 
Both. I need conference calling and call merge as a network feature (I rely on it several times a week) and EE are the only network that don't support it. Therefore I use Vodafone and 3 for my phones. Vodafone and Three currently compete against each other but if they merge there will be no competition at all for this service.
If I remember right EE said they removed conference call and call merge due to fraud. The fact no one else removed it makes me a little suspicious.
 
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If I remember right EE said they removed conference call and call merge due to fraud. The fact no one else removed it makes me a little suspicious.
You used to be able to call up and argue with CS who would add it back on.

Is it still that much of a problem for you? It was a problem for me when they first got rid of it but we use Teams for work calls and If I’m on a group call with friends, FaceTime or WhatsApp.
 
I'm on a contract with EE and a 100Mbps speed cap and I've noticed it starting to go downhill for me. It was initially much better than Vodafone (who I left because of the constant drops to EDGE and the east-west "host area" divide meaning I was basically on O2).

It's still better than Vodafone, but I'm noticing radio streaming starting to drop out a lot more in busy areas, especially when driving on a busy motorway, which makes me wonder if they've introduced some sort of prioritisation while I'm still in contract, which would be a bit of a dick move.
 
You used to be able to call up and argue with CS who would add it back on.

Is it still that much of a problem for you? It was a problem for me when they first got rid of it but we use Teams for work calls and If I’m on a group call with friends, FaceTime or WhatsApp.
Agree.

The perceived fraud probably just prompted them to look at it.

The main issue with Call Merge as I understand it is that the recipient has no knowledge of who may also be on the call listening in or possibly recording. Rare but you would never know.

Using defined groups and known recipients in an app that displays the Group and participants is much better.
 
I'm on a contract with EE and a 100Mbps speed cap and I've noticed it starting to go downhill for me. It was initially much better than Vodafone (who I left because of the constant drops to EDGE and the east-west "host area" divide meaning I was basically on O2).

It's still better than Vodafone, but I'm noticing radio streaming starting to drop out a lot more in busy areas, especially when driving on a busy motorway, which makes me wonder if they've introduced some sort of prioritisation while I'm still in contract, which would be a bit of a dick move.
They’ve introduced prioritisation on more expensive 5G contracts but it’s really recent and IIRC only in 5G? I doubt that users would see any sort of changes in service so early on as they just launched. It could be that where you’re travelling in just over capacity?
 
I'm on a contract with EE and a 100Mbps speed cap and I've noticed it starting to go downhill for me. It was initially much better than Vodafone (who I left because of the constant drops to EDGE and the east-west "host area" divide meaning I was basically on O2).

It's still better than Vodafone, but I'm noticing radio streaming starting to drop out a lot more in busy areas, especially when driving on a busy motorway, which makes me wonder if they've introduced some sort of prioritisation while I'm still in contract, which would be a bit of a dick move.

What if people are starting to leave O2 and Vodafone and pile into EE?
I sometimes get low data rates on TalkHome and I will be comparing it to other EE MVNOs soon.
 
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I'm on a contract with EE and a 100Mbps speed cap and I've noticed it starting to go downhill for me. It was initially much better than Vodafone (who I left because of the constant drops to EDGE and the east-west "host area" divide meaning I was basically on O2).

It's still better than Vodafone, but I'm noticing radio streaming starting to drop out a lot more in busy areas, especially when driving on a busy motorway, which makes me wonder if they've introduced some sort of prioritisation while I'm still in contract, which would be a bit of a dick move.
Yep, check my previous posts, I think 100mbit customers are deprioritised when a cell is deemed to be under heavy load, I have done a fair bit of testing, comparing sims etc.

On occasion they have messed it up quite badly like seeing upload rates sub 100kbit/sec which trashes the downstream to unusable.

Like yourself I tried Vodafone (only PAYG) and EE was still as good, so I have kept things how they are, O2 is obviously bad on throughput but I have never had websites and stuff break on it like on shaped EE, Three is the only one I havent tested recently.
 
What if people are starting to leave O2 and Vodafone and pile into EE?
I sometimes get low data rates on TalkHome and I will be comparing it to other EE MVNOs soon.
It is interesting you say that I was planning on doing just that - I'm fed up with the decline in my O2 experience, especially as I'm out of contract and paying too much. I have bought an EE PAYG SIM to test out signal quality at important places (home, work etc.) but I don't like what I'm hearing about the 100mb cap on EE - it sounds like it is far too expensive without it but that the experience is impacted with it in place.

I could go to 1p mobile or similar but I'd prefer not to have to move again for a while (been on O2 for years, I'm not the kind of person to hop around looking for the cheapest option) - and from the sounds of things the MVNOs might see some changes in the near future.

Maybe I should stick with O2 and hope it gets better when enough other disgruntled people leave :)
 
It is interesting you say that I was planning on doing just that - I'm fed up with the decline in my O2 experience, especially as I'm out of contract and paying too much. I have bought an EE PAYG SIM to test out signal quality at important places (home, work etc.) but I don't like what I'm hearing about the 100mb cap on EE - it sounds like it is far too expensive without it but that the experience is impacted with it in place.

I could go to 1p mobile or similar but I'd prefer not to have to move again for a while (been on O2 for years, I'm not the kind of person to hop around looking for the cheapest option) - and from the sounds of things the MVNOs might see some changes in the near future.

Maybe I should stick with O2 and hope it gets better when enough other disgruntled people leave :)

O2 is a basket case, don't waste your time with them.

I was in the same boat, UK is a rough neighbourhood for mobile service. I ported my number to an IP mobile service (Devyce Xpatfone) so I can change sims every day as my calls go over mobile data or wifi. I currently use Three and EE MVNO's as the other 2 are totally pants around Birmingham.
 
Maybe I should stick with O2 and hope it gets better when enough other disgruntled people leave :)

How long are you willing to wait? O2’s churn isn’t that high.

I’ve got a 100Mbps restricted plan in my iPad, was in Manchester (Oxford Road) yesterday, it was a busy day and I didn’t notice any difference in service compared to my iPhone on one of the new SA VIP contracts.

I’d choose EE over O2 any day of the week.
 
Ha, thanks both, sounds like I should definitely get shot of O2 in that case. I guess I'll just see what looks best with EE, sounds like it would likely be a 24 month contract to get a decent price. Might try this, thanks for the tip!
A convoluted trick to get a discount EE is to get a PAYG sim top it up and wait a short while. If you check the app every so often they will display an offer to get a 30% discount on a sim only plan if you call a number.
 
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A convoluted trick to get a discount EE is to get a PAYG sim top it up and wait a short while. If you check the app every so often they will display an offer to get a 30% discount on a sim only plan if you call a number.

It seems that many networks are no mistreating pay monthly customers. For some networks out of plan charges are more expensive than if you were on PAYG, or for example 3 charge for roaming on pay monthly but not on PAYG.

1729072775781.webp


EE obviously has too many suckers customers to offer anything fair.
 
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