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Smarty plans don't make sense???

tim.jtq

Super Pro Member
Hi Everyone

Have a look at the following page on the Smarty website:


Basically, the Data Only plans are generally more expensive than the Voice plans even though the Voice plans include data.

Can anyone here make sense of this?
 
Hi Everyone

Have a look at the following page on the Smarty website:

Basically, the Data Only plans are generally more expensive than the Voice plans even though the Voice plans include data.

Can anyone here make sense of this?
Screenshot_20230907_144746.jpg

They've always been like that, no idea why anyone would buy them in preference to their normal voice plans.🤷‍♂️
 
There isn’t any point to their data only plans. It would make sense if they were a little cheaper like they can be with Three but yeah. This is kinda silly. These might just be a hangover from when data only plans and voice plans were treated differently and as a premium product for people wanting to put sims in iPads. Ofcom mandated that voice sims can be used in a handset or a tablet regardless if there was a voice plan attached.
 
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Thank you, The Wee Bear and Ewan, very much for your replies.

I am very glad that you both seem to agree with me that it does not make sense.

It seems that almost every day I come across things like this where something has been designed or set up in a way that does not make sense. I always feel as if I am being gaslit when it happens.
 
I used to and never had a problem.
 
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Hi both. Do either of you think it was slower that a Data Only plan would have been?
Just the same mast serving the same data no matter the SIM. 🤷‍♂️
 
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We, (domestic manager and I) have had Smarty, Three contract with a router and Three business and in our case there is no difference with regards to speed. She now has a Scancom Three sim for data and she has not complained. I use the business ones in routers.
We both use Lebara as main sims in our handsets.
 
Just the same mast serving the same data no matter the SIM. 🤷‍♂️
We, (domestic manager and I) have had Smarty, Three contract with a router and Three business and in our case there is no difference with regards to speed. She now has a Scancom Three sim for data and she has not complained. I use the business ones in routers.
We both use Lebara as main sims in our handsets.
Thank you both very much for your clarifications.

I did not know about Scancom.
 
Just a thought,
The standard calls and data sim would receive as well as make voice calls when in use. Receiving calls would attract termination fees from the originating network. Thus making the receiving network a little more money.
A data only sim does not receive calls, so no termination fees. So the network charges more to cover the "lost" revenue.
Of course, I could sound muffled suggesting this. In which case I could say it again standing up.....
 
The unlimited data plan is pretty much always £16 via our link too:


However, as to the OPs original question, it's really a hang over from the backward way all mobile operators have done things for a very long time - you'll see the same issue on other operators.

The reason is because those who take a data-only plan are generally assessed to actually use that allowance (totally or to a greater degree), while consumers who take out regular SIM plans (voice, text and data) have more variable usage.

The variable plans thus operate off a shared model that assumes most users will only consume a part of their allowance. So, they can be priced lower because those with lighter usage are effectively able to subsidise those with heavier user. But on data-only plans this doesn't work as well and so they tend to attract a slight premium.

Sometimes you might also get certain other benefits from data-only plans, such as a more favourable tweak to traffic management policies, but I don't think I've ever seen a single operator clarify any technical differences in their marketing, which in my mind makes this a moot point. For the most part, there’s often no difference. In this day and age, the old approach of pricing data plans above comparable mixed SIM plans just seems to be totally out of date.
 
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The unlimited data plan is pretty much always £16 via our link too:


However, as to the OPs original question, it's really a hang over from the backward way all mobile operators have done things for a very long time - you'll see the same issue on other operators.

The reason is because those who take a data-only plan are generally assessed to actually use that allowance (totally or to a greater degree), while consumers who take out regular SIM plans (voice, text and data) have more variable usage.

The variable plans thus operate off a shared model that assumes most users will only consume a part of their allowance. So, they can be priced lower because those with lighter usage are effectively able to subsidise those with heavier user. But on data-only plans this doesn't work as well and so they tend to attract a slight premium.

Sometimes you might also get certain other benefits from data-only plans, such as a more favourable tweak to traffic management policies, but I don't think I've ever seen a single operator clarify any technical differences in their marketing, which in my mind makes this a moot point. For the most part, there’s often no difference. In this day and age, the old approach of pricing data plans above comparable mixed SIM plans just seems to be totally out of date.
Thank you, Mark, very much indeed for your very informative reply.

It seems that Smarty has reduced their Unlimited Voice plan only during the past 24 hours.
 
Question.

If I have 2 mobile contracts ..Both with data/ calls and texts.
can I put one as ESim and the other as a standard sim and use both data allowances on the mobile ?

in addition for backup or when travelling could I take the physical SIM card out of my mobile and fit it in my 5103 5g router . When doing this just use my ESim for everything for a couple of weeks ?
 
Question.

If I have 2 mobile contracts ..Both with data/ calls and texts.
can I put one as ESim and the other as a standard sim and use both data allowances on the mobile ?

in addition for backup or when travelling could I take the physical SIM card out of my mobile and fit it in my 5103 5g router . When doing this just use my ESim for everything for a couple of weeks ?

@Thackers
I had always understood that if you converted a physical SIM into an eSim, the physical Sim would die ?
Is that correct or have I got the wrong end of the stick ?
And is that your question of have I got the wrong end of that stick too ?
 
@Thackers
I had always understood that if you converted a physical SIM into an eSim, the physical Sim would die ?
Is that correct or have I got the wrong end of the stick ?
And is that your question of have I got the wrong end of that stick too ?
Yeah you can only have one or the other for a single number.
I mean have a second number or just data only sim .
You can then set defaults for calls, data etc.

Also remove the real sim and stick in my backup router when needed

only reason was I think it’s more cost effective than trying to have two high data sim tariffs
 
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