How Do I Choose a Mobile Phone Operator?

Vodafone, Orange, O2, T-Mobile, these are all familiar names to you. But when it comes down to choosing between them, how do you know which the best mobile phone network is? The disadvantage to having so many mobile phone operators on the market is that the choice can seem overwhelming. But there's an up-side too. So much competition means that prices keep getting lower, and there are lots of special offers and deals as incentives to sign up for contracts with companies that are eager to get your business. Choosing a mobile operator really isn't that complicated, and today we're talking you through it step by step. So, if you need to get an operator for the first time, or even if you just want to switch operators, then keep reading to find out how to make the best decision.

The Best Mobile Phone Network...

There really is no such thing as the best mobile phone network. The best operator for you is the one that offers the best service at the best price, and that's a pretty subjective thing. Some operators are better for certain kinds of customers, which we'll get to later, but in general we can't say that there is one great operator that everyone should go with. But if you're clear on your needs, then you'll get a mobile service operator that's good for you.

You Need Good Reception...

The very first step that you need to take is to check out coverage. Each mobile operator will have a coverage map on their web site, or, if you prefer, you can go to the OFCOM web site and get a comparative map of coverage with different operators in different areas. The kind of coverage a network has in a certain area will determine how good your phone reception is. Coverage is based on the number of call phone towers an operator uses in an area, and since different companies use different numbers of towers in different areas, some operators will give you better coverage than others. If you have poor coverage you'll have poor reception, and your phone might not work, or at least won't work as you'd like it to, getting slow internet speeds and bad call quality. Find out who has good coverage in your area before deciding on a network. If you live in an urban area you'll probably have lots of choices, but people in more rural areas might be limited to one or two networks that have coverage.

You Need to Know What You Want...

You're going to have three options when choosing a network. All operators offer pay as you go, SIM only contracts and incentive contracts. Pay as you go means that you get a SIM card, load it with credit and use your phone. When your credit runs out, your service will stop, and you'll have to put more credit on your phone. For light users this is usually the best idea, and you won't have to sign a contract, but since rates are higher on pay as you go than on contracts, for average or heavy users this kind of plan won't work. SIM only contracts and incentive contracts will both give you a monthly calling plan with limits to the amount of calling minutes, text messages and mobile data you can use for a set monthly fee.

An incentive plan will also give you a free or cheap mobile phone, but the monthly payments will be higher than with a SIM only contract. Choosing the right calling plan is important. You pay the same monthly price if you use all your calling minutes, for example, or none of them. So, if the limits on your calling plan are too big then you'll pay for services that you don't use. But if you go over the limits on your calling plan you'll have to pay expensive extra fees for using extra services, meaning that a calling plan that's too small isn't a great financial decision either. Think very carefully about your calling plan needs before choosing. You can look at old bills to get an idea of the amount of minutes, texts and data you generally use. Alternatively, you could get a pay as you go plan for a couple of months and look at your average usage before deciding on a calling plan.

Deciding on Your Operator...

Now that you know which operators have good coverage in your area, and what kind of plan you're looking for, then you can start deciding which operator is going to be best for you. The easiest way to do this is to go online and look for a mobile tariff comparison site. These sites will let you put in information about the kind of calling plan you want (the monthly limits for minutes, texts and data), and will then give you a list of all the operators and plans that fit your needs. You just look for the best price with a network that has good coverage in your area. There are some networks that usually make the best choices for certain kinds of customers. This isn't always true, and you'll want to do a comparison anyway, but generally speaking if you're looking for something specific then there are some operators that will suit you better than others.

Those looking for lots of mobile data should look at Three, since they offer the cheapest mobile data prices as well as the biggest data packages. If you want cheap plans, usually Vodafone has the cheapest on the market, though their calling plans do have low monthly limits, making them unsuitable for average or high phone users who will have difficulty keeping those limits. The biggest and cheapest plan on the market is usually with T-Mobile, they offer the cheapest plan with unlimited minutes, texts and data. Finally, if you're looking for a full 4G plan for faster internet on a 4G capable phone, then EE should be your first stop. Their packages aren't cheap, but they are the fastest 4G provider in the UK.

 

Sam Jones wanted to be sure that he was with the best mobile phone network.  Checking details on uSwitch was the easiest way to do that and it saved him a lot of his hard earned cash too.