Mobile Internet in the UK: SIM Cards and Alternative Connectivity Options for Tourists

From this article you will learn about mobile Internet in the UK, the specifics of using roaming and a pocket router. You will also learn what United Kingdom SIM cards are preferred by travelers. We will share information about the best prepaid offers of international providers and local carriers.

Mobile Internet in the UK: options

In the UK, there are several available ways to connect mobile Internet:

• physical SIM cards and virtual eSIM cards;
• international data roaming services;
• buying or renting a pocket router;
• free Wi-Fi hotspots.

Each option has its own advantages and disadvantages, that will be discussed further in the article.

SIM cards in the UK

There are 2 options for connecting to a cellular network in the country:

1. Contract. 2. Prepaid data plan.

For those who came to the country for a short time, the second option is preferable.

Prepaid SIM cards for United Kingdom can be roughly divided into:

• standard physical SIM cards, which are used by millions of people;
• virtual eSIM cards, which are still conquering the market.

Physical SIM cards are supplied by several mobile operators. The most popular are Vodafone, O2, BT Mobile, O2 and Three. The quality of communication is one of the highest in Europe and in the world. There will definitely not be any problems with it.

SIM cards in London, Manchester are sold in vending machines that are installed in the airports. In addition, starter packs are available in small retail shops and department stores. If you need help with connection and activation, it is more convenient to contact local operators outlets. No personal documents are required for purchase.

You can buy a UK physical SIM card in advance. To do this, you need to look for suitable starter packs on Amazon or eBay. The cost will be slightly higher than in branded stores in the United Kingdom. It's also important to consider the delivery time so that your SIM card can arrive before you start your trip.

The only disadvantage of the UK cell phone service is relatively high prices. If you don't want to pay half of your travel budget for traffic, use eSIM technology, which is available throughout the United Kingdom.

You can check the availability of eSIM-technology in your smartphone on a special page of Yesim provider.

Tourists prefer a virtual eSIM card for several reasons, among them are:

It excludes physical damage or loss, except if you lose it together with the smartphone, but even in this case, intruders will not be able to remove the eSIM and use the card; it is possible to connect several data plans of different providers and switch between them alternately; eSIM technology works not only in smartphones, but also in smart watches, laptops or tablets; there are smartphones that provide simultaneous use of a nano-SIM and virtual eSIM card.

Let's take a look at the best UK SIM cards that will be relevant for tourists.

1. Yesim

One of the popular options for connecting to high-speed and affordable mobile Internet in the UK is to install the Yesim app. To activate, you just need to install the app on your smartphone, select your country, choose a data plan and pay online.

Current data plans for the UK:

• 3 GB for 7 days — 9 EUR;
• 5 GB for 15 days — 13 EUR;
• 10 GB for 30 days — 18 EUR;
• 20 GB for 30 days — 28 EUR.

Current unlimited data plans for the UK:

• 7 days — 21 EUR;
• 15 days — 41 EUR;
• 30 days — 51 EUR.

A provider can also offer users a virtual number, the possibility of using VPN or modem — depending on the service provider. International online calls, audio and video broadcasts, text messages, voicemail, as well as uploading and downloading files and data are provided.

Yesim works in the UK and most countries around the world.

2. Vodafone

One of the UK's most popular operators offers prepaid plans such as:

• 2 GB for 30 days for 25 GBP, unlimited calls and SMS + 5G at no extra charge;
• unlimited calls to all destinations, 15 GBP/month + 5G at no extra charge;
• 20 GB for 30 days for 20 GBP, unlimited calls and texts + 5G at no extra charge.

3. O2

This mobile operator prepaid offers are:

• 30 GB for 30 days, unlimited calls and SMS within the UK for 18.99 GBP;
• 150 GB for 30 days, unlimited calls and SMS within the UK for 22.99 GBP;
• 25 GB for 30 days, unlimited calls and SMS within the UK for 17 GBP;
• unlimited internet and calls and SMS within the UK for 25 GBP;
• 1 GB and 1000 minutes of calls within the UK, unlimited SMS messages for 30 days for 20 GBP.

All O2 operator starter packs are 5G ready.

4. BT Mobile

This operator has plenty of prepaid monthly offers, here are the most attractive ones:

• 20 GB for a month for 9 GBP, unlimited calls and texts within the UK;
• unlimited traffic for a month for 21 GBP, unlimited calls and text messages within the UK;
• 10 GB per month for 18.20 GBP, highest available speed, unlimited calls and SMS within the UK.

5. Three

Another UK operator offers data plans such as:

• 25 GBP per month for unlimited traffic, unlimited calls and SMS within the UK + 5G for an additional fee;
• 30 GBP per month for unlimited traffic, unlimited calls and SMS within the UK + 5G for an additional fee + TV + roaming packages;
• 35 GBP per month for unlimited traffic, unlimited calls and SMS within the UK + 5G for an additional fee + twice as many TV and roaming packages as the previous option.

Roaming in the UK

International data roaming is a cellular service provided by mobile operators when you travel abroad without the necessity to buy a new SIM card.

To use mobile Internet, make calls and receive incoming calls, you need to activate this option in your smartphone. As a rule, tariffs for such services are very high, so you should ask your provider about special data plans for traveling abroad.

It is not advantageous to use roaming for long trips outside the country due to expensive subscription fees. You should also keep in mind that when you enable data roaming, you will be charged not only for outgoing calls, but for incoming calls also.

Read also: What is eSIM and how does it work

Pocket Wi-Fi

A pocket router is a portable device that is used to distribute wireless Internet. Depending on the model, it can connect up to 10 devices without loss of signal quality. You can use pocket Wi-Fi anywhere. To do this, you need to turn on the device and authorize it on your smartphone or tablet PC.

A pocket router can be purchased upon arrival in the UK in specialized stores and online services that offer door-to-door delivery services. You can also rent a device for the time period you plan to stay in the country.

Renting a mobile hotspot will cost from 5.09 GBP per day. To buy a functional device of good quality, you will have to spend from 85 GBP.

Read also: Tourist attractions of England: TOP-25 most interesting places

Free Wi-Fi in the UK

Free Internet in the UK is available in places with a high traffic level. These are airports and train stations, shopping and entertainment centers, hotels, restaurants and cafes.

To find the nearest access point, you can use Wi-Fi Space. This service displays the city map, which marks the places where free Wi-Fi is distributed, as well as logins and passwords to connect.

There are several negative aspects of such a type of connection. The first is an insecure connection. When using free Wi-Fi, the risk of gadget hacking and loss of personal data such as photos, videos, documents and banking passwords increases. When eSIM technology is activated, there is no need to use free and insecure Wi-Fi.

The second disadvantage of this option is the need to search for and go to points with mobile Internet. This is not always convenient if you need to contact a subscriber urgently.

Nothing like that will happen to you when using a virtual eSIM card and connecting Yesim services. After installing the Yesim application on your smartphone and activating the data plan, you will be able to connect to the mobile Internet anywhere in the city.

Seamless mobile internet in 200+ countries –– at a cup of coffee price! Take away!

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