Mobile networks like ASDA Mobile, BT Mobile, Plusnet Mobile and Virgin Mobile piggyback on EE’s coverage in the UK.

In the UK, there are only four network coverage providers: EE, O2, Three and Vodafone. Alongside them, there are a number of “virtual network operators” that piggyback on coverage from one of the four big providers.

If you’re looking for an alternative mobile network that uses coverage from EE, the main networks to choose from are ASDA Mobile, BT Mobile, Plusnet Mobile and Virgin Mobile. On all of these networks, you’ll get access to the same underlying coverage that’s available on EE. This includes 99% population coverage across the UK.

In this article, we’ll present a list of mobile networks using coverage from EE. We’ll also compare some of the best value SIM cards using coverage from EE, ranging from £5/month up to £20/month and more.

Mobile Networks Using EE Coverage

In the UK, EE offers 99% population coverage and 90% geographical coverage on their 2G, 3G and 4G mobile networks. Download speeds of up to 450Mbit/s are available on EE’s 4G network, with average download speeds of 43Mbit/s on 4G.

In addition to their 2G, 3G and 4G mobile networks, EE also offers 5G coverage in selected UK towns and cities. This offers download speeds of up to 1,000Mbit/s, with average speeds of 205Mbit/s. At the moment, 5G coverage is restricted only to customers on EE and BT Mobile. You’ll need to have a relevant 5G-enabled price plan (for instance, a 5G-ready EE Smart Pay Monthly Plan).

The following table shows a list of mobile networks offering coverage from EE:

Mobile NetworkCoverage Provider2G3G4G5GCoverage Checker
1pMobileEE✔✔✔✘Check 1pMobile Coverage
ASDA MobileEE1✔✔✔✘Check ASDA Mobile Coverage
BT MobileEE✔✔✔✔Check BT Mobile Coverage
CMLinkEE✔✔✔✘Check CMLink Coverage
Co-operative MobileEE✔✔✘✘Check Co-operative Mobile Coverage
CTExcelEE✔✔✔✘Check CTExcel Coverage
EcotalkEE✔✔✔✘Check Ecotalk Coverage
EEEE✔✔✔✔Check EE Coverage
IQ MobileEE✔✔✔✘Check IQ Mobile Coverage
OrangeEE✔✔✘✘Check Orange Coverage
Plusnet MobileEE✔✔✔✘Check Plusnet Mobile Coverage
RWG MobileEE✔✔✔✘Check RWG Mobile Coverage
T-MobileEE✔✔✘✘Check T-Mobile Coverage
Utility WarehouseEE✔✔✔✘Check Utility Warehouse Coverage
Vectone MobileEE✔✔✘✘Check Vectone Mobile Coverage
Virgin MobileEE2✔✔✔✘Check Virgin Mobile Coverage

1 ASDA Mobile is due to change coverage provider to Vodafone in early 2021. They'll launch 5G after the move to Vodafone.
2 Pending the approval of Virgin Media's proposed merger with O2, it's expected that Virgin Mobile will change their coverage provider to O2 in 2021-2022.

At the time of writing, the biggest players in this list are ASDA Mobile, BT Mobile, Plusnet Mobile and Virgin Mobile. Some of the smaller providers are fairly niche and target certain segments (for instance, 1pMobile is designed for light users and Vectone Mobile is designed for international calling).

For a complete list of UK mobile networks and the coverage providers they’re using, see our in-depth guide to mobile phone coverage in the UK.

Coverage & Price Plan Information

You can find out more information about each network by tapping on the relevant logo to visit their website:

  • 1pMobile is designed for light mobile users. You’ll pay 1p/minute, 1p/text and 1p/MB with no minimum usage requirement. However, you’ll need to top-up by at least £10 every 120 days.
  • ASDA Mobile offers competitive one-month rolling plans with no need for you to undergo a credit check. You can also use it on a Pay As You Go basis at 8p/minute, 4p/text and 5p/MB.
  • BT Mobile offers a selection of handsets and SIM cards, with a £5/month discount for customers who have BT Broadband at home.
  • Plusnet Mobile offers low-cost SIM-only deals with 4G coverage from EE. A range of special offers are available for customers with Plusnet home broadband.
  • Vectone Mobile provides low-cost international phone calls with 3G coverage from EE.
  • Virgin Mobile currently offers a range of 4G mobile plans with coverage from EE. However, subject to their proposed merger with O2, it’s expected they’ll change their coverage provider to O2 between 2021 and 2022.

Deals By Price Range

Through the rest of this article, we’ll compare the best value SIM cards giving you coverage from EE. We’ve separated all of the plans by price range to make it easier for you to find the best value deal.

Please select your preferred price range to see a list of currently available deals:

Under £10/month

If you’re looking for a low-cost SIM card that gives you coverage from EE, some of the cheapest deals are available from as little as £5/month.

If you’re looking for a flexible one-month bundle that has no need for a credit check, ASDA Mobile offers a £5 monthly bundle with 200 minutes, unlimited texts and 750MB of data.

Alternatively, if you’re happy to undergo a credit check, consider the range of SIM-only deals from Plusnet Mobile and Virgin Mobile. SIM cards start from £6/month on Plusnet and from £6/month on Virgin Mobile.

NetworkMinutesTextsDataMonthly
Cost
ASDA Mobile200Unlimited750MB£5.00
No contract
EE250Unlimited500MB£5.00
No contract
ASDA Mobile2502,000No data£5.00
No contract
Virgin MobileUnlimitedUnlimited3GB£6.00
12 months
Virgin MobileUnlimitedUnlimited3GB£6.00
12 months
Plusnet MobileUnlimitedUnlimited3GB£6.00
1 month
Virgin MobileUnlimitedUnlimited3GB£7.00
12 months
ASDA Mobile300Unlimited2.5GB£7.00
No contract
Virgin MobileUnlimitedUnlimited8GB£8.00
12 months
Plusnet MobileUnlimitedUnlimited8GB£8.00
1 month
Virgin MobileUnlimitedUnlimited3GB£8.00
24 months
Plusnet MobileUnlimitedUnlimited10GB£9.00
1 month
Virgin MobileUnlimitedUnlimited2GB£9.00
12 months

From £10/month

At the £10/month price point, there are a large number of competitive SIM-only deals from networks like Virgin Mobile, Plusnet, ASDA and EE. You can get up to 15GB of data for £10 per month (versus up to 4GB data if you were to go directly to EE).

If you want a more flexible plan with no need to undergo a credit check, we’d recommend ASDA Mobile’s £10 bundle. You’ll get 600 minutes, unlimited texts and 7GB of data for £10/month.

NetworkMinutesTextsDataMonthly
Cost
Virgin MobileUnlimitedUnlimited15GB£10.00
24 months
Plusnet MobileUnlimitedUnlimited12GB£10.00
1 month
ASDA Mobile600Unlimited7GB£10.00
No contract
Virgin MobileUnlimitedUnlimited4GB£10.00
12 months
EE100Unlimited4GB£10.00
No contract
EE1,000Unlimited2GB£10.00
No contract
EE400Unlimited2GB£10.00
No contract
BT MobileUnlimitedUnlimited1GB£10.00
24 months
Co-operative Mobile5001,0001GB£10.00
No contract
Virgin Mobile5,000Unlimited8GB£12.00
24 months
Virgin MobileUnlimitedUnlimited5GB£12.00
12 months
BT MobileUnlimitedUnlimited1GB£12.00
12 months
Virgin MobileUnlimitedUnlimited36GB£13.00
12 months
Virgin MobileUnlimitedUnlimited30GB£13.00
12 months
EEUnlimitedUnlimited250MB£13.00
12 months
Virgin MobileUnlimitedUnlimited10GB£14.00
24 months
Virgin MobileUnlimitedUnlimited8GB£14.00
12 months
BT MobileUnlimitedUnlimited6GB£14.00
12 months

From £15/month

The following SIM-only deals are available from £15/month on mobile networks that use coverage from EE. Within this price range, you can get up to 30GB of data per month:

NetworkMinutesTextsDataMonthly
Cost
BT MobileUnlimitedUnlimited20GB£15.00
24 months
Virgin MobileUnlimitedUnlimited10GB£15.00
12 months
ASDA Mobile1,000Unlimited10GB£15.00
No contract
EEUnlimitedUnlimited8GB£15.00
No contract
EE2,000Unlimited5GB£15.00
No contract
Co-operative Mobile7501,0002GB£15.00
No contract
Virgin Mobile2,500Unlimited20GB£16.00
24 months
EEUnlimitedUnlimited1GB£16.00
12 months
BT MobileUnlimitedUnlimited15GB£17.00
12 months
Virgin MobileUnlimitedUnlimited30GB£18.00
24 months
Virgin MobileUnlimitedUnlimited20GB£18.00
12 months
EEUnlimitedUnlimited3GB£19.00
12 months

£20/month and more

For £20/month, you can choose a SIM-only plan with up to 160GB of data per month. The following SIM-only deals within this price range offer coverage from EE:

NetworkMinutesTextsDataMonthly
Cost
EEUnlimitedUnlimited160GB£20.00
24 months
Virgin MobileUnlimitedUnlimited100GB£20.00
12 months
Virgin MobileUnlimitedUnlimited100GB£20.00
24 months
EEUnlimitedUnlimited100GB£20.00
24 months
BT MobileUnlimitedUnlimited50GB£20.00
24 months
BT MobileUnlimitedUnlimited30GB£20.00
12 months
Virgin MobileUnlimitedUnlimited25GB£20.00
12 months
EEUnlimitedUnlimited15GB£20.00
No contract
ASDA MobileUnlimitedUnlimited12GB£20.00
No contract
Co-operative Mobile1,0001,0004GB£20.00
No contract
Virgin MobileUnlimitedUnlimited50GB£22.00
12 months
EEUnlimitedUnlimited20GB£22.00
12 months
EEUnlimitedUnlimited200GB£23.00
24 months
EEUnlimitedUnlimited200GB£25.00
24 months
Virgin MobileUnlimitedUnlimited100GB£25.00
12 months
BT MobileUnlimitedUnlimited100GB£25.00
24 months
BT MobileUnlimitedUnlimited60GB£25.00
12 months
EEUnlimitedUnlimited40GB£25.00
12 months
EEUnlimitedUnlimited30GB£25.00
No contract
ASDA MobileUnlimitedUnlimited15GB£25.00
No contract
EE3,000Unlimited10GB£25.00
No contract
Virgin MobileUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited£27.00
24 months
EEUnlimitedUnlimited100GB£29.00
24 months
Virgin MobileUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited£30.00
12 months
BT MobileUnlimitedUnlimited100GB£30.00
12 months
EEUnlimitedUnlimited60GB£30.00
No contract
EE3,000Unlimited20GB£30.00
No contract
EEUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited£37.00
24 months
EEUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited£41.00
24 months

On the more expensive EE Smart price plans, you’ll a Swappable Benefit included in the price (e.g. access to Amazon Prime Video, BritBox or BT Sport). You’ll also get Reserve Data which gives you unlimited data at speeds of up to 2Mbit/s.

Traditional Pay As You Go

If you’re looking for a traditional Pay As You Go tariff where you don’t need to top-up every month, this is currently available from 1pMobile and ASDA Mobile. Both of them are good alternatives to EE Pay As You Go, giving you coverage from the EE network and no obligation to top-up your phone every month. There are also a number of specialist mobile networks like Vectone Mobile for low-cost international calling.

If you’re looking for the lowest possible Pay As You Go rates, this can be found on 1pMobile. With a SIM card from 1pMobile, you’ll pay just 1p/minute, 1p/text and 1p/MB. These are the lowest Pay As You Go rates currently available on any mobile network in the UK. However, you’ll need to top-up your SIM card with at least £10 of credit every 120 days, meaning there’s effectively a minimum spend of £30 per year.

For greater flexibility, we think ASDA Mobile is the best all-round Pay As You Go network with EE coverage. You’ll pay 8p/minute, 4p/text and 5p/MB with comprehensive 2G, 3G and 4G coverage. There’s no need to top-up your phone every month (just use it at least once every 270 days to keep your SIM card active). You can also top-up from as little as £1 each time, with bundles available from £5/month if you’re a regular user.

More Information

For more information, see our in-depth guide to the coverage on EE. You can also see our overview of how mobile phone coverage works in the UK.

Your Comments 15 so far

We'd love to hear your thoughts and any questions you may have. So far, we've received 15 comments from readers. You can add your own comment here.

Load more comments (9)

Leave a Reply