By Networks like giffgaff, Sky Mobile & Tesco Mobile piggyback on O2’s network for coverage.
The UK has just 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 main networks.
If you’d like access to O2’s coverage on your mobile phone, it isn’t always necessary to be an O2 customer. That’s because you’ll also get an O2 signal when you’re using a SIM card from giffgaff, Sky Mobile or Tesco Mobile.
In this article, we’ll present a list of mobile networks that offer coverage from O2. We’ll start by looking at some of the best value deals with O2 coverage including SIM-only deals, unlimited data plans and Pay As You Go bundles. We’ll then look at each mobile network in more detail, including the specific features and plans they offer.
| O2 Coverage: | 99% UK population coverage |
|---|---|
| Networks Using O2: | |
| Best Unlimited Data Plan: | £20/month on O2 (with 5G coverage and 6 months free Disney+ or Amazon Prime Video) |
| Best Pay As You Go Bundle: | 20GB data for £10 on giffgaff (with 5G coverage, no contract & no credit check) |
Contents
Overview Of Networks Using O2
Besides O2, there are currently three other mobile networks that offer coverage from O2’s network in the UK. These networks are giffgaff, Sky Mobile and Tesco Mobile.
If you’re using one of these three other networks, you’ll get the same coverage as customers on O2. However, you’ll pay a different price for your plan. You may also have different features and benefits included.
The following table shows a side-by-side comparison of mobile networks using coverage from O2:
| Mobile Network | Plans From | O2 Coverage | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| giffgaff | £6/month | 4G & 5G |
|
| O2 | £5/month | 4G & 5G |
|
| Sky Mobile | £6/month | 4G & 5G |
|
| Tesco Mobile | £7.50/month | 4G & 5G |
SIM Only Plans
If you’re looking for a low-cost SIM-only deal with O2 coverage, you can choose from a range of plans at the following providers:
- giffgaff tends to be a good option if you’re looking for flexibility. They offer a choice of Pay As You Go plans, one-month rolling plans and 18 month contracts. You’ll have the flexibility to change your plan from month-to-month, as required.
- O2 gives you up to 6 months of free Disney+ or another O2 Extra on their SIM-only plans. You’ll also get exclusive discounts and offers through the O2 Priority app (e.g. a free treat from Greggs each week).
- Sky Mobile offers SIM-only deals with unlimited data for streaming through Sky TV apps. You’ll also be able to store unused data within your Sky Piggybank for up to 3 years.
- Tesco Mobile offers SIM-only deals, where you can earn Clubcard points on all of your Tesco Mobile spend. If you’re a Clubcard Plus member, you’ll get double data on your Tesco Mobile plan.
The following table shows a selection of the best value SIM cards that use O2 coverage:
| Network | Data | Monthly Cost | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1GB data | £5.00 per month 12 month contract Monthly cost will rise each April by RPI inflation plus 3.9% | See deal |
| 3GB data | £6.00 per month 12 month contract | See deal |
| 40GB data | £8.00 per month 12 month contract Monthly cost will rise each April by RPI inflation plus 3.9% | See deal |
| 60GB data | £9.99 per month 12 month contract Monthly cost will rise each April by RPI inflation plus 3.9% | See deal |
| Unlimited data | £20.00 per month 24 month contract Monthly cost will rise each April by RPI inflation plus 3.9% | See deal |
You can compare the full range of available SIM-only deals using our interactive comparison tool.
Unlimited Data Plans
If you’d like an unlimited data plan with O2 coverage, you can choose between the unlimited data SIM cards on giffgaff, O2 and Tesco Mobile.
In general, Tesco Mobile tends to offer the lowest prices, with unlimited data from just £25 per month. O2 offers unlimited data from £20 per month with access to O2 Priority and inclusive O2 Extras.
The following table shows a side-by-side comparison of the unlimited data plans using coverage from O2:
| Network | Data | Monthly Cost | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unlimited data | £20.00 per month 24 month contract Monthly cost will rise each April by RPI inflation plus 3.9% | See deal |
| Unlimited data | £24.99 per month 24 month contract Monthly cost will rise each April by RPI inflation plus 3.9% | See deal |
| Unlimited data | £25.00 per month 24 month contract Monthly cost will rise each April by CPI inflation plus 3.9% | See deal |
| Unlimited data | £25.00 per month 18 month contract | See deal |
| Unlimited data | £30.00 per month 12 month contract Monthly cost will rise each April by CPI inflation plus 3.9% | See deal |
| Unlimited data | £33.00 per month 12 month contract Monthly cost will rise each April by RPI inflation plus 3.9% | See deal |
| Unlimited data | £35.00 per month 12 month contract | See deal |
| Unlimited data | £35.00 per month 1 month rolling | See deal |
| Unlimited data | £36.00 per month 1 month contract Monthly cost will rise each April by RPI inflation plus 3.9% | See deal |
| Unlimited data | £44.49 per month 24 month contract Monthly cost will rise each April by RPI inflation plus 3.9% | See deal |
| Unlimited data | £46.49 per month 12 month contract Monthly cost will rise each April by RPI inflation plus 3.9% | See deal |
For more information, see our full guide to unlimited data plans in the UK.
Pay As You Go Plans
If you’re looking for a Pay As You Go service with coverage from O2, it’s possible to choose from one of the following providers:
- giffgaff: You can use giffgaff on a Pay As You Go basis without paying a regular monthly fee. You’ll just pay 25p/minute, 10p/text and 10p/MB. Alternatively, you can get a one-month goodybag from £6 which comes with unlimited minutes, unlimited texts and an allowance of data.
- O2 Big Bundles: You can use O2’s Big Bundles plan on Pay As You Go without the need for a credit check. Bundles start from £10/month for unlimited minutes, unlimited texts and an allowance of 4G data.
The following table shows a selection of the best Pay As You Go bundles using coverage from O2:
| Network | Data | Monthly Cost | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2GB data | £6.00 per month No contract | See deal |
| 5GB data | £8.00 per month No contract | See deal |
| 20GB data | £10.00 per month No contract | See deal |
| 100GB data | £20.00 per month No contract | See deal |
| Unlimited data | £35.00 per month No contract | See deal |
For more information, see our guide to the best Pay As You Go SIM cards in the UK.
Mobile Networks Using O2 Coverage
In the following section, we’ll look in more detail at each of the mobile networks using coverage from O2.
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giffgaff
If you’re looking for ultimate flexibility, get a one-month rolling plan from giffgaff. With this, you’ll be able to change or cancel your plan at any time.
Alternatively, giffgaff’s 18-month contracts can give you a larger amount of data for the same price. You’ll also be able to switch between giffgaff’s 18-month plans at any time, without incurring any penalty fees.
It’s also possible to use giffgaff on a pure Pay As You Go basis without the need to top-up your phone every month. If you do this, you’ll pay 25p/minute, 10p/text and 10p/MB.
For more information, see our giffgaff review. |
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O2
The two main benefits of joining O2 as a direct customer are that you’ll get access to the O2 Priority app and up to 6 months of free Disney+ or another O2 Extra such as Amazon Prime Video if you prefer. The following table shows O2’s best value SIM-only deals:
You’ll get access to 5G at no extra cost on all of O2’s Pay Monthly plans. Simply tell them you have a 5G phone when you sign up. You can also use O2 on a Pay As You Go basis without the need for a contract or credit check. O2’s Big Bundles start from £10/month. However, their Pay As You Go customers are restricted to 4G speeds.
O2 also offers a range of phones on an O2 Refresh Pay Monthly plan. |
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Sky Mobile
All Sky Mobile plans come with unlimited data for streaming on Sky TV apps (you’ll still need to pay the subscription fee for your Sky TV package). In addition, you’ll benefit from data rollover with your unused data being stored in a piggybank for up to 3 years. Sky Mobile’s SIM-only deals are as follows:
Customers buying a Pay Monthly phone from Sky can benefit from Swap Pay Monthly plans. These plans will allow you to upgrade your phone, every 12 months or every 24 months.
For more information, see our Sky Mobile review. You can also read our in-depth guide about the coverage on Sky Mobile. |
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Tesco Mobile
You’ll earn Tesco Clubcard points on all of your spending at Tesco Mobile. In addition, if you’re a Clubcard Plus customer, you’ll get double data on your plan as well.
The following table shows the key things to know about Tesco Mobile:
For more information, see our Tesco Mobile review. |
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Other NetworksYou’ll also get O2 coverage if you’re using a SIM card from CUniq UK. This is a specialist mobile network from China Unicom and is targeted at the Chinese expatriate community in the UK. Until June 2023, Lyca Mobile offered 4G & 5G coverage from the O2 network on their SIM cards. Nowadays, Lyca Mobile customers receive coverage from EE. Between July 2022 and August 2023, Virgin Mobile offered 4G & 5G coverage from the O2 network. All of Virgin Mobile’s customers in the UK are now being moved to O2. |
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If you’re looking for a low-cost SIM card with O2 coverage, 
At present, it’s possible to 
On 
On Compare O2 Coverage Deals
If you’d like to compare all of the SIM-only deals using coverage from O2, you can use the following interactive comparison tool.
Start by choosing how much data you’d like, followed by the contract length you’d be happy to sign up for, and the mobile networks you’re considering. You’ll then be shown a list of available deals that match your criteria.
Showing 86 of 86 price plans that match your criteria
| Network | Minutes | Texts | Data | Monthly Cost (may rise during contract) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 500 | Unlimited | 1GB | £5.00 12 months |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 3GB | £6.00 12 months |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 2GB | £6.00 1 month |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 1GB | £6.00 1 month |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 2GB | £7.50 24 months |
| 500 | 5,000 | 2GB | £7.50 1 month |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 40GB | £8.00 12 months |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 6GB | £8.00 18 months |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 5GB | £8.00 12 months |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 5GB | £8.00 1 month |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 4GB | £8.00 1 month |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 2GB | £8.00 12 months |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 60GB | £9.99 12 months |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 50GB | £10.00 12 months |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 25GB | £10.00 12 months |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 25GB | £10.00 18 months |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 20GB | £10.00 1 month |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 15GB | £10.00 1 month |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 12GB | £10.00 24 months |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 10GB | £10.00 1 month |
| 5,000 | 5,000 | 10GB | £10.00 1 month |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 8GB | £10.00 1 month |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 12GB | £11.00 12 months |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 27GB | £12.00 18 months |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 26GB | £12.00 1 month |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 25GB | £12.00 1 month |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 30GB | £12.50 24 months |
| 5,000 | 5,000 | 15GB | £12.50 1 month |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 10GB | £14.00 12 months |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 30GB | £14.99 24 months |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 100GB | £15.00 12 months |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 60GB | £15.00 24 months |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 40GB | £15.00 18 months |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 35GB | £15.00 1 month |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 30GB | £15.00 12 months |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 30GB | £15.00 1 month |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 30GB | £15.00 1 month |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 25GB | £15.00 1 month |
| 5,000 | 5,000 | 25GB | £15.00 1 month |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 3GB | £15.00 24 months |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 6GB | £17.00 24 months |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 100GB | £17.50 24 months |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 60GB | £17.50 12 months |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 12GB | £17.99 24 months |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 1GB | £18.00 12 months |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 20GB | £19.00 24 months |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | £20.00 24 months |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 120GB | £20.00 18 months |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 100GB | £20.00 12 months |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 100GB | £20.00 1 month |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 80GB | £20.00 1 month |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 50GB | £20.00 1 month |
| 5,000 | 5,000 | 50GB | £20.00 1 month |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 40GB | £20.00 1 month |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 6GB | £20.00 12 months |
| 1,000 | Unlimited | 1GB | £20.00 1 month |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 12GB | £21.99 12 months |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 100GB | £22.00 24 months |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 20GB | £22.00 12 months |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 5GB | £23.00 1 month |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 150GB | £23.99 24 months |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 30GB | £23.99 12 months |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 50GB | £24.00 12 months |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | £24.99 24 months |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | £25.00 24 months |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | £25.00 18 months |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 100GB | £25.00 1 month |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 80GB | £25.00 1 month |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 250GB | £26.00 24 months |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 20GB | £26.00 1 month |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | £30.00 12 months |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 150GB | £30.00 1 month |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 125GB | £30.00 1 month |
| 5,000 | 5,000 | 100GB | £30.00 1 month |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 50GB | £30.00 1 month |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 30GB | £32.49 24 months |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | £33.00 12 months |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | £35.00 12 months |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | £35.00 1 month |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 150GB | £35.00 1 month |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 150GB | £35.49 24 months |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 30GB | £35.49 12 months |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | £36.00 1 month |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 150GB | £38.49 12 months |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | £44.49 24 months |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | £46.49 12 months |
If you’d also like to compare deals using a different coverage provider, see our full guide to SIM-only deals in the UK.
Frequently Asked Questions
| Who uses the O2 network? | In the UK, the following mobile networks offer coverage from O2:
|
|---|---|
| Will I get the same coverage on another network that piggybacks on O2? | If you’re using another network that piggybacks on O2, you’ll have access to the same 4G & 5G coverage as customers on O2. |
More Information
For more information, read our full guide on O2’s network and coverage in the UK. You can also read our in-depth reviews of giffgaff, Sky Mobile and Tesco Mobile.
Phil said:
I live in a remote area and want to use 4g as my main broadband. O2 are the only ones who have a strong enough signal. They have an unlimited data deal, but the small print says you can only use it in a phone and not a ‘modem’. Seems crazy, as I could tether a phone and use just as much data, but it would be messy compared to a dedicated 4g router/modem… I’ll probably need about 400Gb per month.
NickP replied:
You are allowed to use a phone SIM for data in a modem or router.
https://kenstechtips.com/index.php/sim-cards-for-your-tablet-dongle-router-or-iot-device
Joseph hague said:
I have been a giffgaff customer for a few years now,and have been very happy with it,until my internet connection went and there is no one to contact about it?
M bethell replied:
You can look on giffgaffs website and email a adviser with you problem. To be fair I have been with giffgaffs for years and if I have ever had I problem it has been sorted out in a timely manner
Grant said:
I want a low usage tariff like O2’s ‘Classic Pay As You Go’, but I am confused by their terms and conditions.
In one section it states you must Top Up every 6 months
Classic Pay As You Go
When you join Classic Pay As You Go, you pay for what you use, as you go. The minimum
top up requirement is £10.
‘If you don’t top up, or add a Bolt On at least once in any six month period, your mobile will be
disconnected and you’ll lose any credit on your account. If you want to be reconnected you’ll
be given a new mobile number.’
But in the Terms and Conditions paragraph 7.1. it states that you are only required to use the SIM every 6 months
7.1. If you do not carry out any chargeable activity at least once in any 6 month period your
Mobile Phone will be disconnected and you will lose any remaining credits balance on your
Account. If you wish to be re-connected after this time you will be given a new Mobile Phone
number.
Do I have to only use the SIM every 6 months as it states. Or do I need to ‘Top Up’ £10 every 6 months as well as using the SIM?
Ken replied:
Hi Grant,
Thanks for your comment. This is a question that lots of people have discussed in the comments on my full guide to O2 Classic Pay As You Go. I believe the general consensus is this was sloppy wording from O2, and you just had to use your phone for a chargeable activity once every 6 months. However, if this is likely to be an issue, I’d recommend double-checking directly with O2.
Ken