SMARTY is offering a £16 unlimited data SIM card with no contract, no credit check & 5G coverage.

In the UK, SMARTY Mobile is currently offering an unlimited data SIM card for £16/month.

As a special offer for October 2023, you’ll get a £4/month discount when you order through this link. This plan gives you unlimited UK minutes, unlimited UK texts and unlimited data for only £16 per month.

The plan is available on a one-month rolling basis, with no contract and no credit check required. You’ll get 4G & 5G coverage from the Three network.

Order SMARTY Unlimited SIM (with £4/month discount) →

In this article, we’ll review SMARTY’s unlimited data SIM card. We’ll start by looking at what their £16 unlimited data plan includes, the download speeds available and the monthly fair usage policy. We’ll also look at how SMARTY’s unlimited data SIM card compares to rival networks and at the coverage available on SMARTY. Finally, we’ll look at how you can keep your current phone number when moving to the SMARTY network.

Monthly Price: £16 per month
Contract Length: No contract & no credit check
Special Offer: Save £4 per month on SMARTY’s unlimited data plan (October 2023 offer).
Fair Usage: Personal use only. No fair usage limit inside the UK.
Compatible With: Smartphones, tablets & mobile broadband devices
Coverage:

Unlimited Data on SMARTY

No Download Limits

In the UK, SMARTY is a low-cost mobile network which is owned and operated by Three. Specialising in SIM cards that work on a one-month rolling basis, customers can join SMARTY without the need for a contract or credit check.

At the moment, SMARTY’s flagship price plan is their £16 unlimited data SIM card. This comes with unlimited UK minutes, unlimited UK texts and unlimited data. As a special offer for October 2023, you can get a £4/month discount on the normal price of £20/month. To get it, you’ll need to order your unlimited data SIM card from SMARTY through this special link:

NetworkMinutesTextsDataMonthly
Cost
SmartyUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited£16.00
1 month

Get £4/month discount on Unlimited Data →

SMARTY’s unlimited data SIM card works on a pre-paid basis so you’ll just pay for each month’s usage in advance. For convenience, the payment for your plan will normally be taken automatically every month from a registered credit card or debit card. However, you can disable the automatic renewal at any time inside your SMARTY account if you’d no longer like to use it.

For any out-of-bundle usage (e.g. international or premium-rate phone calls), you can top-up a separate cash balance onto your SMARTY account.

4G & 5G Download Speeds

On SMARTY’s unlimited data SIM card, you’ll get access to 4G & 5G coverage from Three. The download speeds available on SMARTY are the same as those available on Three, with no speed restrictions or throttling in place on the service.

According to Three, they have the UK’s fastest 5G network. This is based on Ookla speed test data (H1 2022) which recorded a median download speed of 292Mbps. Speeds can vary by location and can sometimes go as high as 1,000Mbps (1Gbps).

As a customer of SMARTY, you’ll also benefit from Three’s ongoing network upgrades. Alongside the 5G rollout, there’s the introduction of 4G+ technology, the upgrade of older 3G spectrum to support 4G services, and the addition of L-Band spectrum to give Super 4G+ coverage. According to SMARTY, these network upgrades have improved speeds by up to 130% for customers using the 4G network.

Fair Use Policy

SMARTY doesn’t have any speed restrictions or hidden fair usage limits for unlimited data in the UK. This is confirmed in their price guide:

With our Unlimited plan there’s no hidden ‘fair use policies’ within the UK, giving you all the access to the Internet you’d need without worrying about hefty bills and no data speed restrictions.

If you’re travelling in the EU you will be subject to our fair use limit of 12GB each month.

All our SMARTY plans must only be used for your personal and non-commercial use.

In the past, a fair usage limit of 1,000GB per month was used to identify non-permitted commercial usage of the service. SMARTY has confirmed that this fair usage policy is no longer being applied.

If you’re using your SMARTY SIM card in another European country, a fair usage limit of 12GB per month applies on the plan.

Tethering & Personal Hotspot

You can share your unlimited data allowance with other devices through the tethering or personal hotspot feature on your phone. This is confirmed on the SMARTY website:

Tether without worrying
You can tether and hot-spot all of your data with no speed caps as long as you’re in the UK.

The use of tethering or personal hotspot can be a convenient way to get your other devices (including a laptop or tablet) connected to the internet.

SMARTY Mobile Broadband

You can use SMARTY’s unlimited data SIM card in other devices like your tablet, mobile broadband dongle, mobile wi-fi hotspot or 4G router.

In fact, you can build your own 4G home broadband service by combining SMARTY’s unlimited data SIM card with something like an unlocked Huawei B311 router. You’d then pay just £16/month for unlimited 4G home broadband through your SMARTY SIM card.

One downside of using SMARTY for 4G home broadband is the lack of a publicly-accessible IP address. This is because SMARTY uses strict CGNAT technology, assigning you a private IP address that’s unable to accept incoming connections. This won’t make a difference for most online activities, but it can stop you from doing things like running a server, using certain P2P apps or playing some online multiplayer games.

If you’d like a publicly-accessible IP address, it’s better to get a SIM card from Three instead. On Three, you can get a public IP address when you use the 3internet APN. This service is not available to customers on SMARTY.

Comparison to Alternatives

In the UK, there are numerous other mobile networks also offering an unlimited data plan.

At the current price of £16/month with no contract, SMARTY has one of the cheapest and most flexible unlimited data plans available on the market.

The following table compares SMARTY’s unlimited data plan to what is available on other networks:

NetworkMinutesTextsDataMonthly
Cost
SmartyUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited£16.00
1 month
ThreeUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited£18.00
£14.40 for 12 months
24 months
Lebara MobileUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited£22.50
12 months
EEUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited£27.00
24 months
VOXIUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited£30.00
1 month
O2UnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited£30.00
24 months
VodafoneUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited
10Mbps max
£30.00
24 months
VodafoneUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited£33.00
24 months
giffgaffUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited£35.00
1 month

For more information, see our full guide to unlimited data plans in the UK.

Network & Coverage

4G Coverage from Three

On SMARTY’s unlimited data plan, you’ll get 4G coverage from the Three network. At the time of writing, this equates to 99.8% population coverage.

You can check the coverage in your area by entering your postcode on SMARTY’s online coverage map:

Check SMARTY Coverage Map (smarty.co.uk) →

You’ll also have access to 4G Calling and Wi-Fi Calling if you have a compatible device on SMARTY.

Unfortunately, SMARTY doesn’t provide any 2G coverage. In addition, whilst there is some limited 3G coverage still available, this is due to be switched off in 2024. For this reason, it’s recommended that your mobile phone supports at least 4G technology.

For more information, see our guide to SMARTY’s network and coverage.

5G Coverage

SMARTY now offers 5G coverage at no extra cost on all of their plans. Their 5G coverage is also provided by Three, with availability in more than 300 UK towns and cities.

To see whether 5G coverage is available in your area, enter your postcode on SMARTY’s online coverage map.

Check SMARTY 5G Coverage →

For more information, see our guide to Three’s 5G network.

International Coverage

If you’re travelling abroad to one of 35 European destinations, you can use up to 12GB of data abroad at no extra cost each month. You can also use the unlimited minutes and unlimited texts from your SMARTY plan. The following destinations are included in this offer:

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Comoros & Mayotte, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, French Guiana, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Reunion, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland

If you’re travelling outside Europe, you’ll need to buy an “Out of plan” add-on. The costs for using your SMARTY SIM card outside Europe can be significantly higher. For instance, when you travel to the United States, you’ll pay 50p/minute, 20p/text and 10p/MB (equivalent to £100 per gigabyte). It isn’t possible to use your plan allowances when you travel outside Europe.

According to SMARTY’s website, you can only use your SIM card abroad for up to 60 days at a time. If you spend more than 60 consecutive days abroad, they may suspend your usage of the service.

For more information, see SMARTY’s web page on international roaming.

Keeping Your Phone Number

If you’d like to keep your current phone number when you join SMARTY Mobile, it’s a straightforward process to transfer it from your old mobile network.

Start by ordering your unlimited data SIM card from SMARTY’s website. To begin with, it will come with a temporary phone number assigned to it, allowing you to test out the service before moving your phone number over.

When you’re happy to move your phone number over, you’ll need to get a PAC Code from your old network. This is available through your mobile network’s website or app, or by texting PAC to 65075. You can then submit the PAC Code to SMARTY through your online dashboard. Once you’ve done that, your phone number transfer will normally take place on the next working day.

For step-by-step instructions on how to move your phone number to SMARTY, please select your current mobile network from the drop-down menu below:

PAC Code Finder: Transfer Your Phone Number to Smarty

Select your current mobile network:

  More Options

For more information on transferring your phone number between networks, see our guide to using a PAC Code.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is SMARTY’s unlimited data SIM card?
SMARTY offers a £16 unlimited data SIM card in the UK. It gives you unlimited minutes, unlimited texts and unlimited data, with no contract and no credit check required. SMARTY offers 4G and 5G coverage from the Three network.
What download speeds are available with unlimited data on SMARTY?
SMARTY offers 4G & 5G coverage. You can expect typical download speeds of around 20Mbps on 4G and around 200Mbps on 5G. This can, however, vary substantially by location.
Can I use a SMARTY SIM card for mobile broadband?
Yes. SMARTY has confirmed on their website that you can use their unlimited data SIM card in devices like your tablet, mobile broadband dongle, mobile wi-fi hotspot and 4G home broadband router.
Does SMARTY offer 5G coverage?
Yes. SMARTY now offers 5G coverage at no extra cost on all of their plans. Like their other forms of coverage, this is provided by Three.
How does SMARTY compare to Three for unlimited data?
On SMARTY, you’ll pay £16 for unlimited data on a one-month rolling contract with 4G & 5G speeds.

On Three, you’ll pay £18 per month for unlimited data on a 24-month contract.

Can I keep my current phone number?
Yes. It’s a straightforward process to keep your current phone number. Ask your old mobile network to provide you with a PAC Code. You can get one through your mobile network’s website or app, or by texting PAC to 65075. Once you’ve ordered your SMARTY unlimited data SIM card, you can provide the PAC Code to SMARTY through your online account.

More Information

For more information on SMARTY’s unlimited data plan, please see their official website.

Your Comments 58 so far

We'd love to hear your thoughts and any questions you may have. So far, we've received 58 comments from readers. You can add your own comment here.

  • Gary Mackenzie said:

    Smarty have shutdown my SIM as I used 100gb of data a month and that is in breach of their rules.
    Their sims are not to be used as your only broadband source.

    why they sell a WiFi router and SIM package is beyond me, as that router is mains only

    • I came here to investigate that same use case: I can see in their T&Cs sections 5.15/5.16 they say it’s not for use as a permanent alternative to home broadband (assessed by regularly tethering more than 8 devices, not necessarily quantity of data). So, yes, selling a router package makes no sense for most people! *facepalm* 😉

  • I have set my old man up with a b311 & smarty SIM for his home broadband, his area has done away with cheap ADSL offers as it has gone fibre / digital – the prices are upwards on £26 a month.

    He gets great speeds – 50 down, 17up with smarty for £16 a month unlimited.

    so in a nutshell he’s getting much faster speeds than ADSL, £10 a month cheaper than a fibre deal and no contract – win win.

  • Christopher Pugh said:

    I have been having trouble getting both the app and the website to display my data usage. I told SMARTY in April and the problem is still not resolved. Yesterday, September 8, they said that the problesm had been sorted. It has not. I contacted them again today and was asked “Have you activated the SIM”, The SIM was activated nearly 2 years ago. On commenting adversely about the quality of customer service, I have not yet received a reply.

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