Before T-Mobile was T-Mobile it was Mercury One2One, which launched as the world’s first GSM 1800 mobile network. It wasn’t the only first that the company achieved, as the T-Mobile Pay As You Go packages were some of the first of their kind ever to launch to the UK public (though, of course, they were Mercury One2One packages when they launched). The accolade for launching the first ever sim only deals went to Vodafone, though Mercury One2One was the first to fully make the most of PAYG offers and was one of the key factors why Deutsche Telekom bought Mercury One2One and rebranded it to T-Mobile in 1999. T-Mobile merged with Orange in 2010 to form EE, which was subsequently sold to BT in 2016. As such, you can no longer find cheap T-Mobile packages in the UK because the company itself doesn’t exist, though T-Mobile’s legacy remains.
T-Mobile Sim Only Deals
The chances are that if you search for T-Mobile sim only packages you will likely find results, but you will quickly discover that these deals are not for UK users. Deutsche Telekom might have sold T-Mobile’s interests in the UK when BT acquired EE in 2016, but the T-Mobile brand is still huge across Europe and also has interests in the United States. When T-Mobile launched its “Flext” pay monthly packages in 2003 they gave users a set amount of credit to use on calls, texts, MMS and mobile Internet use. These packages resemble the EE sim only deals that we recognise today, along with other major and minor mobile networks. T-Mobile's first UK sim only plans made use of the network’s 3G UMTS service which launched in 2003 and gave UK mobile users access to greater speeds, making mobile Internet browsing a key focus for the future of sim only offers.
T-Mobile Pay As You Go Sim Only Packages
Like the mobile phone plans we recognise today, the T-Mobile sim only deals that the brand introduced to the UK consisting of a set amount of credit, which you would then eat into as you used your phone. These plans were available either on 12 month contracts or 30 day deals, and started from as little as £4.99 per month. The cheapest tariff included 250 minutes, 250 texts and 250MB of data, which in 2003 was more than anyone knew what to do with. This was before Facebook, before Netflix and before BT Sports, when browsing the Internet and checking your email was all you needed from your mobile phone. Fast forward to cheap EE sim only deals on offer today and 250MB data would set you back £13, though of course your minutes and texts are unlimited.
T-Mobile Network
When T-Mobile merged with Orange in 2010 it suddenly became the joint biggest network in the UK, and sim only contract customers benefited alongside pay monthly mobile users as they gained access to both Orange and T-Mobile network space. This was a time when the UK 4G network was brewing, and when it launched in 2013 parent company EE had already begun rebranding Orange and T-Mobile high street stores. EE’s infrastructure meant it led the race to provide 4G network speeds to its customers, which benefitted mobile users and, in turn, attracted more customers to the brand.
Tariff Information
For customers who already have a phone that they’re happy with, T-Mobile offer a range of SIM Only contracts. These contracts are generally cheaper than equivalent deals which include a phone, because the cost of a handset is not represented in the monthly charges. SIM Only deals are also available with short contract durations, offering greater flexibility.
SIM Only deals from T-Mobile are available either as 30 day rolling plans or 12 month contracts. All SIM Only tariffs include 5000 free texts and a combination of T-Mobile minutes and any-network minutes. T-Mobile also offer their ´Full Monty´ deal, which includes unlimited minutes, text and data, as a 12 month SIM Only contract
Most T-Mobile SIM Only contracts do not include a data allowance as standard, but this can be added through a Booster for a fixed monthly fee. See data allowance for full details.
BlackBerry and Micro SIMs are also available from T-Mobile on the same tariffs as their standard SIM Only deals.
Transfer Procedure
- Select and purchase your new SIM Only tariff from T-Mobile. They will assign a new phone number to you.
- Contact your current network and ask for a ‘PAC’, which means ‘Porting Authorisation Code’. Your network should provide this either over the phone or in a text message.
- Pass on your PAC to T-Mobile along with your contract details.
- The transfer should take a few working days to complete after this
Data Allowance
T-Mobile SIM Only customers can select a mobile data allowance when they sign up to a new deal. There are three options available, each offering a different monthly data allowance to suit different users: Basic Internet, Standard Internet and Extra Internet.
T-Mobile does not charge customers who go over their allowances extra, but their usage may be restricted. SIM Only customers without an internet Booster can still access the web through T-Mobile’s network and are charged per day.