BT Mobile
![]() | |
MVNO | |
Industry | Telecommunications |
Founded | March 2015 |
Headquarters |
BT Centre, London, United Kingdom |
Area served | United Kingdom |
Services | Mobile telephony |
Owner | BT Group |
Website | www.bt.com/mobile |
BT Mobile is a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) provided by BT Consumer; a division of BT Group in the United Kingdom that was launched in March 2015.[1] It uses the EE network[2] via an MVNO agreement signed in March 2014[3] as well as using the spectrum BT won in the 2013's 4G auction.[4][5] EE is now owned by BT Group following a successful acquisition that was officially completed on 29 January 2016.[6][7] BT Mobile operates alongside BT Business Mobile which is provided by the BT Business division. BT Mobile is currently a SIM-only service and has more than 400,000 customers as of 5 May 2016.[8]
Products
SIM-only plans
BT Mobile is currently a SIM-only service and offers three 12-month contract plans as of 23 June 2016:
- BT Mobile 500MB Plan - 500MB of data, 200 minutes and unlimited texts
- BT Mobile 2GB Plan - 2GB of data, 500 minutes and unlimited texts
- BT Mobile 15GB Plan - 15GB of data, unlimited minutes and texts
Anyone living in a BT Broadband home are eligible for a £5 monthly discount on all BT Mobile plans - each account holder can have up to five discounted plans but there's no limit to the number of people in a house that can take up the offer.[9][10]
Features
BT Sport
Subscribers to BT Mobile can watch BT sport through the dedicated mobile streaming app. However, watching BT Sports via television still requires a paid subscription.
BT Wi-Fi
Subscribers to BT Mobile have unlimited access to BT Wi-Fi, regardless of the data allowance in their contract. Connection to BT Wi-Fi can be made through an internet browser or the dedicated BT Wi-Fi application.
BT Mobile App
The BT Mobile app allows a subscriber to keep on top of their contract allowance, allowing them to see their minutes, texts and remaining data allowance. The app also shows outwith contract spending, details of the consumers contract and information on data roaming.
Services
Network
BT Mobile offers 4G as standard to all customers at no extra cost and in order to benefit from 4G speeds, a 4G-ready phone is required. However, customers in areas with no 4G coverage or without a 4G-ready phone will still be able to connect via the 3G and 2G networks.[11]
Coverage
As BT Mobile uses the EE network, its 4G network reaches more than 95% of the UK population while its 3G network reaches 98% and 2G network reaches 99%.[12][13]
Extra Speed 4G
On 3 February 2016, BT announced a new add-on service called Extra Speed 4G for BT Mobile customers, allowing them to access even faster upload and download speeds than standard 4G, provided they are in an Extra Speed 4G area. The speeds can reach a maximum of up to 60Mbit/s and the service costs £4 a month and is a 30-day rolling contract, which means customers won't be tied in for 12 months. The speed will vary on a day-to-day basis and depends on various things such as coverage, distance from the mast, the number of people using the network and the type of 4G phone you have, as well as whether you're indoors or in a densely populated area.[14][15]
Voicemail
The March 2014 BT Mobile service uses the same voicemail code - 1571 as the BT fixed lines.
Parental Controls
BT Mobile has parental control features so that the account holder can limit what the user can access via the internet. Such measures block inappropriate websites such as gambling and pornography.
See also
References
- ↑ "BT launches UK's best value 4G mobile data deal as a reward for its BT broadband customers". BT Group PLC. 25 March 2015. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
- ↑ "BT returns to mobile phone market". BBC News. 25 March 2015. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
- ↑ "BT and EE confirm UK MVNO agreement". BT Group PLC. 25 March 2014. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
- ↑ "BT returns to mobile phone market". BBC News. 25 March 2015. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
- ↑ "Ofcom announces winners of the 4G mobile auction.". Ofcom. 20 February 2013. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
- ↑ "BT Group PLC Completion of the acquisition of EE Limited". 4-traders. 29 January 2016. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
- ↑ "EE is now part of BT". EE Limited. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
- ↑ Cancian, Dan (5 May 2016). "BT full year revenue climbs to £18.91bn on back of EE acquisition". International Business Times. Retrieved 17 May 2016.
- ↑ "Am I eligible for the BT Broadband discount?". BT. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
- ↑ "How many BT Mobile plans can I order?". BT. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
- ↑ "What's 4G and can I get it?". BT. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
- ↑ "EE results for the year ended 31 December 2015". EE Limited. 12 February 2016. Retrieved 12 February 2016.
- ↑ Palmer, Kate (12 February 2016). "EE grows 4G network to 14m as it prepares for shake-up under BT". The Telegraph. Retrieved 12 February 2016.
- ↑ Bouckley, Hannah (3 February 2016). "Extra Speed 4G: Discover how BT Mobile's new Add-on can make your phone up to twice as fast.". BT. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
- ↑ "Will I always get speeds of 60Mbps?". BT. Retrieved 3 February 2016.