So it begins. The BT MVNO sitting on top of the EE network has revealed prices and more details of their offerings. It’s a sign of things to come, as the new world order seems to dictate that you absolutely must have your TV, home phone, broadband and mobile from one massive company. BT have apparently already agreed terms to buy EE for £12.5bn who have already tried this “quad-play” offering (with their “Telly Box”, home broadband, calls and mobile plans). Now it looks like BT will end up buying the whole shooting match eventually anyway.
Until / if BT does buy EE (and we end up, if we skip MVNOs, with just Vodafone, Three and BT to choose from), we have 4G bundles on offer which get cheaper if you have BT Broadband. Their deals are all “Bring Your Own Phone” (aka, SIM-only) and there’s no handset contracts on offer just yet.
The deals range from £5 for existing broadband customers, and you’ll also get access to the BT WiFi hotspots, free BT Sport (via the BT Sport App) and other features. The 12-month deals will work with any phone, but BT are offering up a range of 4G phones from their shop starting at £99.
If you want the discounted mobile deals then you don’t necessarily have to be the bill payer. Anyone in the household – up to five people – can take advantage of the plans provided your home is hooked into the BT Broadband grid.
On the bottom rung you have 500MB of 4G data (with unlimited texts and 200 minutes) for £5 per month provided you’ve got BT Broadband. If you don’t then it’s £10, so they’re obviously pushing you hard into having BT Broadband there. The most popular package will probably be the unlimited texts and 500 minutes, which will set you back £12 per month if you have their broadband, and that gets you 2GB of data. It’s a fiver more if you don’t have their system.
Want more? Well, if you really need it and you’re a broadband customer with BT you can get unlimited texts and minutes with 20GB data for £20 per month or £25 if you don’t use their broadband.
The future’s bright. The future’s one big company for every media and communication need with reduced competition.
Oh, and before you get excited about the possibility of having up to 20GB of data to tether with, this is not allowed.
BT LAUNCHES UK’S BEST VALUE 4G MOBILE DATA DEAL AS A REWARD FOR ITS BT BROADBAND CUSTOMERS
BT today announced its move back into the consumer mobile market by launching great value deals offering bundles of 4G data, minutes and texts for as little as £5 a month for its existing BT Broadband homes.
The company today unveiled three bring your own phone (SIM Only) plans that offer:
· An exceptional combination of 4G on the UK’s biggest network along with unlimited access to the most extensive wi-fi coverage via more than 5 million BT Wi-fi hotspots
· Free BT Sport on the BT Sport App
· Family-friendly features like spending caps on all tariffs
BT Broadband customers will get exclusive access to the best value 4G tariffs, with discounts of up to 50 per cent compared to non-BT Broadband customers.
BT Mobile customers can also get free BT Sport via the BT Sport App, even if they don’t have BT Broadband, and enjoy live and exclusive Barclays Premier League football matches.
The new 12-month contract deals are ideal for customers who might want to keep their existing phone but add a great value bundle of 4G data, minutes and texts. Customers can also use their own older 2G or 3G phones. Or they can buy a new 4G phone from the BT Shop from just £99.
Anyone in a BT Broadband household will be able to get the discounted price and a customer can have up to five mobile plans at the discounted rates for all of the family on a single bill.
The company has built in features for all tariffs including the ability to cap monthly spend to avoid bill shock; the freedom to move between plans without taking out a new contract, even if customers want to move to a cheaper plan; and parental controls.
The announcement is the first step in BT’s consumer mobile strategy, which will develop over the coming years.
BT has agreed terms to acquire mobile operator EE for £12.5bn and will reveal more details after the deal completes about what customers will be offered.
John Petter, chief executive of BT Consumer, said: “Offering BT customers the UK’s best value 4G data deal is a great way to start our journey towards re-establishing ourselves as a major player in consumer mobile.
“These great value deals are a thank you from us to loyal BT Broadband homes. We are offering customers a new type of great value mobile deal that offers more than just data, minutes and texts.
“We are offering 4G on the UK’s biggest network along with unlimited access to the most extensive wi-fi coverage via our 5m BT Wi-fi hotspot network. Plus BT Sport and a discount of up to 50 per cent on your mobile tariff if you are a BT Broadband customer.”
“Our customers are consuming increasing amounts of data and they want the best possible connection wherever they are. It’s our ambition to meet this demand by combining the power of our fixed fibre service with wi-fi and the convenience of mobile.”
BT’s strategy also includes a roadmap to offer customers an innovative “inside out” 4G service, in order to make sure customers receive the best connection wherever they are.
The full details of the three bring your own phone plans are below. The cheapest offers 500 MB of 4G data, unlimited texts and 200 minutes for £5 a month if you have BT Broadband, £10 a month
if not.
BT Broadband customers can also opt for a large 4G data offer of 2GB, with unlimited texts and 500 minutes for just £12 a month, or £17 a month for customers who don’t have BT Broadband.
At the top end, customers can take an enormous 4G data allowance of 20GB, with unlimited texts and minutes, for just £20 a month if you have BT Broadband, otherwise £25 a month.
For customers who want a new phone, the BT Shop is selling four 4G handsets, starting from just £99 with an exclusive voucher offer.
