Category: Networks / Carriers
A couple of weeks ago I was lucky enough to be in the USA. As it was a quick visit, I’d not really organised any local SIM and took my normal Vodafone handset. When the plane touched down I received the usual text message from Vodafone advising on …
As we mentioned earlier, SMARTY, the simple SIM only network, are backed by Three. Travelling within the EU, as you would expect, is included in your normal usage. You can head to Paris, Barcelona, Madrid, where-ever. Just use your phone as you would back in the UK. Further …
EE have just got in touch with news that they will not only be stocking the Note 9, but they will be the exclusive network for the 4G Galaxy Watch too. The big news is the 4G version of the watch, which is exclusive in the UK to …
Alright, so you watched our live coverage and now you want one. I guess you’re going to have to go to one of the big four major networks, right? Well, no actually. Sky Mobile, who use O2 masts, are going to have both the Note 9 and the …
The simple SIM only network from Three (covered earlier here) has a straightforward offering. There’s three packages – either a 2GB one for £7.50 per month, a 4GB one for £10 or an 8GB for £15. All have unlimited calls and unlimited texts. You just need to find …
Net Neutrality has been a big topic of discussion when it comes to data, and how it can be used one way or another by customers. Here in the UK, Three and Vodafone were spoken to by regulator Ofcom on certain restrictions when it came to roaming, or …
I remember when mobile phones first started being a “thing”. I was at college and got this, the Nokia 5.1. It was also known as the Nokia 2110. Strangely the 5.1 name has now re-appeared on the Nokia site, albeit under a completely new design.. and no pull-out …
Hello you beautiful Coolsmartphone reader you. Now, I know that spending £40-£60 per month for a phone and a contract seems like “situation normal” now, but what if you’ve got yourself a second-hand or reconditioned phone and you just want a low-cost monthly plan? Well, over at HotUKDeals …
The network for the under 30’s has added, for a limited time, triple data. This comes on top of their endless social data, plus endless calls, texts and picture messages plus endless roaming in Europe. There’s no contracts – you just choose how much data you need for …
It was a throwaway remark. A passing comment on Twitter. Last night I did a quick speed test and got 365Mbps down. Insane. However, I got a few questions about how it was achieved, so here goes. The speed was the result of me combining my Vodafone 4G …
We’ve now taken delivery of our mobile phone booster. It’s a big day but also a strange one. As I type, we’re sitting in a barn in a field. There’s nothing but cows and sheep all around me yet we’ve got 1Gbps fibre connectivity. The fibre optic cables …
Three UK have announced a partnership with easyJet to to give customers a well deserved and time saving upgrade to their travels. No one likes the stress of waiting in line to check in for a flight, only to have to wait ages the other end for your …
We’ve seen quite a few devices from Vodafone lately which aren’t phones. Whilst some of these gadgets are definitely aimed at businesses (automotive tracking, smart cameras and the like), we’ve felt a definite push for gadgets that you could use at home too. Three years ago we took …
I’m kinda lucky at home. I’ve got 300Mbps broadband from Virgin Media, but although it’s marketed as “fibre broadband” it – and many other “superfast fibre” connections – actually aren’t delivered via fibre all the way. Instead, the last bit, from the local street cabinet to your house, …
Just the other day I mentioned my quest to get a mobile repeater. The reason, as you will have seen from a few of my most recent posts, is because the signal in the area I’m now currently based is a poor and I really need a mobile …
This morning I wrote a story about WiFi Calling. It’s something which is now becoming fairly familiar with users of compatible handsets and means that you can make and receive calls whilst on the Underground in London, in the local Tesco or in the office when there’s no …
The largest 4G network in the UK, EE, have just announced two new mobile WiFi devices along with some new plans. Meet the 4GEE WiFi and 4GEE WiFi Mini. They are now smaller and lighter than previous versions. The 4GEE WiFi is CAT 12 enabled up to 600Mbps) …
A couple of nights ago I got home and noticed that my normally-strong Vodafone signal was down to either zero or 1 bars. I checked their coverage and “known issues” map online but that said that everything was fine. Then, just to ensure that I wasn’t going bonkers, …
UK network Three have just announced an idea to help train customers on the digital world. It’ll help them keep connected and up to date. “Discovery” by Three gives people a chance to learn about social media, online shopping, backups and much more. Plus with 21% of the …
Back in 2014, UK network Three made the bold move of selling all their devices unlocked giving customers freedom to Sim swap O2 have just announced they are to offer the same from this month, with all phones to be unlocked by the end of the month that …
giffgaff, which sits on the O2 network, have long been the go-to fuss-free solution if you just want a monthly plan with no ties. However, of late other virtual networks have been muscling in, with the likes of Lebara offering 4GB for £8 per month (on the Voda …
My job now sees me based on a farm. The signal there is, let me tell you, non-existent. Strangely, on the drive in, the signal on the country road is fine, but when you’ve gone up the long drive it suddenly drops down. All the networks, and believe …
Mobile phones, as I’m sure you all know, can be very distracting. Whether you’re watching TV, sat at the bus stop, waiting for a sandwich, ordering coffee or at the park, a quick glance at the screen seems difficult to resist. So what stops us fiddling with our …
Three have enhanced their deal with SSE Telecoms to connect their network to local BT exchanges. This will boost network performance and connectivity to customers. The move is a big step towards the 5G launch in the UK, but will also have huge benefits for existing 4G customers …
Operating on the O2 network, Tesco Mobile is offering up the Samsung Galaxy S8, S8+, S9, S9+ and Samsung Note 8. If you buy one of those devices then the network will offer up a free tech gift worth up to £279. There’s something to suit everyone including …
EE have today announced a new range of home broadband plans which deliver super fast fibre connection with unlimited use. Not only as well as extra data on your smartphone as an added bonus. Fibre Max 1 offers speeds up to 150Mbps with upload speeds of 28Mbps, and …
Seven cities will become 5G test areas for Vodafone. Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, Liverpool, London and Manchester will then see deployments beginning in October. Vodafone will be pushing “Gigabit UK”, where customers can enjoy ultra-fast connection speeds of one gigabit per second via 5G. Across those cities, engineers …
This one is definitely aimed at those using an iPhone or iPad. It’s a clever technology, and EE is the first to roll-out in the UK. EE smart number lets you make and receive calls and texts using the same number across multiple devices. It won’t cost you …
It only felt like yesterday we welcomed in 4G technology to the UK, however that’s now old news as we now start the 5G era. EE have today announced that their trial 5G network will launch in October. Some 10 sites in London will go live and means …
Vodafone have today updated their popular ‘Bundle’ deals for customers who are on PAYG and do not want a contract. The network still offers unlimited texts on all offers but have improved either with more minutes or data. These improvements are highlighted in red above, and still include …
A network promising to bring simplicity and enhanced support. That’s what on the cards from startup Zevvle. They tell me that they’ll remove unnecessary fees and misguided features. It’ll be using the EE network, so you know that coverage will be good, and they intend to launch later …
Not too long ago you would still be able to buy phones which wouldn’t have 4G capabilities. The KAZAM Tornado 348 sticks in my head as one of these but hey, that was 2015 and KAZAM went pop anyway. Now, in 2018, you’d be hard-pushed to get a …
So today Marc Allera from BT announced something pretty special. The major plus point, for us at least, was buried in the words “convergence” and “aggregation”. What this basically means is that you’ll be able to get up to 314Mbps ultrafast broadband by 2022. How? Well, BT will …
After 10 years in charge of the Vodafone Group, today Vittorio Colao has announced he is to stand down. Colao has been key in the turn around of the company over the recent years, including the $130bn sale of their share in Verizon Wireless in America several years …
Whether you’re after a SIM-only or a contract deal, Tesco Mobile have just got in touch to let us know about their latest offers. It starts with the iPhone 6 on a 36-month Anytime Upgrade Flex contract. That, at £18.49 per month (and no upfront fee), will get …
VOXI is a brand from UK network Vodafone that’s aimed at the youth market. If you love your social media and want good pricing, VOXI is for you. The catch was to be a VOXI customer you had to be 26 or under to get a SIM, however …
Three recently added the cute and cuddly Puggerfly to their range of creative animals, and once again he’s been a big success for them. This advertising campaign promotes the fact Snapchat has been added to their GoBinge service, so customers on Three can Snapchat all they like without …
When I was a kid, “sports” was something you did in PE (Physical Education) at school. There we would be, standing in a freezing cold field, wearing nothing more than a T-shirt and shorts. The PE teacher, with a cigarette hanging out of the corner of his mouth, …
It only seems like yesterday we were talking about the 4G spectrum here in the UK. That was to support the “next” generation of networks. However, we’re now seeing the first deployment stages of 5G, and the results of the auction are in. O2 won big with snapping …
Last year, after a lot of waiting and a lot of discussion, we finally got proper roaming across the bulk of Europe. It doesn’t cost you any extra, and many Brits are only just realising what a good thing it actually is. Fly to Germany, Spain, Cyprus and …
