Common questions

Do you have a question about:

Switching your network

Call costs and plans

Handsets

3G

How much will it cost me to switch network?

The majority of network operators won’t charge you for switching networks. None of the five main network operators (Orange, O2, Vodafone, 3, T-Mobile) make a charge for the actual switch to or from their service but if you’re still in a pay monthly contract you’ll probably have to pay for the remaining time – this is explained below.

Can I switch before my pay monthly contract ends?

Yes, but if you’re leaving your agreement early, you’ll probably have to pay your network operator all the money you would have paid had you stayed with them, i.e. up to the end of the contract. This will include line rental for the remaining months and any other fixed monthly charges on your service plan, e.g. text bundles. If you want to switch before the end of your contract, always check the full terms and conditions.

Can I keep my mobile number?

When you switch mobile networks and either start a new pay monthly contract or pay as you go plan, you’ll be given a new SIM card – which by default will be a new number.

If you want to keep your existing number, you’ll need to have your number ‘ported’ to your new network operator. This is actually quite easy – just ask your existing network for your individual ‘PAC’ (Port Authorisation Code) then provide this code to your new network within 30 days.

You may, however, want to switch Virtual Network Operators (VNOs) whilst remaining on the same network – we’ve explained this in further detail in the section ‘Switching your mobile services’.

How long will it take to switch?

Once you’ve requested your PAC, you’ll normally receive it within two working days. Most operators will supply you with a temporary number so you can still use your phone whilst your old number is being ported. Your new network operator will notify you of the date your old number will become active on their network – the time this takes varies but it’s usually between five and seven working days from when they receive your PAC.

Will I lose my service during the switch?

No - you will normally be given a temporary number to use whilst the transfer is in progress by your new operator.

Can I keep my handset if I switch networks?

You can keep your handset if you choose but you will need to make sure:

• it is not locked – some operators ‘lock’ phones to prevent them from being used on a different network. You can get your phone unlocked but you’ll typically have to wait a minimum period and you’ll usually be charged an unlocking fee
• the network you are switching to supports your phone. Not all networks support all phones so you’ll have to check with your intended new network before switching
• the service plan you’ve chosen to switch to allows you to keep your handset. It’s often part of the package that you receive a new phone when switching to a new tariff or network operator, tied in with the terms of the special offers and discounts – make the most of it and grab yourself some fancy new technology

Some operators offer a free pay as you go SIM card as part of the switch deal that you can use in your old handset. This will have a new number.

What should I look for in a deal?

There are several factors you should consider which are explained in further detail in this section, but the main issues you should think about are:

• usage – make sure you find the deal that most suits your calling and texting habits by telling us how and when you use your phone
• budget – decide how much you can afford to pay for your mobile each month
• handset – do you have a particular make or model in mind? Our comparison and switching service will check if it’s available on the type of deal best suited to you

Is pay as you go cheaper than a pay monthly contract?

It all depends on your usage – if you really don’t use your phone much, pay as you go could be the cheaper option.

Pay monthly contract

If you sign up to a pay monthly contract, many phones are free or if not, they are heavily subsidised and you will only pay a fraction of the full retail value.

This cost is offset by your commitment to a minimum term contract, usually 12, 18 or even 24 months, where you will pay line rental to your provider each month.

Most pay monthly contracts have inclusive minutes or other inclusive usage factored into the monthly line rental cost but if you don’t use your phone much, you might be better off with pay as you go.

Pay as you go

If you want to change your phone you will usually have to pay the full cost outright, which can be very expensive, particularly if you want the latest models.

The pence per minute, or text rates are often higher on pay as you go than they are under a pay monthly contract, with very few pay as you go deals offering inclusive minutes and texts as part of the package. There are some great deals around for pay as you go customers however, such as offering a certain amount of free texts or calls providing you ‘top up’ your credit by a specified minimum amount each month.

What’s a ‘pay up front’ deal?

This is quite literally a case of ‘does what it says on the tin’ – pay up front is a tariff whereby you pay for a year’s charges in advance. You can get itemised bills so you know what you’re spending and call charges are often cheaper than pay as you go rates. Most networks offer some great deals on inclusive minutes and texts and you don’t need to worry about topping up or running out of credit.

The initial outlay is quite hefty though as you will have to pay a year’s charges (12 months’ line rental) and the cost of the phone, if you don’t already have one you can use.

Should all the family be on the same network?

Depending on the type of service plan you choose, if you’re going to call other members of your family regularly it makes sense for them all to be on the same network, as cross network charges can be costly unless you have a tariff that allows inclusive cross network minutes.

Why does it cost me a fortune to call my friend’s mobile?

If your friend is on a different mobile network to you and your tariff doesn’t include cross network minutes, the cost of the call is likely to be very high, usually around 40p per minute. If you talk at peak time, it’ll cost you even more. There are many tariffs around that can greatly reduce this cost, so if you make a lot of cross network calls or you simply don’t know which networks all your friends are on, make sure you choose a tariff that has inclusive ‘any network’ minutes – go for ‘any network, any time’ for even better value.

I text a lot but make few calls. What’s the best plan for me?

Mobile network operators have started to wake up to the fact that some people just don’t love to talk, and have begun to offer packages that offer more inclusive texts than minutes. There are many service plans now available that will do a pretty good deal for those busy thumbs - why not save yourself from trawling through them all and let uSwitch.com find you the best package?

How often can I upgrade my handset?

You can upgrade as often as you wish but if you’re still within your contract, there will normally be a fee. This fee varies depending on how far into your contract you are – the closer to the end, the cheaper an upgrade will generally be.

If you’re outside your contract, upgrading is usually free (although you may have to pay a small fee for the handset if the model you want isn’t available as a free upgrade).

When you upgrade, you will have to enter into another pay monthly contract; this will be a minimum of 12 months but can be up to 18 or 24 months depending on the handset you want (some very new models are only available on longer term contracts).

Remember pay as you go customers will usually have to pay the full cost of the phone.

What’s the best handset?

There is no such thing as ‘the best handset’ – there are so many on the market with new ones becoming available all the time with exciting new features and capabilities. It depends what you’re looking for - and is, of course, all down to personal preference.

Are free handsets rubbish?

Not at all! With so many handsets available and retailers competing to offer the best value deal, you can often get the latest models for free when you sign up for a 12 month pay monthly contract, although some very new models may require you to sign up for 18 or 24 months.

Will my mobile work abroad?

It depends on where you’re going and what sort of handset you have. Most new handsets will work abroad but you should check with your network operator before you go.

Different networks around the world use different broadcast frequencies so you need to make sure your phone is able to operate on the frequency in use in the country you’re visiting. But don’t be put off by techno-speak. This information can usually be found very easily on your network operator’s website.

Some network operators require you contact them before you first use your phone abroad as they will need to enable international roaming (the term used for using your phone abroad), but you’ll only have to do this once and it’s then set up for use abroad for all your future trips.

My battery runs out daily, what can I do?

The inherent problem of the modern mobile is the more fancy the features, the bigger the drain on the battery. Aside from buying a new battery, there are several tips for making sure it doesn’t run out of juice right at that crucial moment:

• turn off all unnecessary functions: Bluetooth acts like a radio to transmit and receive information, so leaving it on when you’re not using it is a huge drain on the battery. Other connectivity that drains power includes Wi-Fi and GPRS
• quit applications you’re not using: they sap memory as well as power
• turn down the brightness: although it looks nice, it’s not necessary to have the screen brightness set to max – it will usually be clearly visible on a much lower setting
• set the backlight (the display light when the phone is inactive) to minimum time
• turn off your screensaver: yes it looks great, yes it adds a personal touch to your phone – but it won’t do your battery any favours
• turn the ringer volume down: the louder it is, the more power it uses. The same goes for the vibrate function, if you don’t need to have it on, switch it off
• make sure you have a good signal: if you’re in an area with a poor signal or no signal at all, your phone will work flat out to find one and connect to the nearest available network. This is a drain on power so turn off your phone until you’re back in a good reception area
• whilst game playing has come on in leaps and bounds, it’s not healthy for your battery’s life – if you need your phone to last, resist the urge to play
• it sounds obvious but there’s no better way of conserving your battery life than using your phone sparingly and turning it off when it’s not in use

What is 3G?

3G is the ‘third generation’ in mobile communications and enables wireless communication quickly and easily, with internet access on the go, TV on your mobile and video calling.

What do you get with 3G?

3G opens up a whole new world that can be accessed from your pocket. It brings phone conversations to life and allows internet access on the move. With it you can experience:

• person to person video
• live streaming
• downloadable video of entertainment, news, current affairs and sport content
• video messaging
• global positioning systems

Find out more about 3G.

Is 3G worth the money?

If you want to experience the cutting edge in mobile technology, you wouldn’t be there without 3G.

If you want to have regular video calls with friends or family, or if you want to access the internet regularly from your phone, 3G is much better value than 2/2.5G. It has a greater bandwidth and is up to six times faster, so downloading music and streaming video to your phone is far quicker and therefore cheaper. You can also send bigger files more quickly through 3G.

Whilst coverage is expanding rapidly in the UK, it can be unreliable and calls made using 3G can often be interrupted or lost altogether. 3G only works inside buildings in areas that have particularly good network coverage, so check the coverage in the areas where you’ll want to access 3G services most regularly before you buy.

As 3G handsets become increasingly common, a variety of 3G phones are already available for free when you sign up for a pay monthly contract.

Can I use my current handset to access 3G services?

You can only access 3G services with a 3G enabled handset. So if your current mobile is a 2G (second generation) mobile you’ll need to upgrade to 3G.

Can I use my 3G phone anywhere?

All 3G phones are dual mode so if you’re in an area that doesn’t have 3G reception, you can switch to GSM. If you’re going abroad, you should check with your network operator that your phone will work in the country you’re visiting, and whether you’ll be able to access 3G services whilst you’re there. This information is usually quick and easy to find on your network operator’s website.