A guide to smaller virtual mobile network providers

When you think of mobile networks, certain names probably spring to mind. EE, O2, Vodafone and Three (now VodafoneThree) are the UK networks that tend to dominate the market, yet often score poorly in our customer surveys. 

Smaller, alternative networks have established themselves and are becoming more popular, such as Giffgaff, Lebara and Smarty. You can read about many of these in our guide to the best and worst mobile networks.

But there are more networks launching all the time, often with great prices and useful perks. We've rounded up a selection that don't appear in our regular survey to help you pick the perfect provider.

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Spusu

Founded in Austria in 2015, Spusu expanded to Italy and Switzerland, then launched in the UK in 2023. Unusually for a mobile network, it is a family-owned company with no outside investors. 

The price your contract starts at is frozen until at least January 2026, so you won’t experience bill hikes. Spusu has committed to not using AI chatbots for customer service. Instead, customers can contact the network by email, phone or WhatsApp.

If you also need a phone, Spusu has a small selection available to purchase outright.

• Network: EE
• EU roaming allowance: all plans have free roaming, but the GB limit varies

Looking to cut your monthly costs? Read our 10 ways to save money on your mobile phone bill, or check our guide to the best mobile contract and SIM-only deals.

Mozillion

This brand started as a platform for buying and selling mobile phones, before later launching a mobile network. 

Sim only plans and pay monthly phone plans are available, all with fixed prices. You can buy a brand new Sim free phone, or a refurbished device that comes with a twelve month warranty. 

A slightly different offering to others in this roundup, you could try and find a bargain by using Mozillion to sell your old phone, pick up a better but refurbished phone, and match it with a Sim deal. 

• Network: EE
• EU roaming allowance: 50% of 1GB plan allowance, 25% of 3GB to 100GB plan allowance, and 25GB of unlimited plans.

Honest Mobile

The loyalty penalty is notorious across many industries, from mobile and broadband to insurance and mortgages – the longer a customer stays with a provider, the more they pay each year. This has been particularly problematic with mobile contracts, with recent years seeing annual increases by some providers of nearly 18%. 

Started in 2019, Honest's unique feature is that their customer’s bills drop by 0.41% every month they stay with the network. This accumulates up to a maximum discount of 30%. It’s an alternative take on the discounts and price freezes usually offered by mobile providers. 

Honest also offers Smart Sim, an eSim that can connect to all the big four networks to get the best signal. This also provides free roaming in over 180 countries when using over 200 essential apps such as for messaging, navigation and banking.  

• Network: Classic Sims use Three, Smart Sim switches between EE, O2, Three and Vodafone depending on signal strength 
• EU roaming allowance: free for the first five days, then £2 a day

Find out more: Who is Honest Mobile and are its Sim deals good value?

RWG Mobile

Founded in 2015, this network was the first all-Wales mobile network with 5G, and a fully bilingual (English and Welsh) customer experience. Although designed with the Welsh market in mind, RWG’s plans are available to the whole of the UK.

A variety of plans are available, from the usual pay monthly and add-ons, to a more unusual pay upfront or ‘buy and forget’ tariff. This means you can buy 12 months, 24 months, or even five years worth of monthly data with a one-off upfront fee. The data allowances for these are fairly small, but you can add more data and roaming. 

RWG also offers multi network Sims that can connect to any of the big four networks, depending on which signal is strongest in the area. However, they’re only available for 100MB, 1GB, 5GB and 10GB. 

• Network: EE
• EU roaming allowance: 20GB

Superdrug Mobile

You might be wondering why a health and beauty retailer launched a mobile network. The answer is that the brand is owned by CK Hutchison Holdings, which operates Three mobile, and many other telecoms providers around the world. 

Superdrug Mobile offers just two tariffs, both rolling monthly contracts: 30GB of data for £10 a month, or unlimited data for £20 a month. The 30GB deal includes rollover of unused data into the next month. 

Some further perks include reward points on activation and renewal, double points on all Superdrug shopping, plus Superdrug VIP offers and discounts.

• Network: Three
• EU roaming allowance: 12GB

How to switch mobile networks

Text to switch has made switching mobile network easier than ever. You need a porting authorisation code (PAC), which you get with a simple text message from your current network provider. Previously, to get a PAC you had to call your provider, who would often try to deter you from switching and make the process frustrating. 

To switch and keep the same mobile number, text PAC to 65075. Your current mobile provider should send you a text within one minute, and the PAC lasts for 30 days. The text will also have important information such as any charges for early termination (although this won’t apply if you’re out of contract). Give the PAC to your new provider, which has to complete the switch within one working day. 

To switch and change your number, text STAC to 75075 to receive your service termination authorisation code, then follow the same procedure as if you’d received a PAC. 

For more information on switching, such as how to switch if you're in a contract, and how to choose a provider with the best signal, read our full guide on how to switch mobile provider.

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