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TIP: Deciding whether or not to have a UK number should be based on the length of your stay in the UK. If the duration of your course is more than 3 months, we would recommend getting a non-contract UK SIM card which you can use and discard whenever you wish. A contract bundle is not necessary unless you are staying for a very long time; such as for an entire undergraduate degree (3-4 years) or a lengthy postgraduate course (2-year Masters or 3-year PhD).
Do I need a UK mobile phone?
These days, a lot of communication is done via WhatsApp and social media and for that all you need is a wi-fi connection. As of January 2023, 96% of built-up UK (meaning your average town) has broadband access. You should check with your home carrier to ensure you do not incur any extra roaming charges when outside of an area with broadband connection. Most European and American phone companies offer plans with no international roaming charge but this would depend on the plan you have with them. Please check. Otherwise, if you are in the UK for 3 months or less, you can get by with connecting to the broadband in your student halls, house, café, library or most public buildings you find yourself in.
If you have a phone with a double SIM function, check to see if the phone does accept UK SIM cards. You may need to unlock it prior to coming which would allow you to install a physical UK SIM card alongside your home SIM card.
What are the different subscription options?
There are two main options: a PAYG (Pay-As-You-Go) bundle or a contract. A PAYG is simply getting a SIM card and topping-up a bundle of your choice until you no longer have use for it. There is no contract and you stop using it whenever you like.
A contract is signing-up with a mobile operator for a set number of months at a fixed fee which you must pay each month until the expiration of your contract. Contracts are usually taken out by people who live and work in the UK as they often include other benefits you can take advantage of (home broadband packages, family member packages, access to priority tickets for events, access to public hotspots, etc.) Also with a contract, you may get the latest phone at no (or very low) downpayment. The other possible advantage to having a contract phone for an international student is that it helps you build up your credit rating but that is only a benefit if you plan on settling in the UK long-term.
PAYG
Contract
No contract. Use only as needed and stop using with no hassle.
Contract of a fixed minimum fee which must be paid on time or risk adverse credit rating.
Can use your existing phone (if compatible).
Usually requires getting a phone from the mobile operator which is built into the contract.
If on holiday back home or somewhere else, you do not have to worry about payment especially if not in usage.
Whether in use or not, the minimum fee, at the very least, still has to be paid for the duration of the contract.
PAYG bundles can be very basic in that they give you the allowance you need for exactly what you want which is to make phone and receive phone calls and messages; and to surf the internet.
Contract bundles are a bit more expansive in that they offer other incentives from priority passes to family packages and home broadband depending on the package.
Should you wish to start building a credit rating in the UK, having a PAYG will not help with that.
A contract phone is one of the easiest ways to start building up one’s credit worthiness with UK credit rating agencies.
If you require a hi-spec or latest phone, you are likely to have to pay for one in the open market and then inserting it with the SIM.
Depending on the package, most contract bundles include the latest or very hi-spec phones.
What are the best phone companies to subscribe to?
LYCAMOBILE, VOXI, GIFFGAFF, LEBARA, SMARTY, TESCO MOBILE.
