Advice for potential new customer for my Mum

[#1]

My elderly mum has asked me to find a provider that offers Broadband and a mobile sim so she can make the one payment for both. She is currently with TalkTalk and out of contract with them, and has a mobile sim with another provider, so I said I will look around for her to get some advice first. She would be happy with the 60-70mb fibre package but do you provide a sim card for her as well as one package, and I can get her mobile number ported over to that?

Its all about making the one payment for her, and I understand that, trying to decomplicate things in her old age. Thanks for reading, hope you can help guide me here.

Stuart.

[#2]

Plusnet stopped selling mobile SIMs in March 2023, and are encouraging existing users to port their mobile numbers to another provider before their mobile service is completely closed down.

ISPreview : Broadband ISP Plusnet Stops Selling Own Brand UK Mobile Plans 

[#3]

You are probably approaching your investigation from the wrong direction anyway !

The first thing you need to know is which mobile network will provide the best coverage in the areas where your Mum lives and travels to,  and then search for providers that use the mobile host network giving her the best signal availability.

Start by going to the Ofcom mobile checker -  https://checker.ofcom.org.uk/en-gb/mobile-coverage 

Then put in her postcode, and hit <Set postcode>

Select her address from the drop-down list

Then select <Indoor>  from the Indoor/Outdoor selection

and see from the list (EE,Three,O2,Vodafone) whether there is one or more that has ticks for voice and data.

If more than one operator does both, then hit <View map of available services>

then looking at the map, select <Indoor>

then select from the list each of the networks (EE, Three, O2, Vodafone)

and check which gives the best coverage for <Voice> and <Data>, and <5G data> where available !

Once you have determined which of EE, Three, O2, and Vodafone,  will give the best coverage, THEN you can start to look for providers that sell a mobile service that use your chosen host network.

Here is a list of UK mobile brands, showing which mobile host network they use -

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mobile_virtual_network_operators_in_the_United_Kingdom

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[#4]

Not wishing to complicate your search even more,  BUT ...

does your Mum also use a standard landline house phone, that might need to be incorporated into your "single payment" considerations ?

I ask because it is generally NOT possible to change PSTN phone providers since 5th September 2023.

However you can still port her existing landline phone number to a VoIP provider - so that she can continue to use her landline phone BUT it will need an adaptor to facilitate the handset being plugged in to her broadband router (instead of the wall phone socket).

ISPreview : Openreach Stop Selling New UK Analogue Phone Lines

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[#5]

Just reading your reply above, so my mum is with 02 for her mobile and TalkTalk (out of contract) for broadband. I will have a look at what mobile providers offer broadband, maybe thats the way to approach this. She does not need the landline anymore, and its getting phased out in a few years anyway.

[#6]

Sky and Virgin both do broadband and their mobile uses O2

That's not a recommendation from me,  but an example that it is possible !

[#7]

@nutbolt, it could be worth checking whether your mum is eligible for a social tariff - they are available for both broadband/phone and mobile from certain providers, and are available for anyone receiving certain benefits. They are significantly cheaper than most commercial deals - e.g. BT provide broadband and phone with a 700 minute call package for £15pm.  It would narrow your options somewhat, but could save a lot of money.

[#8]

I am going through this exact situation, except my mother-in-law would like to keep her landline pnone number, at least for a while - againg, this is to reduce the stress of losing contacts. So I will sort out a VoIP platform and port (move) her number to that.

I am quite close to convincing her to take one of my old mobile phones, at a minimum in case of emergency. You will read about power outage and VoIP not working, but that horse has already bolted with DECT phones requiring a base station - no power, no base station, no calls - even if the line is still active - which won't be the case over the next year or so anyway.

It does all mean that I'll likely have to manage 3 accounts: broadband, VoIP, mobile. That's progress!

[#9]

Interesting set of results for a postcode I have an interest in...

Outdoors...

Indoors

And from personal use of O2 at that location I'm not that hopeful on the reported indoor reception.

[#10]

I have poor indoor O2 reception, but have been able to use WiFi Calling which seems to work well - not just at home.

[#11]

What are these columns?

[#12]

Moderators Note

This topic has been moved from Broadband to Everything Else