jrawle wrote on Sep 19^th, 2006 at 10:47am:
I agree, there isn't one network/tariff thats cheapest for everything.  Each network/tariff has its good points and bad points and like you said it depends on personal usage.

I mostly text and make the odd call from mobiles so I use o2 where I get 300texts and 150off-peak xnet mins for topping up by £15 a month and still get my credit to spend as well.  This tariff never lasted long and new customers can't get this tariff.

Most people I ring are on o2 anyhow as most of them are on the free texts/mins like I am.  For those that aren't on the same network then I pay 40p/min if outside my inclusive mins or peak time.

Personally, I think Virgin tariff and that of o2's are very similar except o2 do free texts or mins whereas Virgin don't give anything for free - although virgin do charge 5p/min cheaper for calling xnet mobiles than o2.  As you said it depends on usage and if I had to ring virgin mobiles a lot then I'd reluctantly have to move to Virgin.

o2 also charge 15p/min like virgin do for NGN except 0871.  I did notice, however, some 0870 numbers on Virgin are charged at 50p/min (see their small print) which I assume these numbers are being used as dial-through providers for which Virgin have caught on to and have increased their prices accordingly as does all the mobile networks when they find out.

bbb_uk wrote on Sep 19^th, 2006 at 5:30pm:
Is that o2 Genie? Those SIM cards are still available from some online stores and on eBay (just in case anyone reading this is interested).

bbb_uk wrote on Sep 19^th, 2006 at 5:30pm:
Not quite. Those numbers are charged at 50p per call. They are not the ones used for dial-through providers, they are actually numbers that are fixed cost on BT (0871 321 is 5.1p +VAT on BT). Even if it was a dial-through number, 50p per call would be a bargain for having a long chat to a friend on a different network!

I suppose you could have the best of both worlds by putting  2 T-Mob Payg Sims in a dual sim holder. One on the 12p x-net tariff the other on the 3p text tariff.

jrawle wrote on Sep 19^th, 2006 at 10:33pm:
Yes, they're called o2 Online and have been for years now but before then they were known as o2 Genie.  You can still get the SIM cards from o2 themselves or sometimes they still do free o2 simcard offers but the tariff I'm on was stopped for new customers probably because it was costing o2 more money than they might make back.  The only tariffs available to new customers now are here.

jrawle wrote on Sep 19^th, 2006 at 10:33pm:
My mistake, I scanned the small print and noticed the 50p and assumed it was per min and not per call. 

I agree. I personally don't top up my Tesco Mobile with £15 a month but I still get the half price calls to my 3 favourite numbers and these are about the only numbers that I dial. Therefore a £10 top up will easily last me a year.