topic Re: Fair usage policy in Mobile Broadband

Fair usage policy

David_ch — Tue, 16 Jan 2024 10:46:35 GMT

I would like to use an EE sim in a 4g/5g router at home. I am having some difficulty getting to the bottom of the Fair Use Policy. There are two sets of terms and conditions (both listed as being current) on the website for 4g/5g mobile data sims, but no indication as to which 4g/5g product they apply to. One is headed 4g/5g WiFi and suggests the data limit is 600gb a month. The other is headed 4g/5g Home and mentions a FUP of 1,000gb. To add to the confusion, a member of the telephone sales team has just told me that if you purchase over the phone, there is no Fair Usage Policy in the contract at all. He sent me a link to those Ts and Cs, but it didn’t work. As the 600gb limit would be too restrictive for me (and, I imagine, for many homes dependent on cellular for their broadband) I also contacted the Business section of EE to see if they had more suitable plans. EE says they reserve the right to transfer you to a business plan if you exceed monthly limits, but it appears from the online T and Cs there is no business plan that offers a more generous limit, though depending who you speak to, there is either a 500gb limit or none at all. I was unable to check the T and Cs he was referring to, but the online T and Cs are fairly clear that the FUP is 500gb. Perhaps it is different if you buy it over the phone.

The EE website is a bit of a mess and data limits are clearly not well understood by staff. Does anyone know which data limit would apply to a data sim purchased for a home modem, whether it is at all credible that sims purchased over the phone have different terms and conditions attached and what business plan is available (say to a sole trader) that would have a more generous allowance?

Re: Fair usage policy

XRaySpeX — Tue, 16 Jan 2024 11:47:18 GMT

If you have an unlimited data SIM there is a FUP of 600GB pm after which your speeds may be reduced drastically perhaps to 1 Meg, in all cases. See Unlimited Plans

Re: Fair usage policy

David_ch — Tue, 16 Jan 2024 13:00:42 GMT

That contradicts the 1000gb policy statement online and what I have been told - though you may well be correct. Staff are very vague and after an hour on the phone navigating various department I haven’t had the same answer twice and am no wiser. The website is a bit of a mess to navigate and the question arises why EE would have only two data plans - one for 500gb and one unlimited that is actually only 100gb a month more.

The other questions still stand. If you are implying that all the business data-only plans have the same restriction (in spite of what I have been categorically told) do you know what EE means when it says they reserve the right to move you onto a more suitable business plan if in fact there isn’t one?

Re: Fair usage policy

XRaySpeX — Tue, 16 Jan 2024 13:25:09 GMT

Where do you find a 1000GB policy statement online ? When unlimited data plans 1st came out they had a FUP of 1TB pm but that was fairly rapidly reduced to 600GB.

EE has data plans of all shapes & sizes, not just 500GB, not that I can see that, & unlimited.

Sorry, not familiar with business plans.

Re: Fair usage policy

David_ch — Tue, 16 Jan 2024 14:05:41 GMT

https://ee.co.uk/help/terms-and-conditions/mobile-broadband

The two T and C documents seem to be for two different services - 4g/5g WiFi and 4g/5g Home. They are both described as current. The data-only sim for a modem is available with only two data allowances 500gb and unlimited (ie 600gb).

Perhaps someone with some knowledge of the business contracts can comment, though the indications are that, in spite of what it says in the home use contracts, EE doesn’t actually have a business plan to put people on that provides more data.

Re: Fair usage policy

XRaySpeX — Tue, 16 Jan 2024 14:28:27 GMT

The Home plan, which I not seen before, with a 1TB FUP is for a compatible laptop/tablet in fixed location only. Yet there is a 3rdT&C's for TABLET AND LAPTOP PLANS with the usual FUP of 600GB. Maybe it's the fixed location that does it.

I still don't see this "only two data allowances 500GB and unlimited" business for the WiFi plan.

Re: Fair usage policy

David_ch — Tue, 16 Jan 2024 14:57:53 GMT

There is also mention of using the sim in a modem and for tethering. It just says you will need a laptop or tablet or other WiFi enabled device to access the service, which I suppose goes without saying. The 500gb and unlimited plans are the only 5g options listed in the same document. The same options (and prices) for a sim and modem with the same two data allowances can also be found here:

https://ee.co.uk/broadband/pay-monthly-mobile-broadband-gallery/smart-5g-hub-details

According to phone sales these are the options available on a data-only sim too, but whether the 1000gb or 600gb limit applies was not clarified. I haven’t actually managed to find data-only sims (without the modem) on the website, although I was told by telephone sales that I could get one for £23. I suspect this is simply a mobile phone sim with unlimited data - plus a call and text allowance that I won’t need - and probably 600gb limit. As I say, I find the website difficult to navigate with much conflicting/missing information apparent when you dig into it.

Re: Fair usage policy

XRaySpeX — Tue, 16 Jan 2024 15:07:31 GMT

See PAY MONTHLY DATA SIMS for data only SIMs. You'd be better off getting an EE Connected Data SIM from somewhere like Amazon.

Re: Fair usage policy

David_ch — Tue, 16 Jan 2024 15:21:05 GMT

Thanks for your responses. The questions remain about the applicable FUP, whether Terms and Conditions really are different when buying over the phone and the business plan options. I don’t know whether EE staff respond on these forums but I was hoping they might be able to provide a definitive reply, although my recent experience of calling them with these questions suggests otherwise.

Re: Fair usage policy

XRaySpeX — Tue, 16 Jan 2024 15:45:11 GMT

It's all in my 1st response!

Re: Fair usage policy

David_ch — Tue, 16 Jan 2024 16:02:03 GMT

Glad you think so! Thanks anyway.

Re: Fair usage policy

sushantlok2024 — Mon, 04 Mar 2024 17:55:00 GMT

@MidgeY2K - any ideas on the speed once you are past FUP usage ?

Re: Fair usage policy

sushantlok2024 — Mon, 04 Mar 2024 17:57:38 GMT

@David_ch @XRaySpeX - I am one of those struggling with the FUP limits on the unlimited 5G wifi plan, any ideas on the speeds following the FUP usage ?

Re: Fair usage policy

XRaySpeX — Mon, 04 Mar 2024 18:50:14 GMT

@sushantlok2024 V. low, perhaps as low as 1 Meg.

Re: Fair usage policy

MidgeY2K — Wed, 01 Jan 2025 11:34:12 GMT

This is what mine looks like. Appears you get a 100Gb roll over if you don’t use it.

600GB is not enough for a modern standard household. The only time I don’t run out is when we are on holiday for 2 weeks!

The speed after I run out is variable. I assume I just get low priority on data. Typically it’s as low as 10MB and I normally run out with about 10 days left of the month.

Like many people here, I would pay a bit more for a larger monthly allowance.

EE need to offer this.

Re: Fair usage policy

David_ch — Wed, 01 Jan 2025 12:17:01 GMT

The T&Cs include references to putting you on a “more suitable” contract if you consistently exceed your supposedly unlimited (600GB) monthly data allowance or tether more than (as I recall) a dozen or so items - both of which any modern household will probably do fairly easily. However, trying to find that more suitable contract is another matter. Neither the consumer nor business sales and support helplines can shed any light on it and seem in any case to be only dimly aware of the fair use policies of the contracts they are selling.