Are all EE Phone Contracts 24 months Now

[Pikkapen]

So, if Sky and Virgin are using the EE network, why can’t we have a 36 month contract from EE? I can get a new iPhone 11 for £18 per month from Sky, with 64Gb! £20 p.m. for 128Gb. It’s a 36 month contract, but with a new phone option every 24 months. 

[mikeliuk]

Hi @Pikkapen ,

Not everyone's experience will be the same for a network due to location dependent factors. I've been with Virgin Mobile for awhile and I believe it will go to Vodafone in the short term for 5G service, perhaps with future changes due to interactions with O2.

Sky apparently uses O2.

https://kenstechtips.com/index.php/mobile-operators-explained-virtual-networks-and-coverage

Choice and variety is typically a good thing for consumers.

https://www.opensignal.com/reports/2021/09/uk/mobile-network-experience

[wardi]

@Pikkapen .. I would guess most mobile users wouldn't want to be tied to the same phone for 3 years.  Read some of the threads on here - some people want to change after 1 year!

[Chris_B]

@Pikkapen  Virgin sort of have their own network now so don’t EE, and to my knowledge sky have never used EE.  

     NVMO networks only use one the the 4 network operators to provide their customers a signal.  What that network operator offers to their customers has nothing to do with MNVO network or what that MVNO network offers their customers.    Nothing stopping you from changing network so you can have a 36 month contract, 

 you’ll also probably find you’ll pay more over the 36 months compared to a 24 month contract. 

 You also say with a new phone option at 24 months and will that be a new 36 month contract at that point.  You might want to find that out first.   

[bristolian]

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@Chris_B wrote:

@Pikkapen  Virgin sort of have their own network now so don’t EE, and to my knowledge sky have never used EE.  

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Virgin is a particularly complex example, and not easily explained without some understanding of mobile network architecture. The simple explanation is that they have used their own central/core-network for a few years now, but have always relied on their MVNO-host network for radio coverage, and this continues to be the case now.

Sky have always used O2 - and what Sky Mobile offer will be completely different to what O2 offer, in the same way as EE's offerings will be different to PlusNet's offerings.