Mobile data not working after switch to EE

[Adie73]

I've just moved from BT mobile to EE (same company now) and was told by the BT sales team that it would be the same service with an EE SIM card and that BT Mobile was winding down. I have a Samsung S8 which has been fine with BT. As soon as I put the EE SIM card in, no data. I spent hours on the phone and an hour and a half in an EE shop. The data worked when the EE employee put his SIM card in the phone. That card was a couple of years old. I've tried a friend's and his is 3 years old. That works. My family had new EE SIM's at the same time as me. The iPhone's are ok. I was told I would be sent a new 4G SIM. EE sent a 5G and am now told that they no longer have 4G SIMs. He's technical team admit there is a problem with some Android phones and the 5G SIMs and they don't have a fix. I wish I could go back to BT but am told this is not possible. EE have offered 2 options, either allow me to cancel the contract (not a good sign for consumer confidence for their business model) or I purchase a new phone to rectify the situation. As EE are aware of this problem, customers should be made aware, particularly the BT sales staff who are all part of the same company. This issue has cost me financially through many hours trying to resolve this problem, and almost 3 weeks later, I still have no data which I have paid for. 

[James_B]

Hi @Adie73,

Welcome to the EE Community. 🙂

To use 5G on EE, you just need a compatible device and a 5G plan. There isn't a different type of SIM card made specifically for 5G.

I'd recommend contacting Technical Support so a member of the team can run through some diagnostics and find the cause of this issue.

They'll be happy to help.

James

[XRaySpeX]

BT Mobile & EE are not the same co.; just 2 separate cos. under the same umbrella.

[Plaincaper]

I had the same problem with EE today.

My new EE multi SIM does not support data on my Samsung Galaxy S8. Likewise I was on the phone with EE tech support for over an hour running various diagnostics and Settings changes on my phone to no affect. Still no data. When the problem was escalated in EE to Level 2 tech support, they told me their 5G SIM does not support Android before version 11.  My Galaxy S8 is Version 9.

EE could offer no solution other than get a newer phone or cancel my contract. 

My old SIM with O2 has been cancelled when my number transferred.  I am not hopeful about going back to them and maybe having the same problem with their new generation on 5G compatible SIMs.

It would not take much effort on EE's part to put a warning note on their order site for their SIM only products for what is a KNOWN ISSUE. They don't work on older phones!!

So, I have been left caught in the middle at my own expense and am not impressed. 

[Katie_B]

Good morning @Plaincaper. 

Welcome to the community. 

I am sorry to hear this was only discovered once you had ported your number over to EE. 

To use 5G on EE you will need a 5G plan and a 5G device. 

More information on using 5G on EE can be found on this page HERE.

Katie

[Plaincaper]

I understand that. Thanks Katie.

I however am not interested in 5G. I was happy with my old 4G phone.  I fully expected EE SIMs to be backward compatible. Shame! I swapped for the excellent coverage but it's not to be. 

[Leanne_T]

Hi @Plaincaper 

To discuss your options please get back in touch with our mobile care team on 150, they will see what they can do to help. 

Leanne 🙂

[Plaincaper]

Hi Leanne

I don't have the energy to pursue this with EE. It should have been right first time. I'm off to another supplier. I've given my PAC to them and the transfer is pending. Expected tomorrow 18th July.

I shall be expecting a full refund of my first EE bill which has already been debited - for a service that doesn't work!!

Kind regards

[Christopher_G]

I'm sorry to hear that you're leaving, @Plaincaper.

That is something you will need to discuss with our Mobile Care team.

Chris

[kalico]

Feb 2024.  Has anyone else found this problem?  I have EXACTLY the same issue.

So, we have the UK's largest network, EE, and the world's number 1 Android phone brand, Samsung.  EE (through acquisition or otherwise) are taking customers moving from the likes of BT and (in my case) Plusnet.  We are promised a smooth transition.

The SIMs that EE sends will not work with Android 9, which is still an operating system with a massive userbase.  Nobody is told about this in advance.  The only options I was given are a) Buy a new handset, b) cancel the contract in cooling off period.

Any other network will still work fine, because they are not sending out SIM cards that won't work with slightly older phones.

Sounds like something the media and regulators need to know about, because this is a breach of contract or, at best, very poor service that nobody is told about it in advance.