Networks on Three: other mobile providers that use their signal
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If you know you want to use Three's network but want better benefits like EU roaming elsewhere, here are other providers that use their masts. Last updated: 19th December 2022.
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In our review of Three, we found the best part of their network is their lightning fast 5G. But lots of their best benefits have been scrapped, like worldwide roaming, making Three closer to being a no-frills provider than ever.
You should check their SIM only deals below (we often have hidden offers) before writing off Three completely. You can also use our phone comparison tool here if you want a phone contract.
Most of the smaller providers on Three now get identical 4G and 5G speeds and coverage to their hosts while also offering better value deals or extra benefits as a way of appealing to customers.
Here, we’ll go through all the providers that piggyback off Three’s network and outline their speeds, coverage, benefits and how their plans differ from being on Three directly.
Skip to: Who uses Three’s network | SIM only plans | Phone contracts
Who uses Three?
SMARTY share the same coverage as Three with more flexibility
What we like:
What we don't like:
SMARTY are a sub-brand of Three set up to offer a low cost choice for value hunters. You get identical coverage and speeds to being on Three, which is what we found in our Three vs SMARTY review.
That means you also get access to Three’s 5G in the same 400+ locations and the same typical speeds of 228.4 - 248.16 Mbps according to Opensignal and Speedtest by Ookla. This comes as standard.
Their WiFi/4G calling is similar to Three’s. On top of that SMARTY offer inclusive EU roaming where Three don’t. They also give you 10% off additional plans on your account. It’s value on top of value.
SMARTY tend to be better value than Three for SIM only plans when you compare their 1-month plans. All their SIMs are on 1-month plans, so you can change or leave whenever.
The worst parts about SMARTY are that they don’t offer phone contracts at all (unlike the next network we’ll go over) and they also only offer online customer service. You can’t call them or visit a store.
Useful link: Read our full review of SMARTY
iD Mobile offer the best value phone deals on Three
What we like:
What we don't like:
Thanks to being owned by Carphone Warehouse, iD Mobile offer better value phone deals than being on Three directly while offering the same 5G/4G/3G coverage and data speeds as being on Three. And they offer WiFi calling and 4G calling.
However, iD don’t really offer many unique benefits that you won’t get on Three. They do offer data rollover, that lets you keep your unused data for your next month, which helps you get the most out of your deal.
Their 1-month SIM only plans beat Three’s 1-month plans on price and let change or leave your plan when you like without notice. iD also offer longer contracts that are better value per month if you prefer:
iD’s phone contracts are usually a lot cheaper than Three’s and you can possibly get an even better deal getting an iD phone contract via currys.co.uk. Use our phone deal comparison tool to get the best possible value.
Useful link: Our full review of iD Mobile
Honest Mobile are an environmentally conscious network
What we like:
What we don't like:
Honest Mobile market themselves as the only carbon negative network. They will use part of the money you pay them to plant trees on your behalf and will show you what the impact of your custom has been.
They’ve offered 5G as standard for a while now, meaning you get signal in the same areas you would on Three. They used to have a feature called SmartSignal that let you connect to other main networks, but no longer.
Their EU roaming is arguably better than iD’s and SMARTY’s as there’s no fiddling around with account settings or complicated fair usage policies. Your deal is also discounted the longer you’re with them too.
We’d say this discount is necessary considering deals are worse value than other providers on Three (and Three themselves without the discount). You get 5% off after each year up to a potential 30% off your deal:
They don’t offer a lot of choice when it comes to the sorts of deals they have. We think they’re a good choice if you want to offset your negative environmental impact. Otherwise there are better choices.
Useful link: See our review of Honest Mobile
Superdrug Mobile offer flexible plans with extra benefits
What we like:
What we don't like:
If you usually shop at Superdrug then you’ll like the fact that the cost of your Superdrug SIM only deal will earn you points on your Superdrug Health and Beauty card. And you’ll earn twice as many points as usual!
But Superdrug Mobile are the only provider on Three to not offer access to 5G. Considering the main benefit of being on Three’s network is their 5G, that’s a big downside if you’re looking for the fastest speeds.
If you don’t mind that there are some decent benefits for joining them. They offer data rollover on every SIM only plan, all of which are also on 1-month deals meaning you can switch or leave when you like.
They generally work out quite a bit cheaper than Three while offering more flexibility in contracts. However there are no phone contracts and only four SIM only plans to choose from.
When you first sign up you’ll also get extra Health and Beauty card points which work out to the same amount as what you paid for your month. So it’s almost like getting your first month free.
Useful link: See their help page for more information
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