What to consider when sourcing your business mobiles, and which mobile phone company is right for you? The answer may not be what you expect.
To choose the right network when purchasing business mobiles it’s best to use the most up to date information to make your decision. Often people have a negative view of mobile phone companies based on an experience they had with poor coverage five years ago when they vowed never to go back to that network! But new masts get put up and signal strengths change, so don’t dismiss any one network out of hand. Here are some things to consider when choosing your company mobiles:
Sourcing your business mobiles: deal direct or use a dealer?
It’s a common misconception that you will get a better price if you deal directly with a network rather than through a business mobile dealership. It seems to make logical sense – surely the network will offer the best price because there isn’t a middleman adding a percentage?
As a telecoms provider to business, you’d probably expect us to argue that this isn’t true, but really – it isn’t! Dealers have access to exactly the same pricing as a salesmen in a high street shop, or in the mobile phone company’s call centre. And if they are a good dealer, their motivation will not be the same as the phone company’s salesperson. The salesperson will often (or usually) be thinking about the commission to be earned, but a good dealer will want a long term relationship and will be happier to make less commission in return for sourcing exactly the right package for the business on the most appropriate mobile phone company’s network.
If you’re looking at pricing, then unlimited calls and texts are almost always included in today’s contracts, so there are only two major drivers of price difference – amount of data and the cost of the mobile devices.
Data usage on your company mobiles
It’s really important to analyse and fully understand what your company mobiles’ data requirements are. Different mobile phone companies offer different data packages, which may be a data allowance per user or a pooled data allowed shared across all users. It’s important to understand the differences and be aware of what package you’re signing up to, in order to avoid unexpected charges or data restrictions.
How much data you are currently using is not necessarily what you will be using towards the end of the contract. Technology changes and people’s individual habits changes, so in eighteen months’ time your company mobiles may be using twice as much data as currently. This means it’s worth future-proofing yourself, although clearly if you’re only averaging 1GB of data per user per month you probably don’t need a tariff with 50GB per user. Speak to a dealer who can analyse your usage and recommend the right tariff for your business needs.
Overspend on data usage can be a major earner for mobile phone companies. Although tariffs are quoted as offering Gigabytes of data, overspend is calculated in megabytes which has the convenient impact of making it sound quite cheap. But 5p per megabyte equates to £50 per Gigabyte so your employees could rapidly rack up additional charges. It’s important to understand the terms and conditions of any contract you sign up to, which is where a dealer can help explain things fully to you.
Which handsets for your company mobiles?
As well as data, the other obvious price differentiator is the handset you choose. Clearly the top of the range iPhone for business is going to cost more than a mid-range Samsung company mobile if you were to buy one off the shelf, so if it’s included in the monthly cost the impact will be significant. That much is obvious.
There are, however, different ways to put together the right mobile phone package for a business. The handset and the SIM card are two different things. When purchasing a business mobile phone contract direct from a mobile phone company then you may be tempted to get the handset as well, but a dealer can offer a wider range of alternatives. For a start, you could upgrade only some of the handsets, and retain a hardware fund to upgrade other company mobiles at a later date. Or you could opt for refurbished handsets which, just like nearly-new cars, can offer a significant saving.
Network coverage for your company mobiles
Inevitably there are variations in network coverage, so this is something worth checking. There are only 4 networks in the UK – all other providers are actually Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs), which means they utilise and lease another network’s infrastructure, a bit like a white-label reseller.
Mobile coverage is generally good on all networks in cities and major towns across the UK, however if your work involves lots of travel, for example a travelling sales rep, you may want to check the network coverage for the UK providers.
EE
As the result of the merger of T Mobile and Orange, EE has probably the best coverage in the UK, although like the others there are some blackspots. EE are owned by BT, and BT Mobile uses the EE network, as does Asda, Virgin Mobile and Plusnet.
We offer all of our handsets with EE contracts, well as EE Business SIM-Only deals.
O2
Like EE, O2 offers excellent coverage. The O2 network is used by Sky Mobile and Virgin Mobile. However, as a business dealer the game changer for us is Plan.com who use the O2 network and offer one of the most innovative and powerful systems amongst UK mobile phone companies. As well as having a completely customisable range of tariffs to suit each individual business, it incorporates a range of alerts, tracking systems and functionality which isn’t offered by any other network. We are great lovers of Plan, and use this to help our clients manage their monthly spend. Contact us to find out why we are so enthusiastic.
Vodafone
Our experience is that Vodafone coverage can be patchy outside major cities, although it’s worth looking at their signal checker to see if this isn’t the case for you: https://www.vodafone.co.uk/network/status-checker. Vodafone does benefit from an excellent global roaming package which allows you to use your data allowance in over 150 countries – great if you are a regular business traveller outside of Europe.
We offer Vodafone Business SIM Only Contracts in our online business mobile shop.
3
3 or Three has not traditionally concentrated on the business market and has fewer MVNOs using its network. However, one excellent provider for business users is the Gamma network which piggybacks on 3 and is built specifically for businesses. There are some great savings to be had on Three Business SIM cards.
More than one network?
Mobile phone companies will all claim they have the best network everywhere but as users we know that’s not the case. If staying connected at all times is crucial to your business, then one option to consider is more than one network for one or more of your company mobiles. There are three options:
- A handset with multiple sims. You can then use whichever network is stronger.
- A multi-network sim card. Ideal if your phone (like most) has only one SIM card slot. We offer the Gamma MultiNet sim which defaults to the Gamma (3) network but automatically changes to another network in areas of weak signal.
- One physical SIM and the addition of an eSIM from another network. You’ll need an unlocked phone for this to work, but it can be a great solution for accessing more than one network.
Wifi Calling
The other option to consider is wifi calling on your company mobiles. Poor network coverage is often more of an issue indoors because of walls, steelwork etc. degrading the mobile signal, but this is exactly where wifi signals are strongest. So your office may be in an area of poor indoor coverage, but wifi calling solves this problem. All four mobile phone companies offer this as an option.
Roaming
The final thing to think about for your business mobiles is the extent to which you or your staff travel abroad. Most providers now have different levels of roaming charges for when you use the device abroad, depending on where you are. EU countries are usually the cheapest to access, with plans then increasing for other worldwide destinations. Outside of Europe, data charges can rapidly increase if you don’t have the correct bolt-on to your tariff. The answer to this is to plan with your dealer ahead of travel.
O2 Roaming
O2 is the best network provider for those who wish to travel abroad and use their business contracts. This is because they’re the only major UK provider who has inclusive roaming in 48 European destinations, making it a fantastic choice for those who do regular business trips in Europe.
They have add-ons, which they market as ‘Bolt Ons,’ for other destinations. For example, their 02 Travel Bolt On gives unlimited data, minutes and texts in 75 destinations outside of Europe, while their Data Roaming Bolt On offers various data allowances and prices for all countries, depending on your destination.
EE Roaming
EE roaming packages are more costly, which may be a significant drawback if you regularly travel abroad. To access data abroad you’ll need their Roam Abroad Pass, which gets you access to whatever data, minutes and texts are in your normal plan. However, this costs £25 a month*, which is likely to make it a prohibitive expense for those who need regular access to their business mobile phone abroad.
Vodafone Roaming
Vodafone’s roaming charges are split into four zones, with pricing dependent on your destination. Zone A includes the Republic of Ireland, Isle of Man, Norway and Iceland and will allow you to access your plan at no extra cost. Zone B covers European destinations and will cost £2.42 per day* while you’re there, with other destinations covered by Zone C and D that have a £7.39 daily charge*
Three Roaming
Three also splits its roaming charges into zones called ‘Go Roam.’ Go Roam in Europe, as the name suggests, covers European destinations and gives you access to your plan for £2 per day.* Go Roam Around the World covers a further 22 countries, with Go Roam Around the World Extra giving you access to a further 92 destinations. These two plans will cost £5 per day or £7 per day, respectively.*
Please note: these prices and destinations are correct at the time of writing, or updating, this article. You should double check roaming charges before signing up to a network, or speak to one of your team for the most up-to-date advice.
Finding the right plan
Now that you’re armed with all the information you need, you can go about choosing your next business mobile contracts with confidence. If you need some help on specific handsets or deals, you can take a look at our list of best mobiles for business, a regularly updated article with a range of recommended handsets depending on your needs.
Or if you’re after a bargain, you can take a look at our collection of budget business phones, where we have gathered the cheapest business mobiles that can still provide everything you need from a company phone.
