Benefits of choosing EE
- Amazon Prime video. EE's Smart plans come with Amazon Prime Video as an added benefit. That means you can stream your favourite movies, TV shows and Amazon originals at no extra cost.
- Free Apple Music. All of EE's SIM only plans come with 6 months of Apple Music for free. They also cover the data, so you can stream and download music at no cost to your data allowance. EE customers can text "MUSIC" to 150 to get this offer.
- Free BT Sport. You can also get three months of access to the BT Sport app for free by texting "SPORT" to 150.
- EE tickets. A nice little touch to finish EE benefits is priority booking for events at the Wembley, with the chance to win tickets for sports events and concerts.
Which plan is right for me?
The main two EE SIM only contracts are Essential and Smart. There's a range of deals; from affordable Essential SIMs, to feature-loaded, unlimited data Smart SIMs. All SIM only contracts include unlimited calls and texts as standard.
Essential plan
The Essential Plan is EE's standard package. It's by no means a “basic” deal, offering big data packages at slightly lower prices than its Smart counterpart. You can enjoy nippy 4G speeds of up to 60Mbps, which is more than enough to cover most people's needs — even those of the fanatical consumer. You can enjoy the benefits of free Apple Music, BT Sport, and free roaming in 48 European destinations too.
Smart plan
EE's Smart plan features some additional benefits. One of those is an increase to the maximum data speed, from 60Mbps to 90Mbps. At the heart of this plan is the swappable benefits, which is exactly what you might imagine. You get the choice of six swappable benefits, with the main three being:
- BT Sport streaming via the BT Sport app
- Roam Further, which lets you roam freely in the USA, Canada, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand.
- Amazon Prime video streaming
These benefits come included in the price, so there's no extra cost. Depending on what Smart plan you choose, you can have one or two of these benefits active at any time, and you can swap them as you please.
The other three benefits are data passes that cover all of your data, for either: music streaming, video streaming, or gaming — so you can choose one of those to avoid eating into your allowance.
Any SIM marked with a swappable benefit is a Smart SIM.
Data coverage and speed with EE
EE offer the fastest speeds and lowest latency for both 3G and 4G, by a healthy margin.
Their average 4G speed is 29Mbps, which will have you comfortably streaming HD videos, gaming and listening to music with no compromises. Top speeds on their Essential plan is 60Mbps, while on their Smart plan it's 90Mbps. EE are a great choice if you want a solid, reliable data connection.
Do EE offer 5G contracts?
EE were the first network to roll out 5G in the UK, with 26 locations expected between 2019/20. EE are one of two networks currently offering 5G with other networks expected to follow soon though. You can find the best 5G EE SIM contracts on this page — look out for the 5G Smart SIM marked plans.
You will soon be able to use 5G in 26 UK cities, as EE are quick to roll out their new capabilities nationwide. 5G gives you speeds of up to 200Mbps, and user reporting has shown speeds up to 220Mbps for EE's 5G service. To see if you're in an area covered by 5G, you can check EE 5G coverage here.
Is EE a good network for roaming?
EE offer free roaming in 48 European destinations on all of their SIM only contracts. If you're planning on going further afield, you can add a "Roam Further" pass to any Essential plan, for £10 extra per month. This will allow you to roam freely in destinations such as the USA, Mexico, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and more. This is a great, no-commitment offer that doesn't charge excessively for roaming, working on a 30-day rolling basis. If you choose a Smart plan, Roam Further is included in the price as a swappable benefit.
If you want to see how the big 4 networks compare for roaming, see our network roaming comparison.
Frequently asked questions
Is EE the right network for me?
If you're looking for a reliable network with the best speeds and coverage, EE is easy pickings based on the data. Their prices reflect this a bit, but they still offer competitively priced deals. If you're dead-set on a bargain, you should see how all of our SIM only deals compare.
Is 12 months the only contract offered by EE?
All of EE's standard SIM only deals are 12-month contracts. They have more recently started offering Flex plans which are rolling, 30-day contract SIM cards. They are more expensive and have limited minutes, but you get the benefit of not being on a contract.
Do EE offer Wi-Fi calling?
Yes. All EE SIM only deals include Wi-Fi calling which is perfect if you have any weak signal spots at home.
Do EE allow free tethering?
Tethering is included as standard with your data allowance. You will use that allowance when tethering.
Where can I get 5G?
5G is still being rolled out across the UK, but it is currently available in London, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Coventry, Bristol, Leicester, Belfast, Birmingham and Manchester. As there will be more to come see their coverage checker for the most up-to-date information.
Is my data really unlimited on EE's Unlimited packages?
EE Unlimited is completely unlimited for personal use. Their fair use policy states anything beyond 1000GB/month is considered to be commercial use (but that's a colossal amount of data!).