In this article, we’ve reviewed three of the best broadband and mobile phone/data SIM deals available in 2024.
We’ve looked at discounts available to mobile phone customers when you buy broadband from the same company, as well as broadband deals that come with included data SIM cards, or mobile data upgrades for existing mobile customers.
Virgin Media and O2 have merged their operations recently. As a result, if you have at least one O2 pay monthly phone plan registered at the same address as a Virgin Media Broadband connection, you can get the following benefits:
Double data on all O2 pay monthly phone plans.
A free speed boost to the next fastest Virgin Media package.
Up to 3 Wi-Fi signal boosters, known as WiFi pods, if needed.
If you’re not with either company, and you buy a new Virgin Media Broadband package, you can also get an O2 SIM bundled with a Volt plan, free of charge. And you can still keep your mobile number, if switching providers.
Virgin Media Broadband typically offers good value for money, although they sometimes charge an upfront cost.
The default contract is 18 months, which isn’t too long, and they offer blazing-fast speeds of up to 1,130 Mbps on their Gig1 package.
The downside to Virgin Media is their customer service isn’t as good as most other major providers. This is according to Ofcom customer satisfaction research – but we’ve also experienced the same sorts of issues using their M200 broadband package.
Vodafone’s broadband and mobile offer, known as Vodafone Together, is quite straightforward. Essentially, if you’re an existing pay monthly mobile customer, and you buy a broadband package, you can get a discount on your monthly bill.
This also works if you have multiple phone plans for different family members, or if you add more in future. Each additional tariff you add is eligible for a discount as well – so you can save money on both your broadband and your mobile phone plans, if you bundle with Vodafone.
The good thing about Vodafone’s fibre broadband deals is they come with no upfront fees, and they also offer a lot of flexibility.
No matter what download speed you want, there is a cheap package you can choose, which often offers some of the best value on the market. But if you pay more, you can get Pro II Broadband, which comes with a range of useful add-ons, including a WiFi 6 router, giving you better signal throughout the house, and a 4G broadband backup device, which can be quite useful to have if your internet ever goes offline.
However, when joining Vodafone Broadband, you will need to commit for an extended period. Their broadband plans come with a 24 month contract, and you need to be on a pay monthly phone tariff to access their combined discounts and offers – they’re not available to pay as you go customers.
EE has a similar range of offers for internet and mobile customers as Vodafone, and they’re a great choice if multiple people use (or want to use) EE Mobile at home.
If you join EE Broadband, every pay monthly EE Mobile plan you have that costs more than £10 per month will be upgraded to unlimited data, free of charge.
And if you want to add on extra unlimited data SIM cards, the cost to do this is a third of what it would normally be.
The downside is, your unlimited data SIMs will be restricted to 10 Mbps download speeds. However, EE does have the best 4G coverage in the UK of any mobile network, making them a great choice if you live in the countryside, or often travel to different parts of the UK.
The other good thing about EE is they offer some of the fastest broadband in the country. You can get download speeds of up to 1.6 Gbps in some full fibre locations, faster than what nearly all other providers offer.
Unfortunately though, unlike with Vodafone, there are no discounts available on broadband for existing mobile customers, or vice versa.
Easy to add more unlimited data SIMs for a low price.
Offers extremely fast fibre broadband.
Cons
Unlimited mobile data is speed-restricted to 10 Mbps.
No discounts available.
Frequently asked questions
In this part of the article, we’ve addressed some frequently asked questions you might have when shopping for a mobile and broadband bundle.
How do broadband and mobile phone deals work?
Depending on the provider you choose, there are a few different ways that broadband and phone plans can be structured:
As an existing mobile customer, you might get a discount on broadband if you switch to an internet plan with the same company.
As an existing mobile customer, you might get a data boost if you switch your broadband to the same company. Sometimes the same is true if you’re a broadband customer and you buy a pay monthly phone or a data SIM from the same company – your mobile data will be doubled, with no change to the monthly cost.
As an existing mobile customer, you might get a free upgrade to a faster broadband plan, if you switch your broadband to the same company.
With some providers, as a new customer, you can buy a broadband package bundled with a mobile SIM plan, for a cheaper price than it would cost to buy each separately.
Normally, you have to sign up for a pay monthly mobile tariff on a 12, 18, or 24 month contract to take advantage of one of these bundled deals.
Which telecoms companies offer broadband and mobile bundles?
Currently, only Vodafone, Virgin Media O2, and EE offer packaged internet and mobile plans, or discounts/benefits for customers that bundle both services with the same company.
Plusnet and BT used to offer similar deals, but these companies no longer offer mobile phone plans.
Sky does sell separate broadband and mobile phone services, but they don’t currently offer deals for customers who use both at the same time.
Is it worth bundling my broadband and mobile phone deal?
There are a number of advantages to buying broadband and mobile phone service from the same company:
You can often get extra data, free of charge.
You can often get the same amount of data for a cheaper price.
You might be able to combine everything into a single bill, making things a bit easier when it comes time to pay.
However, there are also some downsides to doing this:
Just because you get a discounted SIM plan doesn’t necessarily mean you’re getting good value for money. Make sure to check the price of a phone plan with a similar amount of data on other mobile networks, to see if getting a bundled SIM is really worth it.
You’ll need to make sure that you get good mobile signal with the provider you’re considering – you won’t have the ability to choose from multiple different networks.
If you ever need to change mobile networks, this will be harder than it otherwise would be, if you’re on a bundled plan. If you’re getting discounted broadband, you might find that your bills increase when you change mobile providers.
Broadband and SIM deals can be a good way to restructure your bills to make them more simple, and potentially save some money along the way.
However, they’re not suitable if you need a pay as you go SIM, and it’s important to make sure that the total price you’re paying is worth it, given the broadband speeds and amount of mobile data you’re getting.
Can multiple people in a single household take advantage of broadband and mobile bundles?
If you and your partner or children spend a lot of money each month on your mobile phone plans, you might be wondering whether you can bundle multiple SIMs with a broadband connection, rather than just one.
Normally, when you buy a broadband and mobile plan, the first discounted or bonus-data SIM is included for free, or for a lower price. Then, you have the option to buy additional SIM cards for other family members, if needed, for a lower monthly cost.
You’ll just need to make sure you’re logged into your customer account when buying the additional SIMs on the network’s website, to ensure you get the bonuses or discounts you’re entitled to.
How much mobile data do I need?
With certain providers, like Virgin Media, you can get a SIM plan included when you buy a broadband package.
In this case, you might be wondering if the SIM you’re getting has a high enough data limit for your needs.
To tell for certain, on most mobile phones, you can find out how much 4G or 5G data you’ve used in the past month in the settings app. Search for “data” and you should be able to find out how much of your allowance you normally use.
The main thing that determines how much mobile data you use is whether you watch TV, YouTube, TikTok, or movies on 4G or 5G.
If you do this on a regular basis, you might need a monthly data limit of 50-100GB or so. Otherwise, a 10-20GB data limit is plenty for most people.
How much should I pay for a broadband and mobile SIM package?
Since data-only SIMs are quite cheap these days, the main thing that determines what a broadband and mobile plan costs is the broadband speeds you’re paying for.
A superfast (30-300 Mbps) broadband connection with an included SIM offer should cost about £30-£40 per month.
An ultrafast (300+ Mbps) broadband connection with the same type of mobile data offer will cost about £40-£60 per month, depending on the exact download speed.
If you join a broadband provider like Vodafone that offers a discount on broadband if you’re a mobile customer, you can expect to get about £3-£5 off your bill each month.
Which UK mobile network is best?
For the best 4G coverage, including in rural areas, EE is the best mobile network to use. On the other hand, for the best 5G coverage and speeds, especially in towns and cities, Three is the best choice (although EE also performs well here).
Vodafone and O2 aren’t generally as fast, but still offer good performance in most areas.
To tell which mobile networks you should consider using, click on their coverage maps below, and type in your postcode. Then, look for good indoor and outdoor 4G and 5G signal at your address, as well as anywhere else you frequently visit.
If you want a broadband and mobile phone bundle, and don’t necessarily want to stay with your current providers, Virgin Media is a good choice for new customers, if they service your address.
The range of add-ons and benefits they include with their Volt service is hard to beat at the moment.
If you’re still not sure which mobile data and broadband bundle to buy, leave a comment below, and we’ll get back to you.
About the author
Tyler Bevan
Tyler is the co-founder of Broadband Savvy. He has been helping people improve their broadband connectivity since 2018 by writing about fibre broadband and mobile broadband providers, as well as creating tutorials to help people improve their broadband speeds and Wi-Fi signal.
Tyler is responsible for the majority of buyer’s guides and broadband reviews published on Broadband Savvy. He has a wealth of experience testing and reviewing different broadband tariffs, including fibre internet plans, as well as 4G and 5G broadband deals. He is responsible for testing and evaluating Wi-Fi routers, performing speed and latency tests, and comparing the value for money of different broadband providers on the market in the UK.
Before co-founding Broadband Savvy, Tyler had a long history of tinkering with computers. He built his first PC at the age of 12, and since then, he’s become obsessed with all things networking and internet-related. He’s a massive gamer, loves Rocket League, and also plays Sunday League football.
