What is a Network?

The company that supplies the phone service is a network provider. The current main networks active in the UK are T-Mobile, Vodafone, Orange, 3 Mobile and O2. These companies supply the service, but not the phone, although there are certain models of phone which are exclusive to a particular network or package deal.

What is Coverage?

Networks use transmitters to connect your calls both in the UK and around the world; the closer you are to a transmitter, the stronger the signal will be. This is Coverage - the area that is covered by the aerial footprint of your network provider. It is worth looking at the websites of networks before buying to check the coverage in your area.

How can I check for Coverage?

The majority of the mobile networks feature an availability checker on their websites which will allow you to check for mobile coverage in your area - enter the postcode of your home and work/college addresses to find out which operators provide the best coverage in your area. We are currently working on a coverage checker of our own - keep checking back for updates.

Which Network should I join?

This is a personal choice, depending on what phone you want to buy and what deals are on offer. However, the main things to consider are: - Do they provide good customer service? - Is the network coverage good in your area? - How much do you spend on phone credit per month? - Do you mostly call/text/send files on your phone? - How long do the available contracts last for and will you want the same phone/contract in 12 months time?

What are the different types of Tariff available?

The exact details of Tariffs will vary from network to network, but there are three main ways in which you can be billed. These are:

• 1) Pay As You Go / PAYG – this means that you are not tied into paying a monthly fee. You load your phone with credit (usually from a shop, through your phone, or the Internet). The down side to this is that you pay a premium for your calls and also you usually have to pay the full price for the phone handset. These phones usually suit people who use their phones just for texting or calling on an infrequent basis, and also for those under 18, as no contract is required for a PAYG service.

• 2) Monthly Plan / Contract Phones – with this option, users pay a monthly line rental charge plus their call charges. The advantages with this is that the calls themselves are cheaper and the users also benefit from a number of free calls, text messages and often free or reduced price handsets and line rental. If you are a regular user this will almost certainly work out cheaper for you. The disadvantages are that you are bound by a fixed term contract of at least a year.

• 3) Hybrid Tariffs – there are now a number of hybrid tariffs on offer. These work by charging monthly for a line rental and a fixed amount of credit, then allow the user to top up their credit in the same way as a PAYG user would. The advantage of this is that it makes it easy to budget like with the PAYG phone but you also at a cheaper call rate than a PAYG user. The disadvantage is that these are still more expensive than the contact phones and again, the user is tied to a contract. This type of tariff is popular with parents who can provide their children with a mobile without the risk of getting an unexpected bill.