In today’s rapidly changing business domain, companies need to maintain high levels of communication. For any business, it is critical to work with a reliable mobile network provider to maintain seamless connectivity and efficient operations. Different carriers have different network costs, customer coverage rates, and user satisfaction. Therefore, you must select the most useful option.
45% of the British market is divided into two major operators in the United Kingdom, EE and O2. We will prepare a complete comparison between EE vs O2 to help you choose the best option to achieve your business commercial goals.
EE vs O2 – are they good?
After this history lesson, it’s time to decide which of the mobile heavyweights is the right network for you. It depends on what is important to you. Data speed, coverage, reliability? Or are you interested in price performance, customer service, and discounts? Whatever your priorities are, all the information you need is here.
For customers looking for affordable SIMs with more pricing options, the O2 offers a wide range of options, including a 30-day engagement.
However, EE is faster at 4G and has more coverage and customer support.
If you choose only for the price, the O2 may get more military power, but the EE network offers more for you.
Speed and Limits
When comparing EE and O2 at a communication rate, the EE with a 4G network is militarized. The first EE to launch the 5G in Japan has demonstrated a great presence in cities and towns. 5G works with 4G, so it’s highly connected and reliable.
However, you need a 5G cell phone to enjoy ultra-fast communications reaching 100Mbps. If the network is built, it could be 1Gbps. O2 is relatively slow compared to EE. However, before deciding which to do, you need to check the speed of your local network.
Network coverage
Simply put, EE has the best 4G and 5G networks among British mobile operators. The basic LTE service is available for more than 99% of the U.K. population, but it should be noted that double-speed 4G is mainly limited to urban areas, and 4G+ is limited to a small part of the metropolitan area.
The initial focus of the 4G expansion was the population coverage rate, but the EE is now making a big attempt at “Geographic coverage rate” to emphasize its superiority. The company’s network is currently available for 85% of Britain’s land, but it hopes to be raised to 95% by 10 years.
The O2 has achieved a great deal in recent years. O2’s 4G network currently covers more than 99% of the British population indoors, with other British telecom operators, Ofcom, and the government raising the 4G U.K. land coverage to 88% from 64% and continuing to expand 5G across the U.K. as part of the Shared Rural Network agreement.
If you want to use both networks but don’t want to sign up for EE or O2, you should consider a “virtual business” that uses the same infrastructure. For example, Virgin Media utilizes EE, and Sky Mobile uses O2.
Customer service
In the Ofcom 2023 report, O2 scored slightly better than EE for overall customer satisfaction.
For example, O2’s customers were less likely to have reasons to complain than average, and O2 was the same as the average for customers to recommend to their friends. On the other hand, it was less likely that EE clients would recommend their network to their friends.
EE customers also were less likely to be satisfied with the price performance of their mobile services.
Each network has a number of stores that can be contacted directly, in addition to extensive online and telephone support.
Price
The cheapest mobile provider between O2 and EE often returns to whether the customer has a better contract for the amount of data or the devices that fit the customer.
In particular, while O2 is ahead of the SIM-only plan, EE seems to be a little ahead of the terminal plan.
The central advantage of the O2 is the annual rate of increase. The EE’s annual rate of markup is 3.9% + CPI, while the O2 has fixed the rate of markup to the RPI (usually much lower).
In other words, the rate of markup in April 2021 was 4.5%, whereas the O2 was 1.4%.
If customers have difficulty selecting a provider, this annual rate of increase may be a decisive factor.
Pay As You Go
There are currently two ways to participate in EE networks on a Pay As You Go basis: In addition to these two options, the EE PAYG service can be used for 35 pesos per minute, 15 pesos per minute, and text. If you use the EE PAYG service, data communication is not available, and you cannot connect to the Internet.
O2 offers customers two types of Pay As You Go: Big Bundles and UK and international Bundles. O2’s Big Bundles is a little more expensive and has much less data than EE’s Packs.
EE offers a broader range of choices for PAYG engagements. In addition, EE’s good plans provide more data with less. EE networks can also be used in traditional PAYG methods, but O2 cannot.
Read Also: Is Three Mobile a good network? Complete Review
Conclusion: EE vs O2
Choosing the right mobile network for your business is a key decision that depends on a variety of factors. For both EE and O2, both carriers have advantages and disadvantages, and the choices depend on individual priorities.
In terms of speed and coverage, the EE stands out in faster 4G and 5G networks, covering more than 99% of the British population. The company is actively working to improve its geographic coverage, with a goal of 95% in the next 10 years. Meanwhile, the O2 has made significant progress, covering more than 99% of the population indoors and expanding the 4G and 5G networks through contracts like Shared Rural Network.