Update:
Do not make too much effort to get a "free SIM card". 1-Pound-Shops sell the starter card for 99p (0,99 GB). Look for a
99p Store to pick a Three SIM card or for
Poundstretcher to pick (nearly) any Payg SIM card.
And there are more of these, help yourself at
Wikipedia.
Once you picked the starter card you need a voucher to top up. This is easy too. Look for the green top up symbol (pointer in a mobile phone). You can even buy a voucher at the airport in a Superdrug store.
The cheapest way to get internet access is to use T-mobile:
1.) Get a starter SIM card (0.99 GBP)
2.) Get a 5 GBP voucher (minimum) and activate it (call 150)
3.) Send a text message WEB to 150 to book a "booster" for five days of data access (2.50 GBP) (
More boosters here). Be aware the subnote: "*Subject to a fair use limit of 500MB a month".
4.) Use the APN general.t-mobile.uk as explained earlier in this thread.
(
T-Mobile coverage-checker)
Some notes about the Three network:
There are three different Payg price plans initially used with the starter SIM card. If you did not pick the right one (Poundstretcher has all the three) call the hotline (AFAIR 333, free of charge) and ask them to change the plan (free of charge).
For the purposes discussed here two options are useful:
- All-in-one 15: You get "all-you-can-eat" data usage for 15 GBP
- Broadband Lite: You get an allowance of 1GB data for 10 GBP
If you use the Three internet access with your notebook the APN is "3internet" (in your settings without quotation marks).
Look up
Tariff details (PDF) and
Coverage map
To register as a user you need to give them "your UK residential post code". Use any
