If you’re an international student arriving in the UK or a new visitor looking for a SIM-only plan, you’ve likely asked: “Why is iD Mobile so cheap?” And—just as importantly—is it reliable, and which deals should you pick? In this article, we’ll explore:
- The business model behind iD Mobile’s low pricing
- What trade-offs you should know
- What makes iD attractive to students and new arrivals
- Top iD Mobile SIM-only deals via Olimit.co.uk
- FAQs and tips for choosing the plan that suits you best
Note: All “SIM only deals” referred below are available via Olimit.co.uk/sim-only. Unlimited data options are at Olimit.co.uk/unlimited-data/.
The Business Model: How iD Mobile Keeps Costs Low
iD Mobile (branded as “iD”) is a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO). That means iD does not own the physical network infrastructure. Instead, it licenses mobile network access from a larger operator—specifically, it uses the Three UK network for 4G/5G connectivity.
This model provides several cost-saving advantages:
- No infrastructure costs
iD doesn’t need to build or maintain towers, fiber backhaul, or many of the capital-intensive elements that full networks must. - Lean operations & digital delivery
Because iD is entirely online (no large retail branch network), it can reduce overheads. Many customer interactions, support, and billing are handled digitally. - Flexible pricing & lower margins
As an MVNO, iD can compete on price aggressively. It doesn’t have to support legacy technologies (like obsolete 3G infrastructure) and can streamline plans. - Data-focused, minimalist plan features
iD tends to avoid or limit costly extras (e.g. heavy marketing, large distribution of physical shops, hardware subsidies). It offers features like data rollover and price locks on SIM-only plans, which are simpler to support.
Because of this lean model, iD can offer SIM-only plans starting at very low rates that undercut more established mobile networks.
50 Roaming Destinations
12GB
🇦🇹 Austria
🇦🇿 Azerbaijan
🇵🇹 Azores
🇧🇾 Belarus
🇧🇪 Belgium
🇧🇬 Bulgaria
🇪🇸 Canary Islands
🇭🇷 Croatia
🇨🇾 Cyprus
🇨🇿 Czech Republic
🇩🇰 Denmark
🇪🇪 Estonia
🇫🇮 Finland
🇫🇷 France
🇩🇪 Germany
🇬🇮 Gibraltar
🇬🇷 Greece
🇬🇵 Guadeloupe
🇬🇬 Guernsey
🇬🇫 Guyane (French Guiana)
🇭🇺 Hungary
🇮🇸 Iceland
🇮🇪 Ireland
🇮🇲 Isle of Man
🇮🇹 Italy
🇯🇪 Jersey
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan
🇱🇻 Latvia
🇱🇮 Liechtenstein
🇱🇹 Lithuania
🇱🇺 Luxembourg
🇵🇹 Madeira
🇲🇹 Malta
🇲🇶 Martinique
🇲🇨 Monaco
🇳🇱 Netherlands
🇲🇰 North Macedonia
🇳🇴 Norway
🇵🇱 Poland
🇵🇹 Portugal
🇷🇪 Réunion
🇷🇴 Romania
🇧🇱 Saint-Barthélemy
🇲🇫 Saint-Martin
🇸🇲 San Marino
🇸🇰 Slovakia
🇸🇮 Slovenia
🇪🇸 Spain
🇸🇪 Sweden
🇻🇦 Vatican City
50 Roaming Destinations
8GB
🇦🇹 Austria
🇦🇿 Azerbaijan
🇵🇹 Azores
🇧🇾 Belarus
🇧🇪 Belgium
🇧🇬 Bulgaria
🇪🇸 Canary Islands
🇭🇷 Croatia
🇨🇾 Cyprus
🇨🇿 Czech Republic
🇩🇰 Denmark
🇪🇪 Estonia
🇫🇮 Finland
🇫🇷 France
🇩🇪 Germany
🇬🇮 Gibraltar
🇬🇷 Greece
🇬🇵 Guadeloupe
🇬🇬 Guernsey
🇬🇫 Guyane (French Guiana)
🇭🇺 Hungary
🇮🇸 Iceland
🇮🇪 Ireland
🇮🇲 Isle of Man
🇮🇹 Italy
🇯🇪 Jersey
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan
🇱🇻 Latvia
🇱🇮 Liechtenstein
🇱🇹 Lithuania
🇱🇺 Luxembourg
🇵🇹 Madeira
🇲🇹 Malta
🇲🇶 Martinique
🇲🇨 Monaco
🇳🇱 Netherlands
🇲🇰 North Macedonia
🇳🇴 Norway
🇵🇱 Poland
🇵🇹 Portugal
🇷🇪 Réunion
🇷🇴 Romania
🇧🇱 Saint-Barthélemy
🇲🇫 Saint-Martin
🇸🇲 San Marino
🇸🇰 Slovakia
🇸🇮 Slovenia
🇪🇸 Spain
🇸🇪 Sweden
🇻🇦 Vatican City
50 Roaming Destinations
30GB
🇦🇹 Austria
🇦🇿 Azerbaijan
🇵🇹 Azores
🇧🇾 Belarus
🇧🇪 Belgium
🇧🇬 Bulgaria
🇪🇸 Canary Islands
🇭🇷 Croatia
🇨🇾 Cyprus
🇨🇿 Czech Republic
🇩🇰 Denmark
🇪🇪 Estonia
🇫🇮 Finland
🇫🇷 France
🇩🇪 Germany
🇬🇮 Gibraltar
🇬🇷 Greece
🇬🇵 Guadeloupe
🇬🇬 Guernsey
🇬🇫 Guyane (French Guiana)
🇭🇺 Hungary
🇮🇸 Iceland
🇮🇪 Ireland
🇮🇲 Isle of Man
🇮🇹 Italy
🇯🇪 Jersey
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan
🇱🇻 Latvia
🇱🇮 Liechtenstein
🇱🇹 Lithuania
🇱🇺 Luxembourg
🇵🇹 Madeira
🇲🇹 Malta
🇲🇶 Martinique
🇲🇨 Monaco
🇳🇱 Netherlands
🇲🇰 North Macedonia
🇳🇴 Norway
🇵🇱 Poland
🇵🇹 Portugal
🇷🇪 Réunion
🇷🇴 Romania
🇧🇱 Saint-Barthélemy
🇲🇫 Saint-Martin
🇸🇲 San Marino
🇸🇰 Slovakia
🇸🇮 Slovenia
🇪🇸 Spain
🇸🇪 Sweden
🇻🇦 Vatican City
50 Roaming Destinations
20GB
🇦🇹 Austria
🇦🇿 Azerbaijan
🇵🇹 Azores
🇧🇾 Belarus
🇧🇪 Belgium
🇧🇬 Bulgaria
🇪🇸 Canary Islands
🇭🇷 Croatia
🇨🇾 Cyprus
🇨🇿 Czech Republic
🇩🇰 Denmark
🇪🇪 Estonia
🇫🇮 Finland
🇫🇷 France
🇩🇪 Germany
🇬🇮 Gibraltar
🇬🇷 Greece
🇬🇵 Guadeloupe
🇬🇬 Guernsey
🇬🇫 Guyane (French Guiana)
🇭🇺 Hungary
🇮🇸 Iceland
🇮🇪 Ireland
🇮🇲 Isle of Man
🇮🇹 Italy
🇯🇪 Jersey
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan
🇱🇻 Latvia
🇱🇮 Liechtenstein
🇱🇹 Lithuania
🇱🇺 Luxembourg
🇵🇹 Madeira
🇲🇹 Malta
🇲🇶 Martinique
🇲🇨 Monaco
🇳🇱 Netherlands
🇲🇰 North Macedonia
🇳🇴 Norway
🇵🇱 Poland
🇵🇹 Portugal
🇷🇪 Réunion
🇷🇴 Romania
🇧🇱 Saint-Barthélemy
🇲🇫 Saint-Martin
🇸🇲 San Marino
🇸🇰 Slovakia
🇸🇮 Slovenia
🇪🇸 Spain
🇸🇪 Sweden
🇻🇦 Vatican City
50 Roaming Destinations
30GB
🇦🇹 Austria
🇦🇿 Azerbaijan
🇵🇹 Azores
🇧🇾 Belarus
🇧🇪 Belgium
🇧🇬 Bulgaria
🇪🇸 Canary Islands
🇭🇷 Croatia
🇨🇾 Cyprus
🇨🇿 Czech Republic
🇩🇰 Denmark
🇪🇪 Estonia
🇫🇮 Finland
🇫🇷 France
🇩🇪 Germany
🇬🇮 Gibraltar
🇬🇷 Greece
🇬🇵 Guadeloupe
🇬🇬 Guernsey
🇬🇫 Guyane (French Guiana)
🇭🇺 Hungary
🇮🇸 Iceland
🇮🇪 Ireland
🇮🇲 Isle of Man
🇮🇹 Italy
🇯🇪 Jersey
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan
🇱🇻 Latvia
🇱🇮 Liechtenstein
🇱🇹 Lithuania
🇱🇺 Luxembourg
🇵🇹 Madeira
🇲🇹 Malta
🇲🇶 Martinique
🇲🇨 Monaco
🇳🇱 Netherlands
🇲🇰 North Macedonia
🇳🇴 Norway
🇵🇱 Poland
🇵🇹 Portugal
🇷🇪 Réunion
🇷🇴 Romania
🇧🇱 Saint-Barthélemy
🇲🇫 Saint-Martin
🇸🇲 San Marino
🇸🇰 Slovakia
🇸🇮 Slovenia
🇪🇸 Spain
🇸🇪 Sweden
🇻🇦 Vatican City
50 Roaming Destinations
30GB
🇦🇹 Austria
🇦🇿 Azerbaijan
🇵🇹 Azores
🇧🇾 Belarus
🇧🇪 Belgium
🇧🇬 Bulgaria
🇪🇸 Canary Islands
🇭🇷 Croatia
🇨🇾 Cyprus
🇨🇿 Czech Republic
🇩🇰 Denmark
🇪🇪 Estonia
🇫🇮 Finland
🇫🇷 France
🇩🇪 Germany
🇬🇮 Gibraltar
🇬🇷 Greece
🇬🇵 Guadeloupe
🇬🇬 Guernsey
🇬🇫 Guyane (French Guiana)
🇭🇺 Hungary
🇮🇸 Iceland
🇮🇪 Ireland
🇮🇲 Isle of Man
🇮🇹 Italy
🇯🇪 Jersey
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan
🇱🇻 Latvia
🇱🇮 Liechtenstein
🇱🇹 Lithuania
🇱🇺 Luxembourg
🇵🇹 Madeira
🇲🇹 Malta
🇲🇶 Martinique
🇲🇨 Monaco
🇳🇱 Netherlands
🇲🇰 North Macedonia
🇳🇴 Norway
🇵🇱 Poland
🇵🇹 Portugal
🇷🇪 Réunion
🇷🇴 Romania
🇧🇱 Saint-Barthélemy
🇲🇫 Saint-Martin
🇸🇲 San Marino
🇸🇰 Slovakia
🇸🇮 Slovenia
🇪🇸 Spain
🇸🇪 Sweden
🇻🇦 Vatican City
What You Trade Off (What You Get and Don’t Get)
Of course, to be cheaper, there are trade-offs. Here’s a balanced view:
✅ What You Do Get
- Access to 4G / 5G speeds
Under the Three network, iD can provide high-speed data in many areas. Reviews highlight that iD offers “WiFi calling and VoLTE that work well” and that 5G speeds, where available, perform strongly. - Data rollover & price lock (SIM-only)
Many iD SIM-only plans allow you to roll over unused data to the next month and lock your price for the contract duration. - Free EU roaming / inclusive international use (for many plans)
Some iD plans include roaming allowances (e.g. in Europe) without extra cost, making them attractive to students and travellers. - Monthly/rolling contracts
You can usually choose 1-month, 12-month, or 24-month plans. That flexibility means less risk if your stay is short. - Simple and transparent offerings
No hidden hardware fees (since it’s SIM-only), clear terms, and an emphasis on online management.
⚠️ What You Might Lose / Limitations
- Coverage / signal in weak/rural areas
Because iD piggybacks on Three’s infrastructure, in areas where Three’s signal is weak, iD will also be weak. Some customer complaints cite poor coverage in certain UK regions. - Customer support complications
Some users report difficulty in contacting support, slow responses, or online-only support limitations. - No handset subsidies
Because it focuses on SIM-only plans, you won’t get major handset discounts or bundling. If you need a phone, you must provide it yourself. - Potential for network congestion & capped roaming limits
In peak times, shared infrastructure may lower performance. Also, roaming allowances often have limits (e.g. 30 GB abroad). - 3G shutdown / device compatibility
iD has phased out legacy 3G networks in favour of 4G/5G, so older 3G-only phones may no longer be supported.
Why iD Mobile Appeals to International Students & New UK Visitors
Here’s why iD is a compelling option for students or visitors who need temporary, affordable, and flexible mobile connectivity:
- Low entry cost – Because plans don’t require pricey phones, you can start with just a SIM.
- Short-term flexibility – Rolling or short-term SIM-only contracts align well with semester-based stays.
- Roaming included – For those travelling in Europe, being able to use data across borders is a big bonus.
- Data-forward plans – Students often use lots of data (streaming, social, calls), so generous data quotas or unlimited deals are attractive.
- Transparency & predictability – Features like bill capping and data rollover eliminate bill shocks.
- Easy switching – You can port in your UK number using PAC code. (See Olimit’s PAC code guide: Olimit.co.uk/pac-code-guide-uk)
In short: you get modern mobile service without paying the premium that big-name networks demand for features you don’t need.
