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UK international SIM on the EE network

Lycamobile UK plans

The UK’s best-known international-call SIM, on the EE 4G and 5G network since 2014. 30-day National Plans from £5, unlimited calls to 50+ countries on the £10 plan upwards. This page covers every current plan, top-up methods and an honest read of what real customers say in 2026.

See Lyca plans How to top up

At a glance

UK MVNO since 2006, on EE since 2014 Specialist in cheap international calls 5G included on most National Plans 30-day PAYG, no contract

Launched UK

2006

Originally on Vodafone, moved to EE in 2014

Host network

EE

Top-rated UK network for 4G and 5G

Countries

50+

Free or low-cost international call rates

Entry plan

£5

5 GB, 100 mins, unlimited texts

About

Who is Lycamobile?

Lycamobile is a UK Mobile Virtual Network Operator founded in 2006 by Allirajah Subaskaran, headquartered in London. The brand built its reputation around low-cost international calls, targeting customers who regularly phone family in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Eastern Europe, the Caribbean and Sub-Saharan Africa.

It originally rented capacity from Vodafone UK and moved across to EE in 2014. Today every Lycamobile UK SIM uses EE’s 4G and 5G network, with EE-equivalent signal at every UK postcode. Lyca is now present in over 20 countries beyond the UK, including the United States, France, Germany and the Netherlands.

Lycamobile UK is regulated by Ofcom. Complaint handling falls under the CISAS alternative dispute resolution scheme.

Current National Plans

Lycamobile UK plans available now

Headline prices verified on from lycamobile.co.uk. Every plan is 30-day rolling with no contract. International minutes vary by destination, full list on Lyca’s site.

Starter

Lycamobile logo

National £5 Plan

Data

5 GB

4G data

Minutes

100

UK minutes

£5/ 30 days

No contract . Free SIM

  • Unlimited UK texts
  • Free Lyca-to-Lyca UK calls
  • 4G on the EE network

Best for

A second SIM or a very light user

See on Lycamobile
Best for international callers

Best value

Lycamobile logo

National £10 Plan

Data

25 GB

5G included

Minutes

Unlimited

UK + 50 countries

£10/ 30 days

No contract . Free SIM

  • 5G included
  • Unlimited calls to 50+ countries
  • EU roaming inclusive (fair use)

Best for

Anyone calling family abroad regularly

See on Lycamobile

Heavy data

Lycamobile logo

National £15 Plan

Data

50 GB

5G included

Minutes

Unlimited

UK + 50 countries

£15/ 30 days

No contract . Free SIM

  • 50 GB 5G data
  • Unlimited international minutes to 50+ countries
  • Tethering allowed

Best for

Daily commuters and people who tether laptops

See on Lycamobile

Unlimited

Lycamobile logo

National £20 Plan

Data

Unlimited

5G included

Minutes

Unlimited

UK + 50 countries

£20/ 30 days

No contract . Free SIM

  • Unlimited 5G data
  • Unlimited UK + intl mins
  • EU roaming inclusive

Best for

Households without home broadband, daily international callers

See on Lycamobile

Selectra is independent. Lycamobile does not pay us to feature any of these plans.

Explore

More on Lycamobile

Lycamobile top-up

Every way to add credit to a Lycamobile SIM in 2026: online, in the Lyca app, by retail voucher, by debit card on 322, by text and how to set up auto-renew.

Open page

Reviews snapshot

What customers actually say about Lycamobile

Scores collected on .

Trustpilot, lycamobile.co.uk

3.6/ 5

~25,000 reviews

Mixed

Mid-range overall. Praise focuses on the price of international call bundles. Complaints cluster around occasional billing issues (auto-renew taking unexpected payments) and a customer-service line that requires patience. Network signal itself scores well because it is EE.

Ofcom complaints

Below thresholdvolume

Not separately listed

Mixed

Lycamobile sits below the Ofcom reporting threshold and is not broken out in the quarterly complaints data. Partly market share, partly the no-contract structure: unhappy customers leave instantly without an exit-fee fight.

MoneySavingExpert forum

Recommended for intl callersforum sentiment

Dozens of threads

Positive overall

Widely endorsed as one of the cheapest UK SIMs if you call abroad regularly. Forum advice often includes: watch auto-renew carefully, and pick the £10 plan for the best balance of UK data and international minutes.

Which? value-for-money

Above averageon price

Cheaper than majors

Positive overall

Which? notes Lycamobile is consistently cheaper than EE direct on equivalent allowances and includes international minutes most mainstream UK plans drop. Customer service scores lag, mostly because the brand grew faster than its phone-support staffing.

Selectra expert verdict

Independent read, no commission shaping

Lycamobile is genuinely good at one thing: cheap, reliable international calling on the UK’s best mobile network. The £10 National Plan with 25 GB of 5G data and unlimited calls to 50+ countries is hard to match anywhere in the UK market.

If you do not call abroad regularly, you are paying for a feature you don’t use. In that case, similar UK-only allowances on the EE network are cheaper from giffgaff (on O2) or 1pMobile. And the customer-service line, while it works, is noticeably slower than what big networks offer.

Verdict last reviewed 19 May 2026.

Contact

How to reach Lycamobile

Every official way to get in touch with Lycamobile in 2026. Numbers, opening hours and online channels, with no premium-rate detours and no scrolling through the FAQ.

Opening hours

When lines are open

Seven days a week
09:00 to 18:00

No 24/7 support. Lyca has no live chat; use the app or text commands outside hours.

Online

Self-service

  • lycamobile.co.uk

    Account, plans and international calling rates

  • Lyca Mobile app

    iOS + Android, top-up and plan management

  • No live chat

    Account changes by phone or website

Got a complaint? Try customer-service first. If it is not resolved after eight weeks, escalate free to the Communications Ombudsman, the alternative dispute-resolution body for UK mobile networks. Lycamobile is regulated by Ofcom.

FAQ

Lycamobile plans, coverage and contact, your questions answered

Is Lycamobile good in 2026?

Yes, in two specific situations. (1) You make regular international calls to family or business contacts overseas; Lyca's 50+ country bundles are cheaper than almost any UK plan. (2) You want a cheap UK SIM-only on the EE network without paying EE prices. Coverage is identical to EE because Lyca runs on EE's 4G and 5G masts. The honest weakness is customer service: the phone line works, but expect a wait.

What network does Lycamobile use?

Lycamobile is a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) on EE. It originally launched on Vodafone in 2006 and moved across to EE in 2014. Signal at your postcode is therefore identical to an EE-branded SIM, and Ofcom consistently rates EE the UK's top network for coverage, speed and reliability.

Does Lycamobile have 5G?

Yes, on most National Plans from the £10 tier upwards. Lyca activated 5G in 2023 and now offers it as standard on the £10, £15 and £20 plans, no extra fee. You need a 5G-capable phone and to be in a 5G postcode on EE. The £5 entry plan remains 4G only.

How are Lycamobile international rates?

Lyca's flagship feature. The National £10 Plan includes unlimited calls to 50+ countries (India, Pakistan, the United States, Romania, Poland, Bangladesh, Nigeria and many others, full list on lycamobile.co.uk). Add-on bundles can extend this further to landlines or specific countries (e.g. mobile to Brazil) on top of the headline plan.

How do I contact Lycamobile?

Free from a Lycamobile, dial 322. From any other phone, call 020 7132 6567, standard UK rates. Lines run seven days a week, 09:00 to 18:00. Lyca has no live chat; account changes are done by phone, by text command or in the Lyca app.