Business data only SIMs

What is a business data only SIM?

A data only SIM (sometimes called a data SIM, tablet SIM or mobile broadband SIM) carries mobile data and nothing else. There is no allowance of minutes or texts, because the devices it goes into are not used for calls: a tablet on a delivery round, a laptop for a field engineer, a router keeping a site office online or a sensor reporting back to a dashboard.

On a business account, a data SIM sits alongside your phone SIMs. It is billed to the business, priced ex VAT, and covered by the same account controls, such as spend caps and an online portal for seeing usage. That is the main difference from buying a consumer data SIM for a work tablet: the line belongs to the business, it shows on the business bill and you can manage it with everything else. Our guide to business SIM cards explains what a business account adds in more detail.

A data only SIM is still a business SIM only plan in the usual sense: you pay for the airtime only. If you also need the tablet, router or laptop itself, you buy it separately, outright or through your usual procurement; our sister site covers business mobile broadband and devices.

Phone SIM, data SIM or IoT SIM?

Three kinds of business SIM are easy to confuse. The right one depends on what the device does and how much data it moves.

The middle column is what most people mean by a data only SIM. If you need a phone number on a second device, such as a cellular smartwatch or a tablet that should ring alongside your phone, that is a different arrangement again; our page on what a multi SIM is covers it.

What businesses use data only SIMs for

• Tablets in the field: job sheets, signatures, stock checks and photos for engineers, drivers, inspectors and care staff
• Laptops away from Wi-Fi: a SIM in a laptop with a SIM slot or eSIM, so staff are not relying on hotel Wi-Fi or their own phone's hotspot
• Routers and mobile Wi-Fi: a data SIM in a 4G or 5G router to get a site, pop-up shop or event online; see mobile broadband SIM only
• Backup connectivity: a router with a data SIM that takes over if the fixed line at an office or shop goes down
• Vehicles: in-vehicle routers that give a van or minibus Wi-Fi for the devices inside
• Connected equipment: payment terminals, CCTV, digital signage and telemetry, where the low-data end of the range overlaps with IoT SIM cards

In every case the device has to work on the network you choose. A device bought from one network may be locked to it; ask that network to unlock it before you move the SIM. For an eSIM, the device also has to support eSIM.

Sizing data for each device

Data SIMs are sold with a monthly data allowance, and some networks offer unlimited UK data. Choosing the size per device, rather than giving every SIM the same plan, can make a real difference to what the account costs.

• Look at real usage first: if the devices are already connected (on another SIM or a phone hotspot), recent usage tells you more than any estimate
• Group devices by job: a tablet that only syncs job sheets uses far less than a router serving a whole site office
• Watch for video: video calls, CCTV uploads and large file syncs are what push usage up quickly
• Check what happens at the limit: whether data beyond the allowance is charged, needs an add-on or is covered by a larger or unlimited plan, and set caps to match
• Check fair use on unlimited: unlimited plans are UK only on some networks and fair use policies apply abroad; our page on the unlimited data business SIM explains the caveats
• Keep data SIMs in data devices: Three Business says calls and texts made from a mobile broadband SIM put into a phone are charged at outside-of-allowance rates

Data SIMs are also where unused lines hide. A tablet that was retired last year can keep billing for months. A short review of every data SIM on the account, with what it is in and who looks after it, is often an easy saving; our fleet SIM cards page has a simple record to keep.

eSIM, 5G and account controls

eSIM or physical SIM. Many tablets and laptops now support eSIM, which is activated with a QR code instead of a plastic card. Three Business, for example, offers its business data only SIMs as an eSIM or a physical SIM. eSIM makes remote set-up easier, and Three Business points out that, unlike a physical SIM, an eSIM cannot be removed or tampered with if a device is stolen; see eSIM SIM only plans.

5G. Data SIMs on 5G-ready plans use 5G where the device supports it and there is 5G coverage, and fall back to 4G elsewhere. For routers and heavy users this matters more than for a tablet syncing forms. Our guide to 5G SIM only for business covers what you need.

Spend and roaming caps. A data SIM in a router can use a lot of data without anyone noticing. Networks let you set caps on charges beyond the plan, and on roaming; EE Business, for example, lets you set spend caps on data, calls and roaming and get alerts as you near the limit, and O2 Business lets you set and adjust a Spend Cap on extras outside your monthly allowance. Set caps when the SIM is ordered rather than after the first surprise bill.

Data SIMs on the networks we supply

We supply business data only SIMs on EE Business and Three Business, and we can also supply them on O2 Business and Vodafone Business. Each sells them in its own way, so we describe each one on its own terms. Coverage where the devices will actually be used matters most, and each network has its own coverage checker for the exact address.

EE Business

EE Business sells Data SIMs as part of its SIM only range, for connected devices such as tablets, laptops and mobile broadband, with 5G and 5G+ on its network. EE Business accounts come with spend and roaming caps and self-service account management: an online account and app for businesses with up to 10 employees, and the Mobile Manager portal for businesses with 11 or more. See EE Business SIM only plans.

Three Business

Three Business data only SIMs come in Unlimited, 500GB and 80GB data on 24-month plans, each as an eSIM or a physical SIM, and they are 5G-ready for use where Three has 5G coverage and the device supports it. Unlimited data is UK only, with fair use policies in Go Roam destinations. For a portable hub, Three Business Mobile Broadband connects up to 32 devices over 4G and 5G. See Three Business SIM only.

O2 Business

O2 Business offers data-only SIMs for tablets alongside its SIM only phone plans. We can also supply data SIMs on the O2 Business network, with the plan and term confirmed at quote. See O2 Business SIM only plans.

Vodafone Business

Vodafone Business sells data only SIMs for iPads, tablets, laptops, dongles and mobile Wi-Fi, on plan lengths from 30 days to 24 months, and says they work in unlocked devices with a SIM slot or eSIM. We can also supply data SIMs on the Vodafone Business network, with terms confirmed at quote. See Vodafone Business SIM only.

How we help

Data SIMs are easy to buy one at a time and easy to lose track of. We can help you get them right as a group:

• List the devices: what each SIM is for, where it is used and roughly how much data it needs
• Check coverage at the sites that matter: depots, client sites, rural routes and the places a router will sit
• Supply across networks: EE Business and Three Business, and O2 Business and Vodafone Business too, as eSIM or physical SIM where the plan allows
• Put them on the right account: alongside your phone SIMs, with caps set from day one
• Plan moves and removals: switch data SIMs at the right point in their terms and stop paying for lines nobody uses

What we can supply, and on what terms, is confirmed at quote. Contact us with a list of the devices you want to connect and we can suggest where to start.