Mobile operator O2 (Virgin Media) has clarified to ISPreview that their Pay As You Go (PAYG) SIM plans still do NOT currently support their latest 5G (mobile broadband) network, which is despite the main product page for those plans being changed to state that customers will be able to “enjoy super-fast 4G and 5G with our Pay As You Go SIM cards.”
Some of ISPreview’s readers recently spotted (credits to hle13 and Lee) that the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) section of O2’s Pay As You Go SIM (PAYG) plans page had been updated (we think, recently) to state that they now supported 5G. In response to the question “Can I get a 5G Pay As You Go SIM?“, O2’s web page stated: “Absolutely. Enjoy super-fast 4G and 5G with our Pay As You Go SIM cards.”
The move came as a surprise because other sections of O2’s website, such as their ‘How to use 5G’ section, were continuing to state that “5G connectivity is not currently available to our Pay As You Go customers,” which has long been our understanding too. Needless to say, we queried this contradiction with O2, albeit partly in the hope that the recent FAQ update might be signalling a welcome upgrade for PAYG customers. But sadly, it was not to be.
A spokesperson for O2 told ISPreview: “We do not currently offer 5G on PAYG“. The operator now plans to correct their website.