Lycamobile has switched customers from the O2 network to EE's – here's what you need to know

On the face of it, nothing will change if you're a Lycamobile customer, it just means your mobile will now connect to EE's signal rather than O2's, and new customers will automatically be connected to the EE network (see our Piggybacking guide for more on how this works).

Lycamobile says prices will be frozen until the end of 2023 and free EU roaming will continue across all its plans (though Lycamobile has a strict 'fair use' policy).

However, many customers have said they had no warning that Lycamobile was changing from using O2's network to EE's, and some have reported that they've been struggling to use their phones at all since the switch started early last week.

'A change from O2 to EE could be massively disruptive depending on where you live'

Around 21 June, Lycamobile started sending out a service update email and text, explaining that it will be upgrading its network, but there was seemingly no mention of the switch to EE's network, and its website still said it used the O2 network for some time after customers were switched – leaving many confused.

While for many the change might not have a huge impact, some may have chosen Lycamobile specifically because it uses O2's signal, as they may struggle to get a decent signal with EE and other providers.

We asked Ofcom whether the lack of notice constitutes a breach of contract, and if so, what that means for customers. A spokesperson for Ofcom told us: “Customers must be given clear information in contracts and on websites when they sign up to a new deal. If a change is made to the contract once signed that isn’t to the customers' benefit, the provider needs to notify the customer, who can then leave penalty-free.”

"These rules apply to all mobile contracts, including 30 day rolling deals. Under the rules, the customer can terminate within one month of the notification, but those on 30 day contracts can already cancel/choose not to re-purchase every month. So if customers can no longer get a signal where they need it, they should be able to change provider easily."

We've seen numerous complaints from Lycamobile customers about the change in the MSE Forum and across social media: