Sim-only sales have increased by 65% since the start of the year, according to the latest figures from market research specialist, GfK.
Operators were shifting roughly 12,000 Sim-only contracts in the first week of January, but this has surged to around 20,000 per week. In March, roughly 80,000 Sim-only deals were sold.
O2 said that over a third of its online sales are Sim-only, and its Simplicity deals have been instrumental in increasing revenue during the first quarter this year.
Sim-only deals are much more profitable for operators than traditional contracts, because they don’t require a handset subsidy.