BT and Virgin Media have inked a deal that’ll see the cable network’s mobile customers using EE’s signal until 2021.

The new deal means that Virgin Mobile customers can enjoy the same coverage and service they’re used to, but unfortunately won’t benefit from things like LTE-A advances at the same time as EE customers.

Peter Kelly, managing director of Virgin Mobile, said: “This winning combination with EE will give Virgin Mobile even more control and firepower to deliver innovative services to the UK mobile market. Virgin Mobile customers want fast speeds, flexibility and plans packed full of data - we’re going to continue to deliver.”

Since the launch of 4G services on Virgin Mobile last November, customers have been able to enjoy faster download speeds without having to worry about WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger data burning through capped plans.

Canny buyers will note that this means you can essentially call and text people anywhere in the world without having to pay for any out of bundle charges or international calls bolt ons.

You can also roll over unused data on Virgin Mobile’s new 4G plans, but you only get to keep those unspent megabytes for an extra month - Sky Mobile lets you keep those for up to three years.

Gerry McQuade, CEO of Wholesale and Ventures, BT, added: “This has proven a successful relationship for both parties for many years and, as we enter a period of further technological change in the mobile market, we are very pleased to renew and extend our 17 year old relationship. As the largest wholesale provider of telecommunications services in Europe, BT values the economy of scale that Virgin Media brings to our network.”

“Virgin Mobile - Sir Richard” by bixentro is licensed under CC BY 2.0.