Lycamobile Global Connect in review: How good are the plans from €2 on the O2 network?

Upfront, because honesty matters more to us than any click: Lycamobile is a partner of internet-deals.de. If you sign up for a plan through our site, we receive a commission. That's exactly why we look at this so closely – a partner article that leaves out the fine print would only backfire on us in the end. So: what's really behind the Lycamobile Global Connect plans advertised with 5 GB for €2.00?

The plans at a glance

Lycamobile operates on the O2 network and splits Global Connect into six sizes. The prices in the table are the promotional prices for the 24-month variants:

Plan	Data allowance	Promotional price/month
Global Connect XS	5 GB	2,00 €
Global Connect S	10 GB	3,25 €
Global Connect M	25 GB	4,50 €
Global Connect L	50 GB	6,50 €
Global Connect XL	125 GB	9,00 €
Global Connect XXL	150 GB	15,00 €

Read these numbers twice, it's worth it. 125 GB for €9.00 – that's a good 7 cents per gigabyte. For comparison: with the established network providers you'll quickly pay €30 to €40 a month for 50 GB. Even against the classic discounters, which we looked at in detail in January, these prices seem like they're in a different league. Blau charges €7.99 for 8 GB; Lycamobile gives you fifteen times the data for 50 cents more.

The name is program by the way: Global Connect has traditionally targeted people with family or friends abroad. Depending on the plan tier, international call minutes to many countries are included – this has always been Lycamobile's specialty, and a feature that's completely absent from most German discount plans. Anyone who regularly calls Turkey, Poland, India, or West Africa knows what such included minutes would otherwise cost.

Now for the catch: how the promotional pricing logic works

No provider gives away gigabytes forever, not even Lycamobile. The prices above are promotional prices, and you need to understand the mechanics behind them before you order.

With the 24-month plans the promotional price applies for the first 6 months. After that, the plan rises to the regular price for the remaining term. So you pay very little for half a year and the normal price for one and a half years. Before signing up, always work out the average over the full 24 months – you'll find the current regular prices on our Lycamobile overview always up to date alongside the promotional prices. Even with this increase, the plans usually remain cheap compared to other discounters, just not €2-cheap.

With the Flex variants, i.e. the plans with no minimum term, get curious: here the promotional price only applies in the first month. From month two onward, you pay the regular price. So anyone thinking "I'll take Flex, stay flexible, and still pay the advertised price" is mistaken – with Flex, the advertised price is a one-time welcome discount, nothing more. It's stated in the pricing details, but hardly anyone seems to read it. Now you know.

Our take on this: the logic itself isn't objectionable – tiered promotional pricing is practically standard across all providers, from PYUR to Telekom. But it needs to be put on the table transparently, and the Flex rule is unusually strict. Anyone who wants the flexibility of a no-minimum-term plan should calculate it based on the regular price, not the promotional price. Anyone who wants the maximum discount should take the 24 months and accept the commitment.

How good is the O2 network for a discount plan?

Better than its old reputation. O2 has caught up massively in recent years; in cities and urban areas, measurements now show its network is close to the two competitors, and 5G rollout is well advanced. O2 traditionally shows weaknesses in sparsely populated regions and on some train routes – though this has also improved noticeably. The details, with map and context, are in our network comparison Telekom vs. Vodafone vs. O2.

In practical terms, this means: if you live in a city or surrounding area with decent O2 reception, you get the same cell towers with a Lycamobile plan as an O2 contract customer – at a fraction of the price. If you live in a very rural area, check reception at your key locations beforehand. The easiest way: observe someone's phone for a week who's already on the O2 network, or check the official network map.

What we like – and what you should know

Besides the price, what we like most is the value-for-money growth in the middle of the portfolio. The M plan with 25 GB for €4.50 during the promotional period is almost oversized for average users – and that's exactly what makes it appealing. Nobody has to ration their data allowance towards the end of the month anymore; that issue throttling and add-on booking traps resolves itself with packages like these. The spread at the top end is also right: heavy users, commuters or hotspot workers who need 125 GB will find one of the cheapest large-data offers on the German market with the XL plan.

There are still a few things you should keep in mind, though. Lycamobile is a discounter: there aren't retail stores on every corner, service runs through a hotline and online portal, and premium extras like prioritized network speed or multi-SIM packages aren't part of the core business. EU roaming is included as required by law – but remember that Switzerland isn't part of that, which applies to every German plan though. And as with all promotional offers: terms can change, what counts is the status on the day you order.

Who Lycamobile Global Connect is worth it for

Clearly for price-conscious people with decent O2 reception who are willing to commit for 24 months – the combination of a promotional half-year and fair prices even afterward is strong. It's especially worthwhile for anyone who regularly calls abroad; that's where Global Connect plays its namesake trump card, which hardly any competitor has in their portfolio. And for data-hungry users who want 50 GB or more without paying network operator prices.

The provider is less suitable for people who expect maximum flexibility and the advertised price at the same time – that's mutually exclusive here, as explained above. And anyone living in a deeply rural area where only Telekom reliably works should generally avoid any O2 network plan, regardless of provider.

You'll find all six plans with their current promotional and follow-up prices on our Lycamobile page. If you're not sure which size fits your usage, compare it with your current plan in the mobile plan comparison – or let us call you back to free callback advise you. We'll tell you honestly what suits you, even if it's not a partner plan in the end.