Exotic (apparently) sim needed

Ok, we have two old, unlocked Nokia C1-01 phones. They worked fine for us for years in the USA on GSM networks with several different providers, until the 2G network was killed off.

I'm told there is still a viable 2G network here in Scotland. We tried to use the EE PAYG sim that was in our five quid Alcatel 10.16 https://shop.ee.co.uk/mobile-phones/pay-as-you-go/alcatel-10-16-payg/details# phone in both the Nokias with no luck. No carrier signals or even the emergency phone option. Nada.

So, in looking at the Nokia instruction book, it says we cannot use the kind of sim card that has the push-out options. Quoting here:

Important: Do not use a mini-UICC SIM card, also known as a micro-SIM card, a
micro-SIM card with an adapter, or a SIM card that has a mini-UICC cutout (see figure)
in this device. A micro SIM card is smaller than the standard SIM card. This device does
not support the use of micro-SIM cards and use of incompatible SIM cards may damage
the card or the device, and may corrupt data stored on the card.

We have taken all three phones to the EE shop in city center and the tech had no idea why it wasn't working. It wasn't until I got home and read the above that I began to think it's the sim card.

In researching, I believe that EE still has a 2G network. But the phone should have picked up the O2 2G network even if they did not, I would have thought, if the sim card worked?  I've been looking all over the internet for a cell provider that still issues standard sim cards, NOT 3-in-1 sims, and so far have had no luck. I chatted a few moments ago with O2, and they don't. Three also does not.

Anyone know of a carrier that still does provide standard sims on the 2G network? We want specifically to be able to use these Nokia C1-01 phones.

Thanks in advance.

Hi,

Check that your specific handsets have support for the UK's networks on the GSM 900 and GSM 1800 frequencies.

If they do, then once you find a full size SIM card, they should work.
If they don't, then they'll not work on any UK network.

What's the 'specific' reason you'd need to use these handsets in particular?

Cheers, DtM! West London & Slough UK!

Hi. The specific reason we want to use them is that they are our favorites and we want to use them. Yes, we know about the frequencies. Yes, they do.  At least, supposedly.

It's the sim cards, as far as we can tell, at this point. The EE sims are 3-in-1 with popouts for smaller sims. That particular sim is discussed in the Nokia manual as being incompatible.

Apparently when Asda switched from Vodafone to EE as their carrier, people with Nokia C1-01s were not able to make the switch with them. I have free sims coming from a couple of places and will see if any of them arrive without the cutout and if they will work with the phones. I've been told by a couple of reps that that's all that's available in the UK, but in walking to Tesco over the weekend I was able to stop in their cell phone shop and they most definitely do have sims that do not have the configuration shown on P5 of the Nokia manual.
https://www.manualslib.com/manual/112260/Nokia-C1-01.html?page=5#manual

EDIT:  When I went to the wiki on this phone, it says the frequencies it uses are GSM 900 / GSM 1800  So since GSM 1800 is supposedly in use in the UK, I would think it'd connect.  However, when I google the networks in the USA I get that the 2G uses 800, 850, or 1900. It worked in the US (until they killed 2G in So. Calif) so I am assuming it's the frequency that's the issue.

2nd EDIT:  Just found another website that says "Dual-band EGSM 900/1800 and 850/1900" so I don't know if they were selling regionalized phones or the phone handles all of these.

Will check the new sims when they arrive anyway, just in case.