In recent times, we’ve come to expect more from our internet connections. Once upon a time a dial-up modem bringing you the wealth of the world’s knowledge at 56kbits per second was considered an amazing feat. Now we’ve grown accustomed to fast broadband connections which even allow us to stream TV and video. Additionally, growing numbers of us are finding that just being online when we’re at home or at work is not enough – we want to have all the internet can offer at our fingertips even when we’re on the move. And that’s where mobile broadband comes in.
What is mobile broadband?
mobile broadband uses either an on-board modem or an external USB modem (or ‘dongle’) to connect your laptop to the internet via the mobile phone networks. This means that unlike Wi-Fi services, it doesn’t involve you looking for a hotspot in a café or a hotel; and unlike smart-phone 3G internet services, you have the screen size, the keyboard and the processing power of your laptop to work with. Mobile broadband means that you can get online where-ever you are, providing you can get a mobile phone signal. All the latest laptops and notebooks are compatible with mobile broadband, so you do not need to spend time searching for wi-fi spots.
Who uses it?
Mobile broadband has proved extremely useful for anyone who works on the move – in particular business travellers wanting to make the most of that train journey or airport wait. It also suits anyone who likes to stay connected whilst out and about; and works really well for people who don’t want to get involved with landlines, cables and modems and such – so for example students who change accommodation frequently and don’t necessarily have a landline connection.
Sounds great. What’s the catch?
Mobile broadband is still quite a young technology, and while advances are expected soon, at present connection speeds fall noticeably short of what you’re used to on your home broadband connection. To give you an idea, home broadband connection speeds are advertised as anything up to 50Mb, whereas the top advertised mobile broadband speed is 7.2Mb. Advertised speeds can be extremely misleading, but the fact remains that you will notice your mobile broadband connection being slower than your home connection.
How much does it cost?
As with broadband packages, mobile broadband tariffs vary a great deal. There are six main mobile broadband suppliers in the UK, and not by coincidence they are the big mobile phone network providers: 3, O2, Orange, T-Mobile, Vodafone and Virgin. All of these providers offer a wide range of options, ranging from starter services at around £5 per month up to tariffs which include a subsidised laptop and a large data allowance for around £40 per month. It’s important to spend some time trying to find the best mobile broadband deals for you.
The key to finding the right tariff for you is firstly to know your options, and secondly, to use an independent online comparison service such as Mobile Broadband Genie, which brings all of the provider tariff information together in one place.
Mobile broadband contracts differ across a number of key aspects, so there are a few things to consider when shopping around.
Speed. As we’ve already mentioned, mobile broadband is slower than fixed line broadband in most cases – but as we’ve also mentioned, advertised speeds can be misleading. The magic words ‘up to’ allow suppliers to quote the theoretical top speed of their network, which is not necessarily the speed you can expect to see. Speed will vary according to which supplier you go for, how busy the network is, and how far you are from the nearest tower. However, most suppliers will now give you an estimated speed for your connection to their network.
Coverage. As with speed, coverage will vary according to provider, the congestion of the network, and your geographical location – so check first with a coverage checker, which are provided on many comparison websites.
Length of contract. Contracts are usually 12, 18 or 24 months. There are also pay-as-you-go options available for anyone not keen to sign a contract.
Download limit. Because data is more expensive to transfer via the mobile networks, mobile broadband tariffs will usually have a restriction on the amount of data you can transfer per month. Download limits start at 1GB which is relatively low and go up to 10 or 15GB per month. There can be penalties for over-use, though, so if you choose a low data cap make sure you know what you’re entitled to and read the small print.
About the author: Kate Thesinger writes on behalf of www.broadbandgenie.co.uk, the independent comparison website for broadband and mobile broadband.
