Mobile Broadband

Cheap dongles

Updated: Tuesday 04 January, 2011

By Editorial - news@consumerchoices.co.uk

There are loads of cheap dongles on the market that will get you online at minimum cost. Compare cheap dongles on a pay-as-you-go plan, and free dongles available on pay monthly contracts.

Pay-as-you-go dongles

Although you might have to pay for your mobile broadband dongle upfront, pay-as-you-go mobile broadband is one of the cheapest ways to get online. You don’t need a landline and you can simply top up as and when you need it - making it the perfect choice for occasional users or anyone on a budget.

You can now get a pay-as-you-go dongle from Three (www.Three.co.uk), O2 mobile broadband (www.O2.co.uk) or T-Mobile broadband (www.T-Mobile.co.uk) for £10 or less.

One month contracts

If you want an inclusive monthly download allowance but don’t want to a long commitment, a one-month contract will give you better value for money. Although you'll have to pay an upfront fee for your dongle, there are some great deals on the market.

Pay monthly dongles

All mobile broadband providers now offer a free USB modem stick when you sign a long contract. While this could save you money on the upfront cost, you should think about whether or not it is worth being tied to the same tariff for 18 months just to save £10 on a dongle.

However, if you do find a good deal that suits your needs, then you might want to secure the package for the next year or so by signing a longer contract.

Mobile broadband coverage

Dongle prices aren’t the only thing you need to take into account when you choose a new mobile broadband package. There’s no point signing up for a free dongle only to find that you don’t get good enough coverage at home, so make sure you check the mobile broadband coverage in your area and compare mobile broadband providers before signing up.

Download allowances

You also need to think about how much data you will need each month. Allowances vary from just 500MB to 15GB a month on pay monthly deals, and costs can soon add up if you exceed your allowance.

You can check your account online to see how much data you have left and your provider should alert you as you near your limit.