Mobile Broadband

Free mobile broadband dongle

Updated: Tuesday 04 January, 2011

By Editorial - news@consumerchoices.co.uk

If you want mobile broadband to get online on the go, but don’t want to fork out for a modem, you need a package with a free dongle.

Three mobile dongles

Three mobile broadband (www.Three.co.uk) offers free hardware on all of its contract packages - even if you’re after its latest mobile wi-fi modem. You will have to pay an upfront fee if you choose a rolling one month contract or a pay-as-you-go mobile broadband deal, but this could be as little as £4.99.

The provider also offers the widest range of download allowances, with packages starting at 1GB a month and going all the way up to a 15GB monthly download limit.

O2 dongles with broadband

O2 mobile broadband (www.O2.co.uk) offers a free USB modem stick when you choose its 18-month mobile broadband contract.

Although you'll have to pay for your dongle if you go for O2’s one month or pay-as-you-go options, you could get yourself a modem for under £10 or £20 depending on the tariff you choose.

18-month customers have the choice of either a 1GB or a 3GB allowance, while one month users can pick from 500MB, 1GB or 2GB - and all customers also get unlimited wireless hotspot access.

Orange mobile broadband dongles

Orange mobile broadband (www.Orange.co.uk) offers free dongles to all customers signing a 12-month contract. If you take the one month or pay-as-you-go options, you'll have to pay for your dongle, with the price depending on the package you choose.

Its Racoon plans are designed for occasional users, with a pay-as-you-go option or a 500MB monthly allowance. Its Dolphin deals are designed for more regular users who get a 1GB allowance with an extra 1GB of “quiet time” data to be used between midnight and 4pm and inclusive wi-fi minutes on selected packages.

T-Mobile dongles

T-Mobile broadband (www.T-Mobile.co.uk) only offers one pay monthly deal; a 3GB fair usage policy on an 18-month contract - and a free mobile broadband dongle.

T-Mobile pay-as-you-go customers have to pay a one-off fee of less than £20 for their dongle. The provider also offers a pay upfront deal that makes a great gift.

Virgin Media dongles

You'll get a free dongle if you sign-up to one of Virgin Media Mobile Broadband's (www.Virginmedia.com) 18-month contracts get a free dongle. If you choose one of the provider’s two-month deals you'll have to pay for your hardware, but both contract lengths come with a 1GB or a 3GB tariff option.

Vodafone dongles

All of Vodafone Mobile Broadband's (www.Vodafone.co.uk) “regular internet user” packages come with a free dongle - even the one month Starter deal. If you want to sign-up to the pay-as-you-go plan or the “occasional internet user” option you'll have to pay for your modem.

You'll have a choice of 3GB, 4GB or a 5GB monthly download allowance.

Click here to read more about the different types of mobile broadband hardware.

Or click here to view a list of mobile broadband packages

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