Mobile Broadband Guide

Pay monthly mobile broadband

If you know that you need regular mobile broadband access, then a pay monthly package could offer the best value for money.

But with so many great offers on the market, how do you decide which provider and which package to sign up to?

Mobile broadband contract length

Mobile broadband providers offer a range of contract lengths, from pay-as-you-go and rolling one month contracts to standard 12, 18 and 24 month contracts.

The best deals invariably go to new customers signing a contract, and you could also get cheaper and better USB modems and sticks with Vodafone Mobile Broadband (www.Vodafone.co.uk) or T-Mobile Mobile Broadband (www.T-Mobile.co.uk).

Going for the longest contract in order to get a better deal isn’t always the best option though. The mobile broadband market is changing fast, with new entrants and new deals pushing prices down and data limits up all the time - so if you tie yourself into a long two year package you could miss out on some great deals while you wait for your outdated contract to end.

Pay-monthly USB modems & dongles

Many mobile broadband providers offer better hardware to customers signing up to contracts rather than pay as you go mobile broadband packages. This means that as well as getting a dongle that can connect at future-proof speeds, you could also get one that doubles up as a memory stick or even a mobile wifi modem so that you can share your connection across multiple devices.

Pay-monthly download limits

Each provider and each pay monthly package offers a different download limit, ranging from 500MB to 10GB and even an “unlimited” option with a 20GB fair usage policy with Orange Mobile Broadband (www.Orange.co.uk) to a generous 15GB a month from Three (www.Three.co.uk).

Once you’ve thought about how much data you’ll be downloading each month, you’ll need to decide on whether or not you want to go for a package with a set download limit where you’re automatically charged for any excess, or one with a fair usage policy.

Almost all pay monthly packages come with a set download allowance, which means that you need to be very careful not to exceed your limit as out of bundle costs can soon add up to hundreds of pounds. Check your online mobile broadband account to keep track of how much data you have left, and if your provider allows it, buy additional data if you think you’re going to run out - this is almost always cheaper than paying out of bundle charges..

T-Mobile is the only provider to apply a fair usage policy on its packages, which means that you won’t automatically be charged if you exceed your limit, but if you do so regularly you’ll be asked to curb your usage, have your connection speed reduced or be asked to pay more each month to cover your usage.

Orange’s Dolphin plans come with a Happy Hour of free mobile broadband downloads once a day, while its 18 month Panther package offers “unlimited broadband” downloads, subject to a 20GB fair usage policy - the highest on the market.

Mobile broadband connection speeds

At the moment, the fastest mobile broadband speed is offered by Vodafone, with a top speed of 14.4Mb in select areas.

However, it’s important to remember that as with fixed line broadband connections, you will rarely, if ever, get your top advertised speed. Average actual speeds are little over 1Mb and when Vodafone announced its latest upgrades, it advised customers living in its 14.4Mb areas to expect “typical speeds of anything between 1Mb and 4Mb with a practical maximum speed of 10.8Mb”.

Mobile broadband coverage

Network coverage in your area will also affect which provider you should choose. Although coverage across the UK is currently over 85%, the mobile broadband boom means that providers are investing more money in their networks, and coverage should exceed 90% by the end of 2009.

However, each provider’s network is different, and the area you live in might have great coverage from one provider but be patchy on another, so it’s important to compare mobile broadband coverage.

You can check coverage on your chosen provider’s website or in a store before signing up.

Which pay-monthly package is right for me?

If you think about your needs as a user and consider all of the options above, you’ll be able to find the right package for you.

Click here to compare broadband packages, and find a provider that's right for you.