Signing up to a mobile broadband contract can get you a much better deal than if you opt for a pay-as-you-go option or rolling 30 day contract, and the longer the contract you sign, the better the deal you’ll usually get.
However, while committing yourself for 18 or even 24 months can get you a good deal today, in a year’s time you’ll be stuck on an overpriced, outdated contract with months to go until you can switch. So, a 12 month contract is often the best compromise - offering the value of a contract with the knowledge that you’ll be free to shop around for a new deal in only a year’s time.
3
3 (www.Three.co.uk) offers 12 month contracts on all three of its pay monthly packages, Broadband Lite, Broadband Plus and Broadband Max, offering download allowances of 1GB, 3GB and 7GB respectively.
The only real difference between these shorter contracts and 3’s lengthier 18 and 24 mammoths is that you’ll be charged for your dongle or USB modem stick on the Broadband Lite package, though this now only costs £49.99. Dongles and USB modem sticks are free on the Broadband Plus and Broadband Max packages.
T-Mobile (www.T-Mobile.co.uk) charges a higher monthly rate to 12 month mobile broadband customers than those on its longer 24 month plans, which can make it more expensive than competitors in the long run.
And while dongles are free on all packages, T-Mobile charges £19.99 for its “future proof” USB modem stick on 12 month contracts.
Its Web’n’Walk Plus 12 months package offers “unlimited” downloads with a fair usage policy of 3GB - which means that you won’t immediately be charged if you exceed your limit. However, internet calling (VoIP) services like Skype are not allowed on this package.
Web’n’Walk Max 12 months does allow VoIP services and also comes with “unlimited” downloads - with a 10GB fair usage policy.
Both Web’n’Walk Plus 12 months and Web’n’Walk Max 12 months cost £9 more a month than their 24 month counterparts.
Fair usage policy - if exceeded more than three times you’ll have to upgrade to a more appropriate package
£44
Free dongle or £19.99 for a USB modem stick
Vodafone
All monthly costs are the same no matter how long your Vodafone (www.Vodafone.co.uk) mobile broadband contract is, but like 3, the price you pay for your hardware will change.
Vodafone offers two consumer mobile broadband packages with 12 month contracts; the Mobile Broadband 3GB and the Mobile Broadband 5GB, costing £15 and £25 a month respectively. It also offers a choice of two types of dongle; a 3.6Mb dongle and a 7.2Mb dongle, and a 7.2Mb USB modem stick.
Mobile Broadband 3GB customers signing a 12 month contract will be charged £49 for the slower 3.6Mb dongle or £99 for the faster 7.2Mb dongle or USB modem stick.
12 month Mobile Broadband 5GB customers will be charged £19 for the slower modem or £59 for the faster model or the USB modem stick.
7.2Mb - though currently only in London and major UK airports
5GB
£15 per additional GB
£25
You have to pay £19 for a 3.6Mb dongle or £59 for a 7.2Mb dongle or USB modem stick
O2
O2's (www.O2.co.uk) recently launched mobile broadband packages do not currently offer a 12 month option. Contracts are only available on an 18 month or rolling 30 day basis.
Orange
Orange's (www.Orange.co.uk) Internet Everywhere plan is only available as an 18 month contract. No 12 month option is available.
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