If you want the latest technology to go with your brand new mobile broadband contract then look no further than a USB modem stick.
T-Mobile (www.T-Mobile.co.uk) calls its USB modem stick “future proof” and you need one to connect to Vodafone's (www.Vodafone.co.uk) super fast mobile broadband network that currently offers the UK’s fastest connection at speeds of up to 7.2Mb - which Vodafone plans on increasing to 14.4Mb by the end of the year.
USB modem sticks look like USB memory sticks; small, sleek and light. And like dongles they come with “plug and play” technology that allows you to simply connect your modem to your computer’s USB port where the software will automatically be installed, and you’re ready to connect to the internet - no matter where you are.
3
3 (www.Three.co.uk) offers a sleek, Huawei USB modem stick in either black or white, to customers on any of its price plans or contract lengths. It is almost nine centimetres long and allows download speeds of up to 3.6Mb when covered by 3’s turbo-charged network.
The 3 USB modem stick currently costs £49.99 for customers on a 12 month Broadband Lite contract (normally £99.99), or free on all other contracts. Pay-as-you-go customers will be charged £99.99.
T-Mobile
When T-Mobile launched its USB modem stick it said that it was “future proof” - customers who buy it won’t have to upgrade their hardware when T-Mobile upgrades its network to handle speeds of up to 7.2Mb later this year.
The stylish black and pink design can easily handle T-Mobile’s current top speeds of up to 3.6Mb in turbo areas, and is HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) and HDUPA (High Speed Uplink Packet Access) compatible for faster speeds.
The device costs £19.99 on either of T-Mobile’s Web’n’Walk Plus or Max 12 month contracts, £9.99 on the Web’n’Walk Max 24 months, or free on the Web’n’Walk Plus 24 months contract. It is not currently available to pay per day customers.
Vodafone
At just over seven centimetres, Vodafone’s cool white and red USB modem stick offers the UK’s fastest connection in a sleek design - speeds you can’t achieve with its dongle.
Vodafone’s USB modem stick is now available to all customers willing to sign a 12, 18 or 24 month contract. Mobile Broadband 3GB customers must pay £99 for the device on a 12 month contract, £69 on an 18 month contract or £39 on a 24 month contract while Mobile Broadband 5GB customers will be charged £59 on a 12 month contract, £19 on an 18 month contract or get the device for free if they sign a 24 month contract.
O2
At present only existing O2 (www.O2.co.uk) broadband, pay-monthly or pay-as-you-go mobile customers can sign up to O2’s new mobile broadband packages. And as a relative newcomer to the market it only offers USB modem sticks rather than the older dongles.
O2’s modem connects at speeds of up to 1.8Mb - O2’s current top speeds but it is HSDPA and HDUPA compatible so that when O2 upgrades its network your modem will be able to connect at download speeds of up to 7.2Mb and upload speeds of up to 2.1Mb.
It has a elegant, black, glossy design and is only seven centimetres long.
Orange
Orange (www.Orange.co.uk) currently only offers one mobile broadband package, and as another recent entrant to the market, only offers USB modem sticks, like O2.
All customers signing up to Orange’s Internet Everywhere tariff have to sign an 18 month contract so all also get a free USB modem stick allowing them to connect to the internet at speeds of up to 1.8Mb.
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