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Light User Mobile Broadband - Ask Our Expert
If you’re having technical, service or supply problems, or just have a question you want answering, why not write to OurExpert@BroadbandChoices.co.uk
Michael Phillips is product director at BroadbandChoices.co.uk and can help with anything from contractual problems, to giving technical advice or telling you how to speed up those slow movie downloads.
On the subject of light user mobile broadband, our expert says...
Hi Keith,
It’s often the simplest questions that prove to be the least answered, so I’d be glad to tackle your enquiry.
Effectively, I’ll explain exactly what is required to connect to the internet & have access to email without any wires or a landline connection. Hopefully you’ll be up and running with the internet on your laptop in no time.
Mobile Broadband Hardware
To get online with mobile broadband, all you need is a PC or laptop with a USB connection and a mobile broadband USB modem stick or dongle
Dongles are the most common type of mobile broadband modem and they’re the kind that looks like a mouse. Dongles connect to your USB port by a cable.
USB modem sticks look like USB memory sticks and, like dongles, they come with “plug and play” technology that allows you to simply plug the USB modem into your computer’s USB port and connect to the internet.
3 mobile offer both fixed rate and pay as you go mobile broadband payment options, whereas T-Mobile offers free access to WiFi HotSpots in specified areas.
Vodafone aims its mobile broadband 3GB package at moderate users and charges £15 per each additional GB you exceed over the 3GB download limit. The Orange mobile broadband pricing model is virtually identical to this.
Mobile Broadband for Home Use
Here’s a rundown of the important factors to consider when choosing a mobile broadband package that’ll be used predominantly in the home:
Connection Speed: If you’re planning on engaging in some heavy emailing, then you’re going to need a decent netspeed. Vodafone currently offer one of the fastest connection speeds for mobile broadband at around 7Mbps.
Contractually, you have the option between 12 and 24 months with Vodafone.
For basic emailing, the standard 3Mbps connection provided by most suppliers should suffice though.
Download Limits: Mobile broadband is still in its early developmental stage, and as such download limits are meagre when compared to those of standard broadband products. Download limits range from 1GB to 15GB depending on the supplier.
Orange is the sole provider to not impose download restrictions on mobile broadband users. The Internet Anywhere package offers unlimited monthly usage.
Value: Vodafone offers a competitive package suited for UK use as associated costs are the lowest in the current market.
T-Mobile offers the best casual use payment option with its Mobile Broadband Daily pay as you go product. With no set monthly charge, just pay £4 for each day that you use it.
Should this light internet use pique your online fascination further, prompting a move into streaming video on YouTube, or perhaps even P2P software such as BBC’s iPlayer, you may wish to consider investing in a standard broadband connection.
Mobile broadband isn’t yet geared towards heavy internet use and multiple downloading. iPlayer and YouTube require a fast, sturdy connection, and mobile broadband connections have not yet evolved far enough to satisfactorily handle these types of application.
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