Mobile Broadband Guide

Pay as you go mobile broadband

Updated: Tuesday 17 January, 2012

By Editorial - news@consumerchoices.co.uk

If you’re interested in mobile broadband without a lengthy 12, 18 or even 24 month contract, there is another way. Most providers now offer mobile broadband deals on either a pay as you go plan or flexible one month contracts. If you are looking for contract free home broadband, then visit our page dedicated to pay as you go broadband for the home.

Compare pay as you go mobile broadband

Most broadband providers currently offer a pay as you go option on their mobile broadband plans. You simply buy your mobile dongle or mobile USB modem stick and some data to get online no matter where you are

Some providers charge by the day, week or month with daily rates starting from just a couple of pounds with T-Mobile Broadband (www.T-Mobile.co.uk) and O2 Mobile Broadband (www.O2.co.uk). Weekly options cost from £7 a week and monthly pay as you go plans from £15. However, allowances, which average 3GB a month on these tariffs, must often be used within a certain number of days or months.

Alternatively, you can buy set amounts of data as and when you need them. Some pay as you go options offer a set data allowance, rather than mobile broadband access for a certain amount of time.

Customers buying set data allowances usually have less time constraints on using their data.

Compare one-month mobile broadband contracts

If you want to make more regular use of your mobile broadband so would prefer the value of monthly payments, but don’t want to sign a long contract, there are rolling one month mobile broadband contracts available. Again, you will have to pay for your dongle or USB modem up front.

The benefits of no contract mobile broadband

No contract and pay-as-you-go mobile broadband are great ways to try out the new technology and see if it’s right for you.

Although it’s been around for a while, mobile broadband has only recently begun to pick up pace, with costs falling and data allowances increasing. However, many of the packages currently available have lengthy 12, 18 and even 24 months contracts attached.

At the moment, heavy downloaders won’t be able to ditch their home broadband in favour of mobile broadband; it has slower download speeds than fixed line connections and customers face fines if they exceed their data allowance.

However, mobile broadband speeds and download limits are steadily increasing and prices will continue to fall as the technology becomes cheaper and more widespread - and it could become a real contender to fixed line connections, allowing users to ditch their home broadband and save over £160 a year on line rental as well as taking their broadband mobile.

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

Click here to view a list of mobile broadband packages