Mobile Broadband Guide

12 month mobile broadband contracts

Signing a 12 month mobile contract lets you take advantage of the free hardware and cheaper monthly costs of a contract without having to commit to the same provider and package for up to two years.

Orange mobile broadband

Orange Mobile Broadband (www.Orange.co.uk) offers a choice of three different 12 month contracts - all of which are on its Early Bird mobile broadband tariff, which gives customers “unlimited broadband” downloads between midnight and 9am.

The packages come with a choice of 1GB, 3GB or 10GB monthly download allowances, and all come with a free mobile broadband dongle.

Orange also offers rolling one-month contracts, 18 month plans and 24 month free laptop deals, with the cheapest additional data bundles on the market.

Vodafone mobile broadband

Vodafone Broadband (www.Vodafone.co.uk) ) currently offers two 12 month contracts - one with a 3GB download allowance, one with a 5GB allowance. Customers signing up to one of these 12 month plans can get a free standard USB modem stick, but those wanting the latest model - the USB modem stick Pro - will have to pay for their device. It costs £28.38 on the 5GB plan and £47.96 on the 3GB tariff.

Vodafone also offers a choice of 18 month mobile broadband contracts, or 24 month plans, which includes a free laptop offer.

12 month mobile broadband explained

Committing yourself to 18 or even 24 months can get you a good deal today, but in a year’s time you’ll be stuck on an overpriced, outdated contract with months to go until you can switch.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 a good 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. One-month contracts also offer great value, with some providers offering the same download allowances, at the same price, as longer tariffs.