Compare Mobile Broadband

What’s so great about mobile broadband?

For a start, it does exactly what it says on the tin; it makes broadband mobile. You simply sign up to your chosen mobile broadband provider, who will supply you with a USB modem, or dongle, which you can plug into any PC you want, and connect to the internet wherever you are.

So if you’re on your way to an important meeting, taking a long train journey or just want to take your broadband with you everywhere you go, mobile broadband is the answer. You should note though, that like a mobile phone, coverage can be patchy in rural areas and on train journeys.

It also means that you can kiss goodbye to your line rental. Mobile broadband modems don’t connect to a phone line in your wall; they use the 3G network and connect to the internet wirelessly. And at £12.79 a month paying by direct debit to BT (www.BT.com), this could save you over £150 a year.

And although the 3G network doesn’t cover the whole of the UK, it does connect almost 90% of the country - with speeds of up to 7.2Mb in many areas.

How much does mobile broadband cost?

Each major mobile phone provider now offers its own range of mobile broadband packages and prices have dropped massively since the technology first went mainstream. You can now get a monthly mobile broadband allowance for just £5 a month. Download allowances have also evolved since the launch of mobile broadband and you can now get 15GB and even 20GB allowances.

• 3 Mobile Broadband Packages
• O2 Mobile Broadband Packages
• Orange Mobile Broadband Packages
• T Mobile Broadband Packages
• Virgin Media Mobile Broadband Packages
• Vodafone Mobile Broadband Packages

What can I do with my Mobile Broadband download allowance?

It can be difficult to work out which mobile broadband package is right for you based on download allowances, but you can use this as a rough guide:

• 1GB of mobile broadband data lets you send 1,000 plain text emails or surf the web for 10 hours or download 5 four minute videos or download 32 music tracks
• 3GB of mobile broadband data lets you send 3,000 plain text emails or surf the web for 30 hours or download 15 four minute videos or download 96 music tracks
• 7GB of mobile broadband data lets you send 7,000 plain text emails or surf the web for 70 hours or download 35 four minute videos or download 224 music tracks
• 15GB of mobile broadband data lets you send 15,000 plain text emails or surf the web for 150 hours or download 75 four minute videos or download 480 music tracks.

Is it difficult to set up?

Mobile broadband is the easiest of connections to set up. All of the dongles on offer come with “plug and play” technology so you simply plug in your dongle and all the software you need to go online will automatically be installed.

Then, whenever you want to surf the net, you just plug your modem in, open your provider icon on your desktop, and away you go.

Getting the best from your mobile broadband

Because mobile broadband coverage can vary widely depending on where you live, it’s important that you run a postcode search with each prospective provider before signing up to make sure that you get the best possible signal at home, on the way to work or in your local pub.

3 Mobile Broadband

3 offers the biggest range of tariffs and hardware options, with rolling one month contracts and longer 18 and 24 month plans as well as pay-as-you-go mobile broadband plans.

It also offers free laptop deals, standard dongles and even mobile wifi modems in the form of its MiFi dongle, allowing you to create your own portable wireless hotspot and share your mobile broadband with up to five different devices at once.

3’s download allowance options offer something to suit all users, from a 1GB allowance for occasional light users to generous 15GB limit for regular mobile broadband users.

O2 Mobile Broadband

O2 customers can choose from one or 18 month contracts, with either a 1GB or a 3GB download allowance, a pay-as-you-go plan or a laptop deal.

In addition to your monthly download allowance, all O2 mobile broadband customers also get “unlimited” access to its network of 7,500 Cloud wireless hotspots.

Orange Mobile Broadband

Orange customers can choose from one of its three Animal plans; Racoon, Dolphin or Panther, each of which also comes with the option to sign up for a longer 24 month contract with a free laptop.

Racoon is designed for light users, offering 500MB a month for just £5 if you're an existing Orange mobile customer, or the choice of a one or 18 month contract for non-customers. The one month deal comes with a 1GB download allowance while signing up for 18 months will get you 1.5GB a month.

Choose Dolphin if you're a regular user, and could get by with 2GB or 3GB a month. One month customers get 2GB a month while those choosing the 18 month option get 3GB. On top of your monthly download allowance you'll also get a Happy Hour of free downloads once a day, choosing from early morning, lunchtime, early afternoon or evening.

Finally, Panther is designed for serious mobile broadband users who might be considering using as their primary internet connection. 18 month customers get an “unlimited broadband” download allowance, subject to a 20GB fair usage policy, but even one month customers still get a generous 10GB download limit.

It also offers a range of data bundles allowing you to add an extra 1GB, 3GB, 5GB or even 10GB when you need it.

T-Mobile Broadband

T-Mobile offers three options when it comes to mobile broadband; pay monthly, pay per day or pay upfront.

It currently only offers one pay monthly option, offering a 3GB monthly fair usage policy on an 18 month contract - so you won’t be automatically charged if you exceed your limit.

Pay-as-you-go customers get the choice of a daily, weekly or monthly allowance depending on your needs, or you could choose a pay upfront option where you pay for three month’s access, with a 2GB fair usage policy, in one go - it makes a great gift.

Virgin Media Mobile Broadband

Virgin Media offers its mobile broadband customers two download allowances; 1GB or 3GB a month, each with the choice of a rolling two month contract or a longer 18 month plan.

It also offers discounts on its mobile broadband when you take it as part of a home broadband bundle.

Vodafone Mobile Broadband

Vodafone offers some of the fastest mobile broadband downloads, with speeds of up to 14.4Mb in selected cities. Most of its network connects at a top theoretical speed of up to 7.2Mb or 3.6Mb though.

It offers a choice of contracts, pay-as-you-go dongles or free laptops - some of which come with built-in mobile broadband so that you don’t even need a dongle.

,p>You can choose from a 12, 18 or 24 month contract and all of Vodafone’s mobile broadband contracts also come with free PC protection and backups.