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3 Mobile Mobile Broadband reviews and offers

3 Mobile mobile broadband review

Our mobile broadband service rating for 3 Mobile: 

3 Mobile currently offers the cheapest monthly mobile broadband tariff - starting at £10 per month. They also recorded the fastest connection speeds of the five networks we tested with a download peak of 2.7Mbps. Commendably close to its advertised headline speed of 2.8Mbps. Download speeds were pretty consistently between 1 and 2Mbps where coverage was available. 3 is also the only network we tested that doesn't use automatic image comprssion on websites - a trick used by other networks to maximise the achievable speed - which makes the results even more remarkable.

The upload speeds for 3 Mobile were poor compared to the other main players, with less than 100kbps achieved on average. However, 3 has a network upgrade planned for this summer which should boost its upload speeds

In terms of the connection software, installation was a breeze. The software keeps a detailed check on your monthly bandwidth usage which means you can ensure you don't exceed your monthly limit. The only drawback with it is that it doesn't tell you when your connection has dropped out; you have to manually click the connect button once you've noticed and a signal is available.

All three of 3 Mobile's mobile broadband plans are available on a Pay As You Go basis - you need to buy top-ups every 30 days. Useful if you just want to try the service out before commiting to a contract. Be warned though, excess data is charged at an incredible £1/MB - that's £1024/GB!

We recommend 3 Mobile mobile broadband for people who will be occasional users while they're on the move.

A bonus with 3's mobile broadband packages is the ability to use them abroad (in selected countries) at no extra cost. Connect to the 3 networks in Austria, Australia, Denmark, Italy, Ireland, Hong Kong, or Sweden and you can use your inclusive data allowance. Other countries carry a charge.

Current mobile broadband plans from 3 Mobile

Laptop-inclusive mobile broadband plans from 3 Mobile

3 Mobile mobile broadband plan information

3 Mobile offer mobile broadband from only £10 a month. Packages are available on Pay As You Go or Pay Monthly for the same low prices so you're completely free to pick the package that suits you best - maybe even pick up a free dongle.

Looks aren't everything, but they can help. So if you don't fancy a gleaming white dongle, there's a sleek black model, a special limited edition black and pink one or, you can pick your own design.

QUICK FACTS.

Speed: Up to 3.2 Mbps :: Technical Support Phone Costs: 4ppm+ (0870) :: Additional Usage Costs: 10p/MB (£102/GB) :: Roaming Costs: £3/6 per MB (except in 3 'like home' areas, which are included)

Find out more...

Current 3 Mobile mobile broadband promotions

Share your mobile broadband

3 have released a mobile broadband router that allows you to share your mobile broadband dongle connection with up to three other PC's. Priced at £69.99, this is a great - and inexpensive - option for those using mobile broadband as an alternative to landline broadband at home.

Other offers

• 3 Mobile have upgraded the HP530 bundled laptop to a HP550 laptop at no additional cost.
• NEW! - a range of laptop-inclusive deals from £30 on an 18 month 5Gb contract.
• Student Offer - up to £50 off 3 Mobile Broadband. If you open a student bank account with NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland or Ulster Bank, you'll get up to £50 off Mobile Broadband.
• Buy 2 modem skins and get a 3rd one free. Available until 31st July '08.
• Buy one mobile broadband contract and get 50% off another. Available to new customers only on two 18 or 24 month contracts purchased at the same time. Offer must be mentioned at time of order.
• 50% discount on monthly rental for existing 3 Mobile customer who take out an 18 month 15GB mobile broadband contract.

Find more about these and other great mobile broadband offers from 3 Mobile here...

Current 3 Mobile mobile broadband news

PAYG modem price drop

3 have dropped the price of their PAYG up-front costs by £10 to £39.99, making these deals some of the best value available.

3 launch mobile broadband starter kits

3 have launched mobile broadband starter kits for Pay As You Go customers. The kits contain a Mobile Broadband ZTE or Huawei e220 dongle pre-loaded with data, the Kit allows new users to be up and running within minutes with no need to organise their own Top-ups.

Kits are available with varying amounts of pre-paid credit which can be used over 3, 12 or 24 months giving customers the flexibility to use their allowance whenever they want over that period. Once the pre-paid credit period is over, customers can continue to use their Starter Kit dongle by simply buying Top-ups and Broadband Add-ons via the regular channels. The Kits are available online or in 3 Stores across the UK from 4 June.

Find more 3 Mobile mobile broadband news on the 3 Mobile website...

3 Mobile mobile broadband network coverage

3 Mobile's Coverage Checker provides details about 3's current and future coverage and is searchable by placename or postcode.

They do state that the information is only a guide and is not a guarantee of service availability in a particular location and recommend that you contact Customer Services if you would like to get the most up-to-date information about service availability.

Check 3 Mobile mobile broadband coverage in your area...

3 Mobile Mobile broadband dongle - system requirements and technical support

You'll need a PC that runs Windows 2000, XP or Vista or, an Apple Mac that runs OS X, either 10.4 (Tiger) or 10.5 (Leopard). Your computer should also have at least 128MB of RAM, and 50MB of hard disk space available.

Go to the 3 Mobile technical support site for help with 3G mobile broadband dongle setup and configuration.