All you need to know about uk mobile broadband

Mobile Broadband Guide

• What is Mobile Broadband?
• So what's a dongle?
• Is this like WIFI then?
• What's 3G?
• Great - what about logging in, bet that's a hassle?
• Who supplies the service?
• Why do I need it?
• Advantages of mobile broadband
• Disadvantages of mobile broadband
• What about download allowances - aren't they restrictive?
• What about mobile broadband coverage?
• What about mobile broadband speeds?

What is Mobile Broadband?

Mobile broadband is, in simple terms, access to the Internet via a 3G mobile phone network. In order to get connected, you simply plug a 'dongle' into your computer (normally into a USB port) and hey presto, you're online!

The first time you plug one of the USB dongles into your PC, you immediately realise it's great technology. It takes most of these devices barely a minute or two to install and connect you to the internet. Unlike a home broadband ADSL setup, there's no raft of ISP settings to enter or complicated configuration of routers, no usernames and passwords or fiddling with security settings. You simply pop the SIM card into the dongle, plug it into your PC and off you go. Everything comes pre-loaded on the USB stick and all the software and drivers install themselves the first time you plug it in - brilliant. If only everything in technology was this easy!

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So what's a dongle?

A dongle is a type of modem which plugs into a USB port on your PC. Unlike traditional modems, you don't connect mobile broadband dongles into the fixed telephone network, but rather, you insert a mobile network SIM card into it - exactly like the one in your mobile phone. This means the dongle effectively becomes a mobile phone, albeit without a keypad or other features obviously, that connects you to the 3G mobile network.

USB Dongles aren't the only choice, other devices to provid access to mobile broadband include; mobile data cards, USB modems, phones with data modems and laptops with the ability to use Mobile Broadband built-into them. Manufacturers such as Dell, Lenovo (previously IBM), HP, Fujitsu, Toshiba and Acer all offer laptops with built in 3G modems that just require you to plug in a SIM card.

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Is this like WIFI then?

NO! Mobile broadband is definitely not WIFI - it's 3G - a different technology altogether. WIFI connects you to the internet via a wireless access point as long as you're within a very short range of a wireless 'hot spot'. Mobile broadband works anywhere you can get a mobile phone signal. Incidentally, O2, Orange and T-Mobile all offer inclusive WIFI access with their mobile broadband packages which is a bonus of you're in an area with patchy mobile reception.

What's 3G?

3G is the third generation of mobile phone standards and technology. 3G technology enables network operators to offer users a wider range of more advanced services via the mobile network. Services include wide-area wireless voice telephony, video calls and broadband wireless data, all in a mobile environment. Additional features also include High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) data transmission capabilities which are able to deliver theoretical speeds up to 14.4Mbit/s for downloads and 5.8Mbit/s for uploads.

Great - what about logging in, bet that's a hassle?

Unlike the arduous setup and login process you have to go through to get connected via WIFI, with mobile broadband, you plug in the dongle and that's it - no further setup, no logging in and generally a much, much simpler process all round. The first time you plug the dongle in, it will automaticaly install the necessary software and in fact, setup usually takes no more than a couple of minutes.

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Who supplies the service?

In the UK, 3 Mobile, O2, Orange, T-Mobile and Vodafone have taken the lead in marketing Mobile Broadband services. Virgin Media have recently announced their intention to move into the mobile broadband market and we'll bring you those deals as soon as the details are released. These mobile phone networks have initially focused on marketing the service to laptop users, who have a choice of USB hardware to enable their PCs to use the Mobile Broadband service. However, as prices fall, mobile broadband may become a more attractive proposition for use in the home as an alternative to fixed broadband.

Why do I need it?

In today’s world it seems almost impossible to get through the day without accessing the Internet. If you travel often however, finding WIFI access points can be difficult - and expensive. For this reason, you might be interested in using mobile broadband. Before signing up to a contract tough, it's important to explore the advantages and disadvantages of mobile broadband before you decide if it's right for you.

Advantages of mobile broadband

• Convenience and Portability - The most obvious advantage to mobile broadband is the fact that it's very convenient to use. With mobile broadband, you can connect to the Internet from any location as long as you have a modem, a laptop and network reception.
• No Need for a Land Line - Whether you're using your mobile broadband at home or while traveling, you don’t need to have an additional fixed land line to obtain broadband access. Who knows maybe someday, home broadband via the fixed telephone newtork will be a thing of the past!
• SMS Messaging - Mobile broadband is also capable of receiving and sending SMS messages and many of the packages feature on this site carry an inclusive allowance of SMS messages. In addition, you have an on-screen inbox on the device that you can use to quickly and conveniently read and reply to the SMS messages you receive.
• Another advantage of this plug-and-play technology is that you can use your broadband stick on however many PCs you please. You could slot the dongle into your work laptop for the daily commute, and then pop it into the laptop at home while you surf the web with a beer on the patio after a hectic day.
• It's a useful backup for when your home broadband connection goes down: instead of hanging on the ISP's helpline trying to find out what's up, you can simply slot in your USB dongle and wait for normal service to resume.
• And for the regular traveller the biggest benefit of all is that you can forget about hunting around for an over-priced Wi-Fi hotspot in train stations, at hotels or airport lounges when you need to get online - plug in your USB dongle and you're connected in seconds.

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Disadvantages of mobile broadband

• Lack of Reception - Although mobile broadband can be used at virtually any location, there's always the possibility that you won't be able to get reception. If you can’t get a signal, you won’t be able to have broadband access unless you have WIFI included and you're close to a hotspot. In addition, if several people are connected at the same time, it's possible for the speed of Internet access to be slowed down - but then that happens with fixed-line broadband too.
• Cost - When compared to fixed home broadband or more conventional broadband methods, mobile broadband can seem costly. However, prices are coming down as the market becomes more competitive and the costs may soon not be that different to fixed line broadband.

What about download allowances - aren't they restrictive?

Data usage is measured in kilobytes (KB). 1MB = 1024 Kilobytes (KB), 1024 MB = 1 Gigabyte (GB)

You've probably noticed from our mobile broadband plan tables that mobile broadband packages generally have quite restrictive download limits; currently ranging from 1GB to 15GB per month. Go to our mobile broadband usage calculator page to estimate your likely monthly mobile broadband bandwidth usage. We recommend you consider this carefully before purchasing a contract because most providers impose significant charges for exceeding the contracted allowance.

There are a couple of legitimate reasons for the limits imposed by the providers:

• The cost of transferring data across 3G networks is more expensive than through home broadband technology.
• Concerned that if users were given unlimited or very high download limits, the 3G networks would be overloaded very quickly causing lost connections and slow service for everyone.

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What about mobile broadband coverage?

Mobile broadband 3G network coverage varies depending on a number of factors. One factor affecting mobile broadband coverage is the distance from the nearest mobile phone mast; the closer you are, the faster and more reliable connection and speeds you'll be able to attain.

Go to our mobile broadband coverage page for links to all the mobile broadband provider's coverage maps. We recommend you research mobile broadband coverage carefully before purchasing a contract. Consider not only coverage at home and your office location but also on train routes that you might take regularly, or cafes that you frequent on a regular basis.

What about mobile broadband speeds?

When mobile companies talk about 3.6 or 7.2 Mbps mobile broadband speeds they are referring to theoretical maximum speeds, not necessarily speeds you will actually experience. HSDPA Networks have a theoretical maximum speed of 3.6 Mbps. But your distance from a mobile mast, trees and other buildings between you and the mast, plus the number of users online, can all influence the speed you experience. Most people on HSDPA Networks can expect a speed ranging from 1Mbps to 1.5Mbps, allowing you to download a 3-4 minute music track in 30 seconds or less.

Carefully check the facts about mobile broadband speed claims. Are the top speeds offered reserved for a handful of locations near a mobile mast? Or can you connect at high speeds right across the UK? Connection speeds can be overstated. Like home broadband ADSL, the advertised speeds are based on theoretical maximums that generally no-one ever achieves: real-world throughput is seldom what the networks claim.

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