What Is Mobile Broadband?

One day in the not too distant future mobile broadband will be as much part of our daily lives as our mobile phones and our broadband connections. But what is mobile broadband, exactly? Well, in much the same way that the mobile telephone changed the way we communicate by allowing people to connect to a network from pretty much anywhere, mobile broadband can do the same for the internet.

Using a USB modem, also known as a ‘dongle’, or an on-board data card inside your laptop, you can pick up an internet connection using 3G via the mobile phone networks, wherever you are. This means that you can work on your laptop virtually as you would if you were on a fixed connection – no more hunting around for WiFi hotspots, and no need to use the 3G on your phone to try to read your emails.

Mobile broadband, while not yet as fast as fixed-line broadband connections, is exceptionally useful for anyone who needs to use the internet to work on the move, and for anyone who just likes to be able to stay connected. It also makes a great backup for your fixed-line broadband connection in case there is ever trouble with your line; and it works really well for anyone who doesn’t already have a landline, and doesn’t want to get involved with cables and modems and such.

How do I get online with mobile broadband?

One of the big advantages of mobile broadband is that it is so easy to set up and use. Just pick a deal from one of the wealth of options available to you, plug your dongle in, and away you go. However, as with mobile phone deals, there are a lot of different tariffs, and picking the right one for you will ensure that you’ve got the right connection for the right price.

Whether you’re looking into using mobile broadband for the first time, or considering changing your current mobile broadband arrangement, it always pays to be informed, and to shop around. A good way of checking exactly what’s available is to use an independent online comparison service such as Mobile Broadband Genie, which takes the legwork out of assessing the best deals, by gathering all the information together in one place.

The first thing to know about buying mobile broadband is that, unlike fixed-line broadband, you will have a set limit of how much data you can use per month. This is because the cost associated with providing data via the 3G networks is much greater than the costs for landline or cable, and so providers are unable to realistically offer flat rate ‘all you can eat’ style tariffs. The average monthly allowance is 3GB; there are both smaller and much larger allowances available, but be warned, there are penalties for going over your allowance which can be expensive.

Secondly, as with mobile phones, mobile broadband offers different lengths of contract as well as pay-as-you-go options. Normal contract lengths are 12, 18 or 24 months, usually with slightly more benefits available if you sign up for longer. Pay-as-you-go options may offer more flexibility, but it’s worth noting that you may be asked to pay for the dongle if you choose this route (it’s usually thrown in for free with a contract), and also, many of the data top-ups expire after a certain amount of time.

Lastly, when you’re looking at what’s available, you might want to consider speed and coverage. In terms of coverage, some networks are able to offer better connections than others in different areas, with the cities often being better served than more rural areas, so it’s worth checking what’s available in your area. Also, different networks are able to offer different speeds, with the fastest mobile broadband available at present in the UK currently standing at up to 7.2Mb (the ‘up to’ means you’re not guaranteed that speed in any case), but the technology is coming on fast and speeds are expected to at least double within the next year or so.

About the author: Chris Marling is editor of www.broadbandgenie.co.uk, the independent comparison website for broadband and mobile broadband.