What is a mobile broadband stick?

Mobile broadband sticks are mobile modems used to connect your laptop or computer to the internet using 3G technologies. While mobile phones can connect to the internet using 3G, laptops and PCs need to use mobile modems, such as mobile broadband sticks, to get online.

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Mobile broadband sticks, or USB sticks as they are commonly known, are often approximately the same size as a flash drive/USB key. They plug into the USB port of your computer or laptop giving broadband-speed internet to their users wherever there is mobile phone coverage.

USB mobile broadband sticks are available from the following mobile internet providers:

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

USB modem sticks on the market

Vodafone Mobile Broadband modem stick 7.2

This sleek, lightweight USB modem stick is the size of a flash drive and can access the company’s HSUPA mobile broadband service. Note, download speeds of 7.2 are only available in central London and some UK airports.

• Dimensions: 71 x 25.7 x 21.2mm
• Technical specifications:
• PC: Windows® XP or Vista
• Apple® Mac: OS X Panther 10.3.9 or higher

T-Mobile USB stick modem:

Simply plug this mobile broadband stick onto your laptop or computer for super-fast broadband speeds wherever there's T-Mobile coverage

• Dimensions: 24.1 x 11.8 x 80.5mm
• Weight 30g
• Technical specifications:
• PC:Windows® 2000, XP or Vista
• Apple® Mac: Apple Mac OS X

3 USB modem stick:

Small, quick and easy, this USB stick is not only good looking but has brains too - everything auto-installs giving you more time to surf the web.

• Dimensions: 30 x 80 x 10mm
• Technical specifications:
• PC: Windows® 2000, XP or Vista
• Apple® Mac: Mac OSX

Orange USB modem stick

Orange's ICON 225 USB stick is another clever one who installs its own software and provides "ludicrously" fast mobile internet to you and your laptop wherever you are.

• Dimensions: 63 x 26 x 13mm
• Weight: 40g
• Technical specifications:
• PC: Windows® 2000, XP or Vista
• Apple® Mac: MacOS

Virgin Media USB modem stick

Virgin Media's USB sticks are cutting-edge devices that offer lightning fast speeds of up to 7.2Mb.

• Dimensions: 70.15 x 25.64 x 11.60 mm
• Weight: 50g
• Technical specifications:
• PC: Windows® 2000, XP or Vista
• Apple® Mac: MacOS

O2 USB modem stick

Compact, impressively fast and well priced, O2 dongles get you online at speeds of up to 3.6Mb and start from just £9.79 per month.

• Dimensions: 71 x 25 x 12mm
• Weight: 30g
• Technical specifications:
• PC: Windows® 2000, XP or Vista
• Apple® Mac: MacOS

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