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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 connect.

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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:

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

USB modem sticks are extremely small, slim and handy but if you are looking for another type of mobile broadband modem you should consider mobile dongles too. For more information on mobile broadband dongles refer to our what is a mobile broadband dongle? guide.

Mobile broadband: compare the latest deals here.