Mobile broadband (for laptops)
New! Mobile broadband works via a USB modem or 'dongle' allowing you to use broadband anywhere on your laptop or desktop computer. Simply plug in and get broadband wherever you want it.
Broadband is no longer restricted to the home or office - access the internet on the move, wherever there is a mobile phone reception.
Compare the latest mobile broadband offers below.
Alternatively, compare home wireless broadband.
Mobile broadband (for laptops) explained
Mobile broadband internet, as the name suggests, is a broadband-speed internet connection accessed via the mobile phone 3G network. It is the latest technology in wireless broadband; it allows you to access the internet on your laptop anywhere there is mobile phone coverage, even when you’re abroad!
Mobile broadband is accessed via mobile phone networks as opposed to copper telephone wires or fibre optic cable (used in home phone connections). As a result, mobile broadband is perfect for those who don't want to have to pay line rental on top of their broadband package cost. It is also popular with those living in temporary accomodation who do not want to spend £120 to get a landline installed by BT.
You don’t have to be plugged into an Ethernet connection or even be in range of a hotspot because this technology provides you with your very own small and discreet mobile broadband modem. Mobile broadband modems can be easily transported in laptop bags, handbags and even pockets - providing a wire and clutter-free way to connect to the internet at home and on the go.
Who is mobile broadband for?
- Business people
- Students
- Entrepreneurs
In essence, mobile broadband is for anyone who is looking for greater flexibility from their broadband package. A recent report states that mobile email saves an estimated 53 minutes a day in downtime for business professionals.
Customers should consider the following factors when choosing a package:
- Download speed - How fast do you need your connection to be? Are you willing to wait for pages to load or will you need the fastest connection?
- Download allowance - This factor is very important, if mobile broadband will become your default connection and you will be using it on a daily basis - you should consider packages with the highest allowance. (For more information on mobile broadband download allowances see below.)
- Contract length - As mobile broadband is just really taking off, it may be worth choosing a 12 month contract over a 24 month one to avoid being tied down to an uncompetitive deal a 14 months down the line.
- Connection device - There are a number of mobile broadband modem options, these are explained below.
Types of mobile broadband modem:
- USB modems/dongles - are roughly the same size as a mobile phone, connects to your laptop via a wire USB connection.
- USB sticks - are a lot smaller than USB modems/dongles (usually the size of a flash drive) making them handier and more portable for regular users.
- Data cards - these are even smaller but less popular than USB sticks, but only work on laptops with plug and go software.
All mobile broadband modems:
- Plug directly into one of the USB ports of your laptop or PC
- Don’t require a source of electricity
- Are small and discreet
The four main providers are
All of these mobile internet providers are mobile phone operators. These companies have used their experience of mobile communication to bring you a high quality internet connection, whenever you want it and wherever you want it. Mobile broadband uses these companies’ mobile networks, so anywhere there is phone signal you can now plug in your mobile dongle to access broadband speed internet.
Each mobile broadband ISP offers a range of different dongles and data card options. The speeds that you will be able to access depend on the strength of the mobile signal and the type of mobile dongle you choose.
Vodafone mobile broadband
Vodafone's new business and consumer packages make it one of the best value for money mobile broadband solutions on the market. Speeds of up to 7.2Mb make it the fastest mobile broadband provider too. Vodafone offers the following mobile broadband modem options:
- 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 - Vodafone Mobile Broadband USB modem - Super-fast USB modem
Dimensions: 89 x 43 x 14.5mm - Advanced 3G ExpressCard - Vodafone Mobile Broadband ExpressCard
Dimensions: 125 x 54 x 12mm
Weight: 55 g
Technical specifications:
PC
Windows® XP or Vista
Standard USB interface
At least 100MB free disk space and 128MB RAM
Apple® Mac
OS X Panther 10.3.9 or higher
A standard USB interface
At least 50MB free disk space and 128MB RAM
T Mobile mobile broadband
T Mobile’s Web’n’walk packages provide you with a 1.8 Mb connection, which matches a standard home broadband connection. T-Mobile mobile broadband is easy to set up - you just plug it in and get online for hassle-free broadband whether you're at home or on the go.
T-Mobile's mobile dongles are future proof - so you won't have to replace or upgrade them anytime soon. T-Mobile's mobile broadband modem options include:
- T-Mobile USB stick modem:
Dimensions: 24.1 x 11.8 x 80.5mm
Weight 30g - T-Mobile USB modem
Dimensions: 15 x 89 x 43mm
Weight: 50g
Technical specifications
PC
Windows® 2000, XP or Vista
Apple® Mac
Apple Mac OS X
There are two mobile broadband packages available from T-Mobile
- Web’n’walk Plus which is the cheaper option, allowing you to surf the web, check e-mails and download as well as using instant message services like MSN.
- Web’n’walk Max package is equipped with further advanced technology that lets you access web calling services like Skype, which means fantastic value for money on phone calls.
3 mobile broadband
3 offer a large range of mobile broadband packages and mobile modems/dongles to suit every user. 3 offer both traditional dongles and USB modem sticks to their customers. 3's £10 per month option is a popular one with casual users looking to lightly browse the internet on the go, while their "Max" options give customers far more downloads for every pound they spend.
- 3 USB modem:
Dimensions: 86 x 44.3 x 10mm
Weight 40g - 3 USB modem stick:
Dimensions: 30 x 80 x 10mm
Technical specifications:
PC
Windows® 2000, XP or Vista
Apple® Mac
Mac OSX
3 provide a mobile broadband service relatively inexpensively, they have three mobile internet packages to choose from.
- Mobile Broadband Lite, with up to 1Gb download allowance this is an ideal choice for the infrequent user.
- Mobile Broadband Plus offers 3Gb downloads to users, ideal for those who spend a lot of time using broadband on the go .
- Mobile Broadband Max, a great deals for heavy users, the 7Gb download allowance included in this package gives flexibility to all mobile broadband customers.
Orange mobile broadband
Orange's Mobile broadband Everywhere package is a great option for those looking to check emails and download the odd song when on the go. Orange's ICON 225 USB dongle is a state-of-the art USB key that plugs into the USB port of any laptop or computer giving broadband speeds in seconds.
- Icon 225 USB modem
Dimensions: 63 x 26 x 13mm
Weight: 40g
Technical specifications
PC
Windows® 2000, XP or Vista
Apple® Mac
MacOS
Mobile broadband v WiFi/Wireless Broadband
- WiFi is restricted to small areas, mobile broadband is accessible anywhere where there is mobile phone coverage.
- A number of security concerns have been raised in relation to WiFi signals, as they run on the same spectrum as microwaves and cordless phones, interferance with the line could result in delicate or financial information being intercepted.
Mobile broadband and download allowances
Download-savvy users will have noted that mobile broadband packages generally have quite restrictive download limits from 1Gb to 10Gb. Reasons for the lack of "unlimited broadband" packages in mobile broadband include:
- The cost of transferring data across 3G networks is more expensive than through home broadband technology
- Providers are concerned that if all users were on unlimited download limits, the system would be overloaded very quickly causing lost connections and slow service across the 3G mobile network.
The prevalence of restrictive and uncompetitive download limits is an issue mobile broadband providers currently face when competing with unlimited home broadband technologies. This issue may be the reason why mobile broadband will not overtake home broadband as the default means of connecting to the internet until technology improves.
Mobile broadband in technical terms
Mobile broadband, whether accessed via dongle or mobile phone, involves the use of 3G services. 3G technology is made possible by two complimentary technologies HSDPA and HSUPA (high speed download and upload packet access, respectively).
These complimentary technologies enable mobile broadband users to access of up to 7.2Mb speed downloads and uploads with speeds of up to 1.76Mb. Though mobile broadband dongles, USB sticks and data cards are currently the norm for people accessing mobile broadband, 3G laptops are becoming popular.
Growth in this area has led to a great deal of innovation, it has been mooted that mobile broadband will account for over 50% of broadband sales by 2010.
Future of mobile broadband
Currently, indoor mobile network reception - including HSDPA networks that are used for mobile broadband - tends to be less strong, meaning that data can be transferred less effectively than it can outdoors.
Femtocells are small broadband basestations that boost mobile reception and they could be used to improve mobile signals. Femtocells work by using fixed-line broadband connections to boost signal strength and are capable of carrying data over mobile signals at the same speed as the average broadband connection.
Femtocells could reverse the coverage patterns that currently exist making coverage better indoors rather than outdoors. The technology could allow users to connect to the internet on their mobile phones as they would with their fixed-line broadband connection.
One UK broadband provider to support the technology is O2, which announced last month that it has begun live femtocell trials, with a full nationwide launch expected in 2009.
With the advent of new mobile broadband technology such as 4G and LTE (Long Term Evolution), this issue of limited download allowances are less likely to be a problem in the future. While download limits are such an issue for the mobile broadband market, mobile broadband buyers should compare packages with a view to finding the deal that best suits their needs.
Mobile broadband dongles and fashion
3 have blazed an impressive trail in the field of mobile broadband in general and making dongles fashionable is one of their most exceptional feats. 3 added pink and black dongles to their range in December making them more appealing to a younger audience than ever before. In addition to this bold move, 3 partnered with Skins4Things to create bespoke stickers and skins to anoint their dongles.
3 skins are made to measure they protect your dongle from damage and stick on and peel off easily. 3 are not the only ones with an eye for detail however, Vodafone too have been paying mobile broadband dongles the attention they rightfully deserve – their new USB stick combines super-fast speeds with a cool and sleek design.
2008 and the mobile broadband boom
Those who keep their eye on UK media will have noted that 2008 is (or was) the year that mobile broadband really started to take off. In late 2007, 3 started the laptop mobile broadband craze by unveiling a suite of superbly-priced ‘mobile broadband dongles’ starting at just £10 a month.
They celebrated the occasion by launching a massive marketing push that saw 3 dongles plastered across newspapers, train station advertising hoardings, radio and TV adverts. Quite clearly, 3 mobile broadband and their nifty mobile dongles became inescapable, by January 2008 they were everywhere.
Hotfooting behind 3 in 2008, were Vodafone and T-Mobile who also unveiled their equally competitive mobile broadband packages. Not wanting to miss out on advertising saturation, they too carpet bombed British media with advertising for their mobile broadband deals and offers.
By April 2008, mobile broadband was literally everywhere and it became the buzz technology not just for geeks but for all sorts of people who craved mobile broadband internet on the go. All the while ‘dongles’ made their way into the hearts and minds of the UK broadband consumer - quickly becoming an easily recognised term.
Orange and O2 were close behind in offering mobile broadband USBs on monthly contracts, but did not have the impact that the early players had. O2 only offered mobile broadband USBs to their existing customer base and Orange bucked the trend of blanket advertising exposure by offering it’s deals via only a few select outlets without any major advertising push.
By 2009, mobile broadband fans can maybe expect mobile broadband products to be available from the likes of BT, Virgin Media, Tiscali and AOL although all of these are unconfirmed at present.
Top 10 Broadband is expecting mobile broadband to overtake home broadband as the default way to connect to the web, you can read more about our press release on this subject here: Goodbye home broadband hello mobile.
Member of the Internet Services Providers' Association
Member of the Broadband Stakeholder Group
Approved affiliate of