Mobile Broadband
We’re here to explore the huge world of mobile broadband and present you with our expert findings in a simple and easy to understand way.
We understand that deciphering all of the technical jargon and terms isn’t always the easiest of tasks. Mobile-broadband-onthemove.co.uk is here to help with your mission in joining the mobile Internet revolution!
If you’re someone who’s regularly on the move,
mobile broadband is perfect for you.
Compare Mobile Broadband
With our help, you’ll be able to choose the
best mobile broadband package for you, at the right price for you.
Everyday, we scour the Internet to ensure that we have all of the most up-to-date deals so that you don’t have to.
Mobile Broadband and Free Laptops
3, Vodafone and T-Mobile now offer mobile broadband and laptop bundles. The laptop is typically free, although the overall price of your package will be more than just broadband alone.
There are savings to be made if you choose a higher specification laptop, compared with buying a laptop and a broadband package separately, and these bundled deals allow you to spread the overall cost over a period of 12, 18 or 24 months.
Some providers have now started bundling mobile broadband with ultra-light netbooks. Netbooks typically have build-in broadband which means you don’t need a dongle or a USB modem. Click here to view all free laptops.
iPad Contracts
Apple have recently launched the
Apple iPad, a device which is a cross between a mobile phone and a laptop, also known as a tablet.
The iPad has a 9.7 inch backlit LED display, with a multi-touch screen. It's also extremely lightweight weighing just 1.5lbs (or just 0.68kgs) and is incredibly thin at just 13.4mm in depth.
The iPad is made for people on the move, with users being able to browse the Internet, flick through photos, read e-books and even watch films on the go.
iPad with Wi-Fi + 3G offers superfast data speeds up to 7.2 Mbps over 3G mobile networks. The iPad seamlessly switches between 3G and Wi-Fi so you can always get the best connection available.
To enable 3G service on your iPad, you need a micro SIM card and a data plan.
Click here to view all iPad contracts, iPad data plans, and iPad SIMs available.
OFFER: 3 currently have a great offer on at the moment - you can get 10GB for just £15 a month. Great if you intend on using more than 1GB of data each month.
Click here to view the 3 iPad contract offer.
Mobile Broadband Dongles
Mobile broadband is accessed by using a dongle, otherwise known as a
USB modem (or more recently MiFi). The dongle is plugged into your laptop or PC and you’re free to roam the Internet whenever, and wherever you are – it’s great!
With
mobile broadband dongles, you don’t have to a router or Ethernet connection, which is also perfect for those of you who frequently move homes and don’t want the hassle of signing up to a home broadband package, subsequently incurring a connection fee.
PAYG Mobile Broadband
Pay as you go mobile broadband is great for those of you that don’t want to be tied into a lengthy contract.
You usually either buy a dongle and top this up with credit, or purchase a starter kit where the price of the dongle is included with pre-loaded credit, making them great gifts.
More recently, 30-day rolling contracts have been introduced by ISPs, making this an ideal compromise between PAYG and a lengthier mobile broadband contract.
View all PAYG mobile broadband deals here.
Mobile Internet
Mobile broadband or mobile Internet as it’s also known, offers you the ultimate freedom to search the web at any time in the day, from wherever in the world you are.
A
mobile Internet connection is accessed via the 3G mobile Internet network which is operated by Vodafone, 3, Orange, T-Mobile, O2 and Virgin Media and mobile broadband is available through these providers.
What is mobile broadband?
Traditionally, home or fixed line broadband uses fibre optic cable or copper telephone wires to connect to the Internet. Mobile broadband uses the mobile phone network which means that you can access the Internet anywhere that you can get a mobile phone signal.
This is achieved by plugging your dongle, USB or MiFi into your laptop or PC. Or if you have a notebook, the modem with be built-in.
When you sign up to mobile broadband, your Internet Service Provider (or ISP) will supply you with your dongle or USB modem.
How does mobile broadband work?
Mobile broadband is really simple to use. It’s a case of plugging your dongle or USB modem into your laptop, waiting a few seconds for the built-in software to install connecting to you the Internet – simple!
This innovative technology is becoming increasingly popular and the take up amongst us is increasing rapidly as more of us need the Internet on the go. You’ll be able to get Internet on the go wherever there is a mobile phone network.
3G mobile broadband is made possible by two technologies called HSDPA (high speed download packet access) and HSUPA (high speed upload packet access).
These technologies allow download and upload speeds of up to 7.2Mbps and 1.76Mbps respectively.
Who would mobile broadband suit?
Mobile broadband quite simply will suit anyone. It’s aimed at those of you who need the flexibility to use the Internet whenever and wherever you are.
Mobile broadband is ideal for those needing to regularly check e-mails, those of you who like to get out and about, those who work in an office or are regularly in meetings, on the train, or just out for a walk in the park. The list is endless. Whether you’re a home user, a business user or a student, we all need to use the Internet increasingly on the move.
Mobile broadband coverage explained
At the moment 99% of the UK has coverage, although your connection and speed will pretty much be determined by where you are in the country, as with a mobile phone connection.
If you’re out in the sticks, it’s probably best to go with a provider who you know covers your area, although every provider does have a coverage map which can be accessed on their website.
Broadband speeds explained
The speed of your connection is measured in Mbps (megabytes per second). The speeds that providers offer at the moment are between 3.6Mbps and 7.2Mbps.
Before purchasing a package, you should firstly consider what you’ll need the Internet for. If you need the Internet for browsing, you won’t require such a high speed package, whereas if you’re thinking of downloading regularly, go for something a bit faster.
What is a download allowance?
Whenever you view a webpage or download an attachment, you are downloading a data from the web.
Some packages and Internet providers limit the amount of information you can download.
Your download allowance will be specified within your package information before you purchase this and is measured in GB (Gigabytes). Most packages come with between 1GB and 20GB of allowance.
Small or light users of the Internet shouldn’t really be concerned with download limits, it will be those of you that regularly download films, music or play online games that need to ensure you get a package that suit your requirements.
Unlimited broadband and fair usage policies explained
Heavy Internet users and those of you who regularly download films, music or play online games will download a lot more data than those of you that are only interested in browsing the web. Heavy users will need a package which offers higher download limits or unlimited broadband which has no limits.
Although some broadband providers claim to offer unlimited downloads, they have been known to restrict the usage of very heavy downloader’s by slowing down the broadband connections in what they call their "fair usage" policy during peak times.
Mobile broadband packages tend to have much lower download limits than fixed/home broadband packages and you can incur quite large charges if you exceed these.
Mobile broadband abroad
If you plan to use your
dongle abroad, this will usually come at an additional cost if your package doesn’t already come with this facility. We encourage you to check this with your provider before using your dongle abroad as overseas usage can be costly.
What is MiFi?
MiFi is a device that lets you connect multiple devices to the Internet all at the same time. For example, you could have your laptop, your iPod and your iPhone all connected to the Internet simultaneously.
MiFi Mobile Broadband allows you to create your own wireless Internet (or WiFi) whenever and wherever you want.
3 and Vodafone are the only mobile broadand providers to offer a MiFi router at present. View 3 MiFi and Vodafone MiFi deals here.
What is a Share Dock?
A share dock does what it says on the tin. You place your dongle or USB modem in the dock so that multiple users can connect to the Internet through their laptop or computer’s built in WiFi frequency.
Xbox Kinect
The Xbox Kinect is going to revolutionise online gaming. Launched in November, the Kinect sold over one million units it just 10 days and is set to sell 6 million units by the end of December!
If you want one of these brilliant Xbox add-ons before stock runs out, use our sister website to find Xbox Kinect stock and to compare Kinect prices.
Perhaps you want an Xbox Kinect bundle? Whatever you want, our sister site will be able to point you in the right direction.
Nintendo 3DS
The 3DS was launched on 25th March 2011 and sold 113,000 units in the first two days of sale, making it the fastest selling Nintendo console ever..
Order 3DS here and compare 3DS prices. Don't miss out!
Dell UK
Dell are one of the top desktop and laptop manufacturers in the world. When purchasing your Dell UK, be sure to apply a Dell discount code.