How to Choose a Mobile Broadband Provider
Mobile broadband has experienced massive growth in the UK over the last couple of years, with connections increasing exponentially as the word is spread and as 3G network coverage becomes better on a national level. However, one industry expert has suggested that we could see a slowdown in mobile broadband uptake unless mobile networks take serious action to reassure customers who may have been affected by patchy coverage and sluggish connections. The growth of mobile broadband is expected to be fuelled by business and as the demand increases and the technology improves you should expect to see prices fall. So how should you, the consumer, decide which mobile broadband provider you want to commit to? Every major mobile telephone network offers some form of mobile broadband service and BT and Virgin Media also offer mobile broadband. Prices can vary wildly and choosing between deals can be tricky.
Considering the Offers
The first thing you`ll need to consider is the monthly cost you`re able to pay. Contracts can last from between 12 to 18 months and you`ll have to pay the same amount each month for the duration on a majority of networks, so work out a maximum budget you want to spend. The second consideration is the area in which you`re planning on using mobile broadband. Not every network will offer 3G coverage in every area, but if you head online and check out their websites they should give detailed coverage maps. For example, 3 Mobile currently have the widest coverage area with around 90% of the UK within the reach of their 3G networks, though other mobile broadband providers will be rolling out larger 3G networks in the coming months. The third consideration you`ll have to make is how fast you want to connect to your mobile broadband, as again this varies depending on network provider. For example, though 3 Mobile has the largest coverage area the maximum download speed you`ll be able to achieve is 3.6mbps. On the other hand Vodafone offer up to 7.2Mbps download speed, but the areas in which this is attainable are limited.
Considering Data Allowance
Arguably the most important consideration when choosing a mobile broadband provider is the amount of data allowance you`ll be permitted to use each month as this will ultimately determine how much use you can get out of your mobile broadband connection. Every mobile broadband provider will give you a data allowance in Gigabytes (GB) and this amount will vary depending on how much you`re willing to spend each month. To estimate how much data allowance you`ll need it`s easiest to think about 1GB being representative of about 10 hours of light internet use, for example checking and sending emails, viewing web pages and so on. If you`re planning on downloading lots of files or streaming video you`ll need more data allowance. As a comparison, at the moment O2 phones are offering mobile broadband on a 24 month contract with a 3GB data allowance for less than £10 a month.