My daughter a student, has just moved into a new apartment and was told verbally (before she signed the contract for 6 months) there was internet connection already there. Well, low and behold there is non, so I was wondering which would be the best Dongle or other she should invest in. She needs it for Uni work and leisure (watching play back on soaps and other series), facebook, Msn etc. Also she has an Orange phone contract, so is there some kind of deal she can do with the service provider and how much are the price bands.
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Editor - Matt Powell
Report abuseGiven the usage you've described she will need something with a high data limit as streaming video uses a lot of bandwidth. Pay as you go mobile broadband will help to control the spending and has the advantage of not having a contract period, but can be more expensive than a contract deal for heavy usage. Being a student PAYG may be better from a financial point of view, though if she's watching a lot of video online you're potentially looking at £20-30 per month.
May be worth calling Orange to see if they can offer her anything as an existing customer however this is likely to be another contract. If she didn't already have a phone I'd recommend trying the 3 One Plan, as that provides unlimited data on top of the usual calls and texts, and depending on the handset it's very easy to tether the phone and use it as a dongle.
The one important thing to check is the network coverage to ensure she can get a 3G connection as otherwise it will be very slow. If she can already get 3G on her Orange phone then you know Orange mobile broadband should be okay, otherwise use these coverage maps for other networks: T-mobile
Vodafone
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O2
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If Orange could provide her with a good deal on a dongle, it might be worth investing in the dongle dock too. This would create a personal wifi hotspot for her within the apartment, and give her something to use on the move too.
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