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T-Mobile mobile broadband

T-Mobile overview

  • T-mobile broadband contracts give you unlimited browsing: there's a fair usage policy of 3GB but no extra charges if you exceed this, althoughyour downloading/streaming video could be restricted at peak times.
  • As well as PAYG, you can now pay up front for 3 months' data preloaded on a PAYG dongle.
  • T-Mobile's mobile broadband deals are all available on business contracts
  • Customers on PAYG or pay monthly broadband get access to the T-Mobile Night in offer, which gets you a movie/game rental and snacks for £5

Best selling T-Mobile mobile broadband deals

T-Mobile Broadband Genie Road Test results

T-Mobile Road test
T-Mobile ZTE MF637 dongle
Downloads
rating -5 stars5 stars
Uploads
rating -4 stars4 stars
Most stable
rating -3 stars3 stars
Coverage
rating -4 stars4 stars
Feelgood factor
rating -5 stars5 stars
Dongle software
rating -4 stars4 stars
Overall rating
rating -5 stars5 stars

May 2010

2010 Awards: Overall Dongle on the Move Winner, Best Dowloader Winner, Best Coverage Joint Winner & Best Software runner-up

After having a controversially difficult time last year, T-Mobile has returned in 2010 with a cracking performance. Things didn't start well though; while getting the dongles together, despite claims from some quarters that last year's T-Mobile dongle may have been faulty, we were first sent a very old model before getting the right one, minus SIM card. However, once up and running, the ZTF MF637 performed pretty well across the board.

It's a slightly unusual looking dongle with a nice matt finish and the trademark pink edging. It loaded up without a hitch and the software is relatively unobtrusive and simplistic (in a good way). No frill, but no fuss either, which is probably more important.

While speeds were erratic, the bottom end was as good as the overall averages from the likes of Orange and 3, while the top speeds of over 3Mb were in a class of their own. Coverage as impressive too, with the ZTF MF637 finishing the majority of tasks we set it.

The biggest downside was the stalling that happened occasionally. The light indicator on the dongle itself would go red, and despite being in a good signal area it wouldn't restart without having to actually remove it and reinsert. Also, we there was annoying 'parental' blocking of some pretty standard websites, such as YouTube - a problem we didn't get from any other dongles, but at least it is relatively easily remedied.

However, these really were minor complaints when the overall performance is taken into consideration. Good speed, coverage and software make for an enviable package and we're got no problem saying it was comfortably the best Dongle on the Move package we tested.

Overall analysis of the Mobile Broadband Genie Road Trip 2010

by Chris Marling May 2010

About T-Mobile

T-Mobile is seen as one of the old, reliable 3G mobile broadband operators: there isn't much to write home about on speed, but the connection is normally strong. It has recently tried to get down with the kids through its highly successful 'Life's For Sharing' ad campaign, featuring flash crowds dancing and singing in public places, but the core of its audience remains older and business customers looking for reliability over flashy. Importantly, it is also the only mobile internet provider that doesn't charge people excess fees for going over their agreed mobile internet usage cap: instead, customers will receive a series of letters if they abuse its fair usage policy, and perhaps a cap in speed.

It's 'steady Eddie' reputation nicely fits the old 'reliable' cliché about its parent company; it is a subsidiary of German firm Deutsche Telekom. It was previously known as Mercury One 2 One, the world's first GSM 1800 network when launched in 1993. It launched 3G services in 2003 and its hugely popular 'Flext' mobile phone tariffs in 2007. It was quick out of the traps with mobile broadband: UK customers could get mobile internet contracts from October 2006 and it was the first provider to launch pay as you go mobile broadband deals a year later. T-Mobile began to offer so-called 'free' laptop deals with mobile broadband contracts in January 2009.

T-Mobile signed a 3G network access agreement with 3 in 2008: at the time the largest of its kind worldwide (more recently trumped by a similar deal between O2 and Vodafone). The company also recently said it was looking to offer pay as you go dongles with no expiry date on top ups: dubbed 'pay per use' (PPU), customers will be charged per GB. T-Mobile has also hinted at the roll-out of 14.4Mb mobile broadband in the near future.

T-Mobile customer reviews

Show all 223 T-Mobile Mobile Broadband reviews»

  • unhappy

    by Decimo at 18:44 on 30 Aug 2010Report abuse

    i started using ths dongle which is really slow and doesn't connect sometimes. It cost me thirty pound with only 3 gb download with PAYG. Plus it has several restrictions with websites and download is used up quickly if you even watch videos for 2-4 minutes .

    don't ever use mobile broadband with dongle and especially use limited downloading broadband.
  • unhappy

    by gRAHAM at 20:43 on 17 Aug 2010Report abuse

    Bought a T-mobile Dongle a month ago and generally it is rubbish, speed max 50Kb not 7Mb and disconnects all the time even when showing all 5 bars on the signal strength. But looking on the net I see same complaints against all providers, looks like they are all selling us something that hasn't been tested. What a con.
  • unhappy

    by m gabriela at 22:02 on 16 Aug 2010Report abuse

    I am realy disappointed with them.
    No signal and when it does its very slow!!
  • unhappy

    by jamie at 15:17 on 9 Aug 2010Report abuse

    wont let me change my price plan to 30 days for 15 pound, i have tried everything but still nothing

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