Which mobile broadband deal is best for you?

The novelty of video calling may have done little to entice customers to the 3G networks that mobile operators paid so much for back in 2000, but the offer of ubiquitous fast internet access is proving more popular. Adverts for mobile 3G broadband are all over the place at the moment, but if the USB modems (or ‘dongles’) plastered across billboards and throughout newspapers all look the same, the deals from the different providers are anything but...

Just like mobile voice tariffs, mobile data tariffs vary enormously from provider to provider – and there’s more to it than just the monthly fee. As with home ISPs, the term ‘broadband’ is conveniently broad when it comes to mobile internet access and the variation in bandwidth offerings between the slowest and fastest download speeds available from the five UK mobile networks is considerable.

Mobile broadband basics

The standard 3G network provides download speeds up to 384Kbit/s and if all goes well, the UK will have full 3G coverage by the end of this year. Mobile operators are in the throes of upgrading their networks to HSPDA though, which will increase download speeds to a theoretical maximum of 7.2Mbit/s.

Not all mobile broadband providers offer the full 7.2Mbit/s HSDPA download speed though, and not even the respective quoted download speeds are guaranteed. HSDPA coverage is still patchy and a mobile broadband modem dynamically alters download speeds based on signal strength (and progressively drop to 3G, EDGE then GPRS speeds as the signal worsens). So, if you need a guaranteed download speed in a particular location, check the operators’ coverage maps first.  

Just remember that a fast download speed is really only necessary if you’re downloading large files – email and web browsing works just as well over the slower 384Kbit/s 3G connection. Vodafone has a handy online calculator that shows how many megabytes web pages, emails and streaming video can devour – it reckons 1000 web pages equates to 100Mb.

How much can you download?

You should also pay close attention to download limits. Most providers place a cap on how many gigabytes of data you can download each month – and don’t forget that you’re downloading data even when you’re just looking at web pages. The software supplied with an HSDPA modem will let you keep an eye on your data usage and what happens when you exceed it varies considerably.

T-Mobile and 3 operate a ‘fair use’ policy that will result in a notification if you regularly exceed its nominal monthly limit. 3 charges for any extra megabytes you download; T-Mobile initially opts for limiting your download for excess use, then it may invite regular excess downloaders to upgrade their tariff. Vodafone, on the other hand, charges £15 for every excess gigabyte, in all or part, that you download.

Finally, if you’re looking for a mobile broadband deal so you can browse the web abroad, pay close attention to roaming charges. Horror stories of people returning from an overseas trip to face bills of several thousand pounds are commonplace, all thanks to excessive roaming charges. Ofcom is paying close attention to mobile operators’ roaming charges though, so price-cuts are expected soon.

We've provided separate tables for each mobile operator's deals under the appropriate section, but all of the tables are available as a PDF download at the bottom of the last page.  

Postscript: Mobile broadband access comes courtesy of a small modem that plugs into a laptop's USB port. This has its own SIM card and, like a mobile phone, will only work when there's a strong enough signal. Most models also come with onboard flash memory that contains the necessary Windows drivers.

Lots of commenters on the Mobile Computer site have asked about using mobile broadband with a games console or other non-Windows device and the short answer is that you can't – directly. If you can connect the console to a PC via an Ethernet cable though, you can use Internet Connection Sharing to get it online using the modem.

Click on to page 2 to see the different mobile broadband deals compared. 

Mobile broadband providers

Vodafone

Vodafone has recently slashed the cost of its mobile broadband service to bring it in-line with the services offered by other operators. Tariffs offer either 3Gb or 5Gb of monthly downloads, with excess gigabytes charged at £15 a month. The catch is that Vodafone's billing system is based on the byte, so if you exceed your monthly limit by even one character on a webpage, you'll pay £15 for the privilege. Daylight robbery? We think so.

And while Vodafone doesn’t block VoIP traffic, any data you send by the likes of Skype or an IM program is charged at an equally extortionate £2 per megabyte. 

The tariff you choose for also determines which modem you get and Vodafone offers either a 3.6Mbit/s ‘dongle’ or a smaller, costlier 7.2Mbit/s device that plugs straight into a USB port.

Both modems install automatically using software stored in onboard flash memory. The Vodafone Mobile Connect software is pretty easy to use and lets you view usage by the month, set limits and see how much roaming traffic you’ve used.

It might charge a fortune for every other part of its service, but roaming is one area where Vodafone is the hands-down winner – as it costs just £9.99 for 24 hours’ access in most of the developed world. If you travel abroad a lot with your laptop, this could make it worth paying over the odds for a Vodafone contract.

[ Vodafone | Pricing | UK coverage | Roaming | T&Cs]

3

3’s mobile broadband tariffs start at just £10 a month, making it the cheapest provider here. It’s also one of the slowest, with a maximum bandwidth of 2.8Mbit/s. Unless you’re planning on downloading lots of large files though, you probably won’t notice much difference between this and a faster service.  

As with Vodafone, 3 places limits on your monthly internet use and the cap is a mere 1Gb for its cheapest tariff, rising to 7Gb for its most expensive. Extra megabytes are charged at 10p a pop and while this is cheap in comparison with the other providers, it still works out at over £100 a gigabyte.

The USB modem is free on all but the cheapest tariff and installation is simple. 3 is also the only operator that doesn’t penalise the use of Skype. Its roaming costs are more expensive than Vodafone’s, but cheaper than the other providers, at £3.50 per megabyte. If you’re after simple and affordable UK access, 3 is great value.

[ 3 | Pricing | UK coverage | Roaming | T&Cs]

T-Mobile

T-Mobile was the first company to introduce an ‘all-you-can-eat’ mobile broadband with its Web’n’walk tariffs and despite other operators offering cheaper monthly subscriptions, it still offers some tempting tariffs and they all come with a free modem.

The service is split into two options: Plus and Max. Plus gets you 3Gb of monthly downloads; Max gets you 10Gb (the highest limit here) and VoIP. These aren’t hard limits, but rather ones subject to a fair usage policy, so breaking them won’t necessarily cost you anything. Take advantage of this flexibility and you can expect T-Mobile to disconnect your service or reduce your network access speed, though.

T-Mobile’s 2Mbit/s download speed is the slowest on offer, but again, you’re unlikely to notice this unless you’re planning on some large downloads. It will be offering a 7.2Mbit/s service with its new USB modem shortly, though – look out for a review in the next few days.

The modem, much like every service here, self installs when you plug it in, and the connection software is easy to use. It can monitor your daily, weekly and monthly use, so it’s easy to stay within your paid-for limits. 3G 

[ T-Mobile | Pricing | UK coverage | Roaming | T&Cs]

Orange

Orange offers just two options for its 7.2Mbit/s service: Business Everywhere and Business Everywhere Traveller. Both accounts are limited to 3Gb of downloads a month, and you’re charged £3.50 per megabyte if you stray beyond this. The difference between the two tariffs is that Traveller also gives you 15Mb of downloads when you’re abroad and costs £3.50 a megabyte in Europe and £5.50 a megabyte everywhere else after that

The bundled modem self-installs when it’s plugged in, and offers the same range of easy-connect and data monitoring that the other services offer. With lower download limits and a higher monthly cost compared to the other providers though, Orange’s service really isn’t good value.

[ Orange | Pricing | UK coverage | Roaming | T&Cs]

O2 (updated)

After languishing with the least desirable imaginable for ages, O2 has just updated its mobile broadband package to compete with the other four mobile operators.

The new tariffs are certainly competitive, but the catch is that you have to be an existing O2 customer before you can sign up.

There are two new tariffs and while both are identical in terms of service, the 18-month contract comes with a free USB modem, while the one-month contract charges £120. As with the other services here, the modem self-installs when you plug it in, so it’s easy to get working.

Both packages have a 3Gb monthly download limit and the only usage restriction is that you’re not allowed to use VoIP or streaming video products. Once you exceed your limit, the service is charged at 20p per megabyte – twice what 3 charges. However, these charges only come into effect from the 31st October 2008, so until then you’ve got an effectively unlimited account.

One big draw of this service is that you get free unlimited access to The Cloud’s 7,500 UK wireless hotspots. Roaming charges are pretty standard, but still expensive at £3 per megabyte in the EU and £6 per megabyte elsewhere in the world.

O2’s service is well priced and the free access to Wi-Fi hotspots is attractive, but 3’s service is cheaper for mobile broadband and you don’t have to be an existing customer.

[ O2 | Pricing | UK coverage | Roaming | T&Cs]

Going mobile?

It’s pretty clear that T-Mobile and 3 offer the best deals at the moment if all you need is mobile broadband access in the UK, though 3’s roaming charges aren’t too extortionate if you can ration your overseas use. If international access is a major concern, however, then Vodafone’s tariffs are tempting, but those crippling excess megabyte charges make it a poor choice if you’re a heavy data user. If you tend to travel to the same few countries, however, an international SIM-only deal from Go-Sim might be more appropriate.

Finally, if you can’t justify paying a monthly fee for your occasional mobile broadband requirements, think about a pay-as-you-go deal. Both T-Mobile and 3 offer PAYG mobile broadband deals, but in both cases, you’ll need to pay up-front for the modem.

A USB mobile broadband modem costs £100 with T-Mobile’s Web 'n' walk Plus Daily tariff, then you pay £4 for each day’s use, no matter how much you download. Its usual 3Gb/month fair use policy also applies. 3 charges £70 for a modem on its PAYG tariff, then depending on the mobile web access add-on (PDF) you choose, anything from 50p for a one day’s access (up to 120Mb of data), to £25 for adding 3’s standard Broadband Max package.

[ Download all mobile broadband provider tables (PDF)]

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