Everything you need to know about mobile broadband

Dedicated services
Hotspots are convenient for those who don’t need to use broadband that often or for any great length of time while they’re out and about. But the big downside is that hotspots are location-dependent; you need to find one before you can use it and if there isn’t a hotspot within easy reach, you’re basically stumped.

A more permanent, more autonomous answer might be to sign up for a dedicated mobile broadband service. These are usually offered by the same companies that provide mobile phone services, such as Orange, T-Mobile, 3 and Vodafone.

Mobile broadband services come in the shape of a small piece of hardware – a USB receiver (sometimes referred to as a dongle) and a monthly subscription fee comparable to the one you pay for your home broadband service.

Each provider offers a selection of service plans, with prices ranging from £ 10 to £35 per month. As with home broadband, subscription costs vary depending on factors including download speeds, minimum contract length, setup fees and download limits.

Services and deals change all the time, so the best thing to do is visit an up-to-date independent online resource, such as Broadband Expert or Broadband Choices. Here you’ll find an easy-to-understand direct comparison tables of all the current packages being offered by the main providers, making it simple to see which deal is best for you.

Speed-wise, services range from 1.8Mbits/sec (T-Mobile) to 7.2Mbits/sec (Vodafone), although these data transfer rates are not necessarily the most important figures to be looking at.

Of far more significance is the download limit imposed by each provider. Depending on how much you’re planning to use the service, 1GB per month might not be enough, especially if you’re going to be watching programmes on BBC iPlayer or downloading lots of music.

It may be possible to exceed the download limit, but the cost of doing so may turn out to be punitively high. Try working out exactly what your usage is likely to be before signing up and read the small print to find out what happens if you ever go over your monthly allowance.

We can’t overstress the importance of understanding these potential extra expenses.

Mobile broadband services work by using the same 3G networks mobile phones use and, as such, suffer from the same restrictions. Availability is the biggest problem with 3G networks.

You’re much more likely to find a 3G signal than a wireless hotspot, but while 3G is reported to cover more than 80 per cent of the UK’s population, coverage outside of urban areas is patchier, with vast swathes of rural Britain left without access.

It’s possible to check whether your area is served by visiting each of the provider’s websites and using the coverage map or postcode search utility provided, although this is not always a guarantee that the service will be available.