How to find a mobile broadband contract that's best for you

Whatever type of mobile device you buy, from the smallest smartphone to the biggest tablet computer, it will be almost useless without internet access.

Internet access is for web and email, of course, but it also makes other tools available, such as online calendars and maps – not to mention the ability to download the countless apps now available.

All modern smartphones and tablets support Wifi, so if you have a wireless broadband connection at home it’s a simple matter to connect via that.

There are also ways to get Wifi access when out and about too (see the heading The Wifi option only section below for more details).

Away from Wifi, an internet connection will rely on the mobile phone networks – and that means a mobile broadband (or data) contract of some sort. We show you how to figure out just what you need.

Signing up
The first thing you’ll need to get online using mobile broadband is a Sim card. Sim cards provide the mobile phone networks with information about who owns the device, what services it can use and how much it should be charged. How you go about getting one depends on how you buy the device.

When it comes to buying a mobile phone, many people are used to getting the handset and the service it needs together: you agree to pay a certain amount per month and the handset is provided.

This is also simple to do with a smartphone and many tablet devices: indeed, many people buy such devices as part of a package deal, agreeing to pay a monthly charge for a certain period (typically 18 or 24 months).

Alternatively, a smartphone or tablet could be bought on its own and a Sim card purchased separately: this could be on a fixed contract, as above, or on a pay-as-you-go (PAYG) package.

The latter method often looks more expensive, as the price of the phone or tablet is not subsidised, but can in fact be cheaper in the long term – and you get to choose exactly what you want.