Top 10 Broadband Dongle Deals

When it comes to mobile broadband technology, dongles are the gadget on everyone’s shopping list. The dongle is our key to accessing the internet on the move, enabling us to get broadband speeds wherever we are.

You may have been told that the tiny, humble dongle will completely change your web experience. You might also have heard that getting your hands on a dongle could help you cut your home phone and broadband costs, or even that dongles could mean you can ditch your home phone lines altogether.

When it comes to making choices about broadband packages, dongles and dongle deals are popping up everywhere, yet many of us are still wondering, what exactly is a dongle?

The term 'dongle' or 'mobile broadband dongle' refers to a device that you plug into the USB port of your laptop or PC and which provides you with mobile internet access via a 3G mobile network or using more recently available super-fast 4G technology.

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Although dongles have been around for years now, you still often see 'dongle' misspelled as ‘dongal’, ‘dongel’ or ‘dongall’. Although only relatively recently applied to mobile broadband portable modems, the term dongle has been used in the IT world for years, where it traditionally refers to any small piece of hardware that connects to a computer via a USB port.

However, as the mobile broadband revolution took hold, the term dongle became more widely taken to mean devices that plug into USB ports but which are specifically for getting you online on the move.

Dongles are usually connected to the USB port using a short connector. The dongle itself works exactly like any other modem but gives you the freedom to access broadband speeds wherever you are, provided there is mobile phone coverage.

How do mobile broadband dongles work?

Most dongles use 3G mobile technology, or third generation mobile technology. You can find out more about 3G in our guide ‘What is 3G?’

However, recently faster 4G services have become available in the UK. These combine new network technology with special dongles to offer speeds up to five times the average 3G connection.

Both 3G and 4G dongles are designed to make life easy and, with that in mind, they often require little or no installation. Most dongles are simply ‘plug and play’ so, provided there is 3G or 4G network coverage where you are, you can start surfing the web straight away.

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Mobile broadband dongle deals

Dongle deals are available from almost every mobile broadband provider, whether that's pay as you go mobile broadband dongle deals or longer-term pay monthly offers.

As competition for your custom hots up, you will find you can get a deal on a mobile broadband package and dongle for around the same as you can get a home broadband deal.

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Dongles come free with many mobile broadband packages. Providers currently offering free dongles with a mobile broadband contract are:

• Three
• Vodafone
• T-Mobile
• Orange
• O2
• Virgin Media
• EE

Different mobile broadband dongles

Each mobile broadband provider offers their own dongle with their own mobile broadband packages. So you need to consider which could be the right dongle for you, as well as which package will best suit your needs.

Three mobile broadband dongles

Three dongles use HSPA+ technology for broadband connection speeds of up to 21Mbps. Choose between the Huawei E3231 Standard Dongle or the Huawei E3256, which features a handy rotating head for improved performance.

Vodafone Dongles

Vodafone offers a range of dongles, all of which offer a maximum speed of 21.Mbps.

T-Mobile broadband dongle

Choose T-Mobile and you'll get two dongle options, namely the USB Stick 615 and the USB Stick E3131. The former is included on longer-term pay monthly dongle contracts, while the latter is solely for pay as you go dongle customers and T-Mobile's one-month contract option.

Both T-Mobile dongles offer a maximum connection speed of 21Mbps.

Orange mobile broadband dongle

Orange's dongle is the Huawei E3131. Available on pay monthly and pay as you, it's capable of delivering a 3G mobile broadband speed of up to 21Mbps.

O2 mobile broadband dongle

O2's dongles are sleek, small and very portable, with a choice of colour options. O2's 3G network will provide users with a headline connection speed of up to 21Mbps.

Virgin Media mobile broadband dongle

Virgin Media's mobile broadband dongle is in a cool matt black and stands out for its amazingly compact dimensions and maximum speeds of 7.2Mb.

BT mobile broadband dongle

BT offers a great pay as you go dongle, with connection speeds of up to 7.2Mb.

Mobile broadband dongles abroad

If you want to use your dongle to get mobile broadband when abroad, it is worth checking with your individual ISP. In theory you can access the internet using your dongle wherever there is mobile phone signal, however are sure to additional charges involved.

Find out more about using your dongle abroad in our guide Broadband abroad.

Future of mobile broadband dongles

2012 saw the arrival of the UK's first-ever 4G dongle and 4G mobile broadband service courtesy of EE. Rival carriers are set to launch their own 4G dongles and 4G mobile networks in 2013 and 2014.

More mobile broadband dongle information:

• What is a mobile broadband dongle?

• What is a mobile broadband stick?