Mobile broadband myths

If you’re dumbfounded by dongles and aren’t sure of the advantages of a USB modem, you’re not alone. Although mobile broadband has been the biggest technology story of the last few years it’s still something that is little understood.

To clear up the confusion, uSwitch Broadband has compiled list of the ten most common mobile broadband myths. In short, it’s everything you ever wanted to know about mobile broadband, but were afraid to ask.

Download allowances are insufficient

Not so. Although 1GB deals are still around and are indeed limiting for users, these are now far from the norm.

Currently there are a range of deals that offer 10GB of usage every month. That’s enough for 10,000 emails, 100 hours of web surfing, 50 half hour video downloads and 320 four-minute music tracks.

Compare uSwitch's mobile broadband packages with the highest data limits.

Mobile broadband is much slower than home broadband

That used to be true but is no longer the case. uSwitch Broadband’s speed test software reveals that the current average connection speed for mobile broadband is 7Mb, roughly the same as home broadband speeds - although there are a lot of high-speed home packages available, the most common is an 8Mb connection.
Mobile broadband users can also boost their speeds at no extra cost by using a specially designed browser such as Opera Turbo.

Compare our 7.2Mb mobile broadband packages.

Mobile broadband laptop deals are a rip-off

Although it’s true that buying a laptop and broadband separately usually works out cheaper, compared with other credit/hire purchase deals, laptop offers are actually very keenly priced.

For instance, many broadband laptop deals can work out as little as £15 per month when you deduct the cost of the laptop. That's only marginally more than the cost of the average dongle deal and well in line with the mean price of a fixed line connection.

Compare uSwitch's [cheapest mobile broadband packages](/broadband/mobilebroadband/#products=sort%3Dmonthlycost "Cheapest Mobile Broadband Packages)

Contracts are too long

While 24 month contracts used to be the norm, contracts as short as one-month are becoming increasingly common. Furthermore, those who don't like contracts can opt for one of the many pay as you go options offered by all the major vendors.

Compare uSwitch's mobile broadband packages with the shortest contract.

Data charges are expensive

The days of punitive charges of £45 per GB are a relic of the dim and distant past. You can now get up to three times the download allowance for a fraction of that outlay.

Some providers no longer charge for excess usage on their plans. Others have online tracking systems that can be used to keep on top of download usage and prevent excessive charges.

You need a dongle or MiFi to get mobile broadband

Although many people do use dongles and MiFis, laptops that are pre-installed with broadband are becoming increasingly common. So much so, in fact, that uSwitch broadband anticipates they will soon be the most common way of using mobile broadband.

Laptops can also be tethered to mobile phones, meaning that the phone acts an internet gateway for the laptop.

Compare our best-selling mobile broadband with free laptop packages.

Usage overseas is expensive

Horror stories of bills of thousands of pounds for overseas use were once a fixture of UK newspapers, but ISPs have cut charges massively.

EU legislation to promote competition, which came into force on July 1st 2009, has slashed costs even more. The introduction of a wholesale cap has pegged the maximum charge at 1 Euro per MB downloaded.

Under the EU regulations, ISPs are also obliged to warn consumers when they are close to breaching their usage caps, making bill shocks a very slim possibility.

Mobile broadband is a luxury at a time of recession

Mobile broadband is often a cheaper option than fixed line broadband. That’s because you don’t have to pay for line rental.

With line rental at say £11.25 per month and extra for broadband, the cost of even the cheapest fixed line connections is around £17. Conversely, uSwitch Broadband calculates that the average price for a mobile broadband product is just £15.

Compare our cheapest mobile broadband packages

Dongles are dull

The very first dongles prioritised function over form, and weren’t so much dongles as chunky pieces of plastic and metal that slotted into the side of your laptop through the PCMCIA slot.

Now that they are tiny USB devices, they can afford to be more stylish as well as more functional. Designers like Henry Holland created a range of styled dongles, and Three has even offered fashionable dongle skins.

Newer dongles are also much more than just means of getting online and are at the cutting edge of putting the fun into functionality. More and more dongles now double as USB storage devices, and technology firms are working on dongles that will replace mobile phones.

Mobile broadband can only be used outside the home

75 per cent of mobile broadband users connect to the internet at home. While away from home customers with all the major networks can now avail themselves of WiFi hotspots throughout the country, allowing them to take advantage of free connection without eating into their mobile broadband usage allowance.

You can also share your connection with other WiFi capable devices. All you need is to do is plug your dongle into a mobile wireless router, also known as a MiFi, and you and yours can be online in no time.

Compare all mobile broadband deals now!