Vodafone will negate the need for dongles later this month, with the release of laptops featuring in-built mobile broadband.

The Dell Inspiron Mini 9 will come will be launched for sale in Vodafone stores, online and directly from Dell.

According to Vodafone, the lightweight device - weighing only 1.035 kilograms - is slim and sleek, with a bright 8.9-inch glossy LED display (1024x600) and built-in webcam.

"Building on our long relationship with Dell, the availability of the Inspiron Mini 9 will further enhance what a customer can achieve with mobile broadband whilst on the move," said Andrew Sangster, Vodafone's director of PC connectivity.

He continued: "Today's announcement marks the next step in the evolution of mobile broadband services bringing mobile broadband into the hands of many more customers."

According to the GSMA, HSPA mobile broadband subscriptions have now surpassed 50 million worldwide.