What is mobile broadband?
For most of us, our home broadband connection is delivered via either a copper or fibre-optic underground cable that connects our home directly with a local exchange. But this is not the only way in which households can get online.
Mobile broadband delivers internet connectivity to your home over a wireless network in much the same way as you would access data on your smartphone when you're out and about. When you sign up for these deals, you'll get a mobile broadband SIM; however, there are a few ways in which you can use this.
- Inbuilt data SIMs: Many of today's laptops and tablets come with a slot for a data SIM card. If you've got a computer with this capability, all you need to do is buy a dedicated data SIM and pop it in. These are just like the ones for your phone except they're focused on mobile broadband only, so the packages on offer only provide data, with no need to pay for calls or texts you won't or can't use.
- USB Dongles: If your laptop doesn't have a slot for a SIM card, you don't have to miss out. Instead, you can opt for a dongle that can be fitted with such a card, then plugged into any free USB port on your device, so even a desktop PC can access mobile broadband. These do the same job as an inbuilt SIM and are perfect if you want to browse the internet on any older computer and take your connection with you wherever you go.
- Mobile Wi-Fi hotspots: What if you want to access mobile broadband services on multiple devices around the home? If this is the case, you can pick up a mobile Wi-Fi, or MiFi, router. These work just like the standard routers you get with fixed broadband, except instead of plugging into a cable in the wall, they come with a data SIM slot that can pick up a mobile signal and disperse it throughout your home, allowing you to hook up any Wi-Fi-enabled device to your mobile broadband network.
Why choose a mobile broadband deal?
There are a number of reasons to opt for a mobile broadband deal, but one of its biggest advantages may be for users in more remote parts of the UK, where fixed-line access is limited.
Many rural areas still don't have access to fast fibre broadband, and as homes may be long distances from the nearest exchange, copper ADSL speeds are likely to be very slow. However, if these locations are covered by 4G or 5G mobile networks, mobile broadband can offer faster and more reliable speeds than ADSL and many fibre connections.
Another reason for opting for mobile broadband is the flexibility it offers. If you have a data SIM-enabled laptop or choose a USB dongle, you can take your internet connection anywhere you can find a mobile signal. You won't have to worry about poor Wi-Fi not reaching the bottom of the garden, or rely on public Wi-Fi hotspots if you're out and about.
Mobile broadband hubs, like Vodafone's GigaCube, need to be plugged into a wall. So they're not as mobile as dongles, but you can still unplug them and take the router to another home, wherever there's a good connection.
There are a couple of things to bear in mind if you're considering a mobile broadband deal. Firstly, they won't be available everywhere, so you'll need to check what signals are available at your home first. If you already struggle to get a signal on your smartphone to make calls when at home, you're unlikely to be able to get mobile broadband.
Also, mobile broadband deals often differ from fixed-line contracts. For instance, while almost every fixed-line deal in the UK now comes with unlimited downloads, usage limits are still commonplace on many mobile broadband offerings, though there are some unlimited services available. They are also less able to offer guaranteed speeds and may come with a price premium.
