Anybody using Mobile Broadband?

[Parm]

I'm looking into buying a new laptop but I find that using any PC or laptop without web access soon gets frustrating. As a result, I'm starting to look at some mobile broadband options and it actually looks quite popular these days. A lot of mobile phone operators provide such a service and BT do something similar with one of their BT Broadband options.

Does anybody here use a Mobile Broadband service? If so, which one, what are your thoughts and what is the coverage like?

[Jay]

I use a 3G card from O2 (if thats what you mean?), its very good and in a 3G area fast as well. I can even use it in Spain on a roaming network if I need to.

The only issue I have is cost, I find the cost per MB quite high but if you need it then you need it and its fine for getting emails etc.

[Funkstar]

3 and t-mobile are the kings of 3G at the moment. You don't pay per MB and have pretty good fair usage limits too. Up to 5GB on some packages. Granted 5GB isn't a lot if you are downloading all the time, but really, for general internet access, some streamed radio, VoIP etc. you are laughing.

[nichomach]

OK, most operators will have a service for use with laptops, designed to be used with either a PC Card or USB 3G modem. All offer rates which are "unlimited" but subject to a fair use limitation. Look at:
T Mobile

Voda

O2

3

The devil is in the details; T are good on the amount of data they let you shift, but their coverage outside major conurbations isn't so hot as say O2 or Voda (who are conversely both pricey and tight).

Check the fair use cap. Also, Dell, HP and others are doing laptops with integrated 3G; they're supplied with Voda SIMs and Voda branded software but they aren't locked and can be fairly easily set to work with another network.

Speed and reliability are OK in built-up areas, usually, but if you get off the beaten track you may end up on GPRS instead of 3G.

They're an absolute boon for a lot of our guys who are stuck on temporary sites with no fixed lines.

[burble]

I've been using a Vodafone 3G card for a couple of years now. Initially I had a PCMCIA card but now I've got one built into my laptop.

Coverage is fantastic, anywhere I can get a mobile phone signal I can get internet access but unless you're in a 3G area it'll drop back to GPRS which isn't exactly speedy.

Latency is pretty high, so online gaming may be an issue but I've had no problems with throughout.

My card doen't get a great deal of use as nearly all hotels and airports have WiFi now but I've had no problems with it.

I don't know how much it costs but I don't pay the bill so I don't really care I think it's something silly like £5/Mb when roaming.

[Lourdes]

I've been using my phone as a modem with T-Mobile for some time now, they have the best HSDPA coverage of any network and not having to pay for an extra contract on top of my phone one is nice.

[Parm]

I've been using my phone as a modem with T-Mobile for some time now, they have the best HSDPA coverage of any network and not having to pay for an extra contract on top of my phone one is nice.

You can do it via a mobile phone too?? That sounds about perfect!

[Jay]

bluetooth and a mobile will do it I think.

[peterb]

Did you mean via a mobile or via wifi hot spots? I think BT broadband (and possibly T mobile) have the best wifi coverage, and I think BT offer it if you use them as your ADSL ISP.

[Parm]

The T-Mobile web 'n' walk option looks like a good one, that'd cover my mobile phone, web access on my phone and web access on my laptop.

However! I used to be with T-Mobile when I first moved to my new house and I had to switch to Orange because the T-Mobile network coverage wasn't good enough.

[nichomach]

Bear in mind that Terms & Conditions for the basic Web'n'Walk plan prohibit the use of the phone as a modem; only W'n'W Plus and Max allow that. Whether they choose to enforce that or not is another matter, but you should be aware of it.

[Lourdes]

The T-Mobile web 'n' walk option looks like a good one, that'd cover my mobile phone, web access on my phone and web access on my laptop.

However! I used to be with T-Mobile when I first moved to my new house and I had to switch to Orange because the T-Mobile network coverage wasn't good enough.

If you want to use data it's a choice of Three or T-Mob really, otherwise you pay a bloody fortune for data.

[Hopefullyuseful]

I've been using a Vodafone 3G card for a couple of years now. Initially I had a PCMCIA card but now I've got one built into my laptop.

Coverage is fantastic, anywhere I can get a mobile phone signal I can get internet access but unless you're in a 3G area it'll drop back to GPRS which isn't exactly speedy.

Latency is pretty high, so online gaming may be an issue but I've had no problems with throughout.

My card doen't get a great deal of use as nearly all hotels and airports have WiFi now but I've had no problems with it.

I don't know how much it costs but I don't pay the bill so I don't really care I think it's something silly like £5/Mb when roaming.

The Vodafone mobile broadband (vodafone.co.uk/mobilebroadband) website has information on the mobile broadband service and charges for this service. You can also use the coverage checker on the Vodafone website to check the coverage in your area.

[burble]

The Vodafone mobile broadband (vodafone.co.uk/mobilebroadband) website has information on the mobile broadband service and charges for this service. You can also use the coverage checker on the Vodafone website to check the coverage in your area.

I should have said that I don't care how much the usage costs as my company pay.

[Sinizter]

I am using the T-Mobile WebNWalk - in my Dell laptop with its built in 3g card.

I can get some kind of connection pretty much anywhere I have been. There are the occasional disconnects when on the train, but other than that, it works great.

[Parm]

I'm gonna go into a T-Mobile shop over the weekend and enquire about the web 'n' walk option on a Vario III.

I'll miss the free texts I get with Orange though on my current contract, I do my fair share of texting.