Top Links



Mobile Internet GPRS data 3G data Connecting PDAs UK Mobile FAQ Portable wi-fi Wi-fi USB Dongles
Broadband Information BT Broadband Virgin Media Dial-up access

Receive the latest updates direct to your inbox


FileSaveAs News Feed Follow FileSaveAs on Twitter FileSaveAs Tech Podcast
FrequencyCast UK Tech Podcast


Mobile Broadband from o2



USB Mobile Broadband Modems

This page contains information on how to use a USB modem for Internet access on a laptop.

 

Mobile Internet USB Modems?

o2 USB modemIf you want to get high-speed mobile Internet access from your laptop while on the move, you'll want to consider getting yourself a Mobile Broadband modem. These are small, pocket-sized dongles that plug into a spare USB slot on your laptop.

USB broadband dongles use the mobile phone data network to get fast Internet access without needing to be plugged into a landline or to have wi-fi.

Most of the UK network operators now offer USB modems and high-speed data access. Typically you'll be looking to pay upwards of £10 a month for the service, although a pay-as-you-go option is also available with most UK network operators.

 

UK USB Modem providers:

Here's a summary of the Mobile Broadband offers from some of the UK Network Operators:

O2 Mobile Broadband - They're offering a PC and Mac compatible USB dongle on a £10 a month tariff, with a 1 gig a month data transfer cap. Alternatively, for occasional mobile surfers, get a USB modem dongle for £20 and pay daily or weekly as required. A flexible offering.

Details on our o2 Broadband page, or at broadband.o2.co.uk/mobile

o2 USB modem

T-Mobile Mobile Broadband - Their Mobile Broadband Plus tariff provides high speed mobile Internet access (up to 1.8Mbps) using a USB broadband modem. The USB modem is sent for next-day delivery.

T-Mobile's Mobile Broadband service costs £15 a month (there's a monthly "fair usage" limit of 3Gigs a month). There's also a Pay-As-You-Go option.

More at www.t-mobile.co.uk

T-Mobile Web'n'walk USB modem

BT Mobile Broadband

If you're considering signing or switching to BT's home broadband service, you can pick up a BT Mobile Broadband USB modem for as little as a one-off £9.99, with a free allowance of a Gig a month.

More details on BT's Mobile Broadband offering on the BT Mobile Broadband site.

Mobile Internet from Vodafone

Vodafone Mobile Broadband - Speeds of up to 7.2Meg, Vodafone's Mobile Broadband is now Half Price for Life - at £15 a month for 3 gig per month. Available with a USB modem.

More details at www.vodafone.co.uk.

Mobile Internet from Vodafone

 

Listen to the FrequencyCast UK online radio show
FrequencyCast Podcast IconPODCAST FEATURE: USB Modems: We looked into USB modems, in show 27.
Listen to the show online, or download it to your MP3 player.

Listen to Show 27 | What is FrequencyCast? | Add us to iTunes

 

USB Modem Reviews

We've reviewed a couple of UK mobile broadband services on this site:

 

Your questions

Q. If your computer isn't wifi enabled, can you still use a broadband dongle ? Do you need a separate wifi dongle, or is that included in the broadband dongle? (Maki).

Yes, you can use a USB broadband dongle if your computer doesn't have wi-fi. USB broadband dongles use the 3G mobile phone network, not wi-fi.  

Got a question about USB Modems or Mobile Broadband? Ask us!

 

Useful Mobile Broadband Links:

 


Bookmark this page:

delicious digg stumble technorati facebook