Best mobile broadband deal

[plantsforshade]

Hi

Any views on which is the best mobile broadband deal around. I just want it for email and work while out of the office.

3 mobile at £15 for 3gb monthly allowance plus a free modem seems good, but 24 month contract is longer than I would want. Coverage is the main other worry.

details at

http://threestore.three.co.uk/broadband/

Any others?

Regards

Nigel

[Cheapprices4u]

tbh i have a pcmcia vodafone nice

but to be fair if you can get a byndle of data from yoru mobile provider as an add on

just plug phone into laptop via usb or bluetooth and use that
may work out cheaper than seperate contract

[pinbrook]

I can only comment on what I've used...

3g card from Vodafone - excellent service _£25 pm with 3gb data transfer (i used it in South Africa ona monthly tarriff.) this looks an interesting option as in the UK you can get 7.2mg - i'm seriously considering dumping BB on my landline for this.

blackberry curve from vodafone with email only plan - this gives me push email at £20pm 12 month contract - i use this daily as it keeps me in touch with my support desk - and it works fine when i'm in Europe.- excellent for keeping tabs on email, you can access www on it at extra download cost.

However i'm looking into the £10 pm deal from 3 at the mo as a cheap UK mobile 3g backup - i'm just about to start trawling 3G forums to get feedback. Or the Skype mobile phone from 3 with bluetooth and data package

at the mo there are too many choices but all with long contract periods, so you need to get a contact that will allow you to upgrade within the contract period

[plantsforshade]

Thanks Jo and Gareth

It just seemed too cheap to be without a catch, talking to one of my nephew's yesterday he has one and speaks highly of the support and coverage but he is in London !

Regards

Nigel

[pinbrook]

there is the option of gprs/gsm if you are outside a 3g area so you at least have a connection for email.

I've uploaded actinic using gprs - it takes a while not ideal but better than nothing.

it really depends on how you envisage using it

[party_pete]

However i'm looking into the £10 pm deal from 3 at the mo as a cheap UK mobile 3g backup

Did you go with THREE in the end?

[pinbrook]

Ok here's another idea for you.

Go to Ebay and buy an unlocked 3G card (i've got a vodafone 3g (UTMS)/GPRS card data card.

Then go get an internet enabled SIM - PAYG. You should be able to get one of these by walking into Orange et al

Then pop the sim into your datacard and use PAYG on your datacard. Some high st mobile shops won't give you such a card so you may have to buy this from ebay too or be very assertive in the shop.

I have used an Orange Sim with PAYG in the UK but it was expensive. I've also used Vodafone with prepaid credit in the UK - i'm still using the credit up so don't really know how costly it is. My partner has a Vodafone contract with his SIM whereby he only gets charged as he uses it - this is sort of PAYG on a contract - ie he gets billed for usage once a month.

At the mo I'm using a Vodafone SIM with Prepaid credit - with 4069 sessions (one session is either 246 mb or 10 mins) this is a Spanish Vodafone card - and cost me 90 euros

The possibilities are endless.............

[Duncan Rounding]

I just received my USB 3G modem from 3 on the PAYG tariff. Works a treat in both my windows and ASUS (mini linux laptop) machines. The contract and PAYG rates are the same excepting the cost of the modem. In my case it was £99.99 for the E220 modem and £10 for 1Gb, £15 for 3Gb and £25 for 7Gb. The only drawback is that the vouchers expire after 30 days, but seems a good dea for the price. This is my first connection with 3 - I'll be interested to find out how the coverage compares to Vodafone though.

[plantsforshade]

We went for the 1gb 3g broadband from 3 £10 (incl free modem) all in per month on the basis that it will do all we need for the days I am out and about. They do offer on the contract, and the reason we went for it, the ability to upgrade to 3 or 7.5 gb or more allowance with a call and then drop back to your original contract again with another call. This gives us a way of continuing if somone drives into a telephone pole or lighting strikes the exchange, which has both happened in the last year. Works very well so far in towns and along main roads but can only get gprs in rural Somerset. The shop in Yeovil said they were selling loads.

Regards

Nigel

[NormanRouxel]

just plug phone into laptop via usb or bluetooth and use that
may work out cheaper than seperate contractThat's what this person did (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/12/27/massive_vodafone_uk_mobile_data_bill/)and got an £27,000 bill.

[dscontroller]

That's what this person did (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/12/27/massive_vodafone_uk_mobile_data_bill/)and got an £27,000 bill.

I used one for about six years with a laptop through Orange and fortunately never went above £175.00 for the month. That figure only occurred once but it's too easy to get carried away when on the internet:eek:

Regards,
David