mobile USB broadband

[Sali]

Hi

 

I'm interested in hearing any feedback you may have with the various USB mobile broadband options. Has it yet got to a stage where it would be possible to ditch the home phone line (and with it the line-rental costs) and switch to this mobile option? Obviously coverage is an issue - my vodafone only works upstairs in my house, but is speed a big problem?

 

Many thanks

[postggj]

no comments so far ?

 

i use the 3g usb dongle

 

though i live in the middle of town, ive had no problems except customer services, do 3 have any:D

 

the only prob i had to begin with was kaspersky internet security, did not like each other

 

with avg now and no probs

 

if you can do with out customer support, 3g is ok

[locutus]

Well, if you order them online or over the phone you get a 7 day cooling off period due to the distance selling regulations. You can return it if it's unsatisfactory

 

3 and t-mobile use the same network so if you tried one and it didn't work, skip the other

 

Where I live I can get a faster broadband connection thrugh a dongle than thrugh the landline

 

Factors with a landline are distance from the exchange, how busy that exchange is and the quality of the wire

 

Factors with USB mobile broadband is Distance from the phone mast, how busy it is and the building materials for your house.

 

Another noticable diference is the fair usage policy... this will most likely be a lot lower with the mobile broadband... if you just surf and e-mail you'll probably be OK, if you download DVD's regularly you probably won't be OK

 

I'd say if you're interested visit the mobile providers website and order 1. (you can always return it within the 1st 7 days if you don't like it!)

[Sali]

Thank you for your responses. The 7 day trial sounds like a worthwhile option.

[locutus]

Well, some coverage checkers

 

Check Mobile Broadband Coverage - Mobile Broadband from T-Mobile (Like I said, T-mobile and 3 use the same network... I prefer this checker as the 3 one is a little missleading)

 

Mobile Coverage Checker O2

 

Mobile Phone Coverage UK - Vodafone Vodaphone

 

Orange UK mobile coverage Orange

 

 

Now, some techie talk (Sorry)

 

2g = up to 56k (thats dial up speed)

 

3g = up to 384k (About the same as the 1st broadband released in the UK)

 

3g+ (HSDPA) = up to 7.2 meg depending on the dongle they send you and the mast you're connecting to. This is comparable to the broadband that most of us have in our homes.

[patdavies]

Whilst nothing to do with broadband provision, the OP mentions ditching the home phone line.

 

You should be aware that the existence of a landline is part of any basic credit check.

[Sali]

Thank you for all your replies. These forums are a great source of knowledge.

I knew about the landline on credit checks. I was working abroad a few years ago, but kept a flat in the UK. I didn't bother with a home phone and got refused credit on a computer buy. However, this will/or has already changed. I know numerous people now who only have a mobile.

[what a pain joining]

i want to know why does a home connection cost so much money like bt £16? a month i think its a crazy price what do they do for that amount of money

[buzby]

3 and t-mobile use the same network so if you tried one and it didn't work, skip the other)

 

Er, no they don't!

 

3UK anf T-Mobile offer limited site shating on cellsites, but there is no roaming between them, and the networks remain seperate (meaning there's different coverage from each).

 

OFCOM has just published a useful leaflet on this subject today, along with links to their online (estimated) coverage. FWIW, 3UK are still rolling out their HDSPA broadband and infilling at an impressive rate, the only UK network that appears to be doing so:

 

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/advice/guides/mobilebb.pdf

[locutus]

I stand corrected, I thaught all cellsites were sharing.

 

BTW the ofcom leaflet shows virgin media.... now that one definatly 100% is T-Mobile right? lol

[buzby]

Agreed... why they were treated as a 'network' defies belief, but since they don't advertise that they're services are only as good as those provided by T-Mobile, I'm sure the data is provided to 'aid clarity' for those who do not appreciate the difference.

 

There are a few other changes you might be unaware of - currently if a handset has no SIM in place, it cannot make 112 (or 999) calls to the emergency services. The EU is bringing in a rule that requires all networks to provide carriage of these calls even if a SIM is not in place. This means, for the first time, a phone will be able to use the strongest available signal to decide which network to use to make the call.

 

Now - if we could only do that for all the OTHER calls we need to make, this would be a step forward!

[touche36]

It may be worth considering Tiscali. They are now doing an 8mb broadband service WITH landline for £15 a month. It has a once of £30 set up fee, 12 month contract, and fair usage of up to 100GB per month. They have a very poor customer service history, but this may change now they have been bought by the Carphone Warehouse.

 

Also, I very much doubt you could trial a USB mobile broadband and then return it, as the credit on the SIM will have been partly used, and therefore not in a re-sellable condition.

[locutus]

It may be worth considering Tiscali. They are now doing an 8mb broadband service WITH landline for £15 a month. It has a once of £30 set up fee, 12 month contract, and fair usage of up to 100GB per month. They have a very poor customer service history, but this may change now they have been bought by the Carphone Warehouse.

 

Also, I very much doubt you could trial a USB mobile broadband and then return it, as the credit on the SIM will have been partly used, and therefore not in a re-sellable condition.

 

Tiscali is not available in all area's, SamKnows Broadband - Availability - Broadband Availability Checker will tell you if it is in yours.

 

The law is very clear that you have 7 days to return these if purchased over the internet or telephone.

[touche36]

I don't know about the other mobile suppliers, but 3's T&C's seem pretty generous - you can return it up to 14 days provided you haven't used it for more than 3 consecutive days. You may have to pay for any services you have used though, and won't get a refund on top-up vouchers / remaining credit.

 

See here : http://www.three.co.uk/ThreePortal/Satellite?blobcol=urldata&blobheader=application%2Fpdf&blobkey=id&blobnocache=false&blobtable=MungoBlobs&blobwhere=1223554681728&ssbinary=true

[royal-marine]

WHOA am i the only one who has a gripe here? avoid all usb dongles if at all possible. certainly dont get rid of perfectly good broadband within your home.

 

ALL usb mobile internet is an absolute nightmare in terms of service and operation. anyone saying otherwise has intrest in those companys. end of story.

 

ive had 3g and vodaphone. you normally get 3gb to use monthly which is next to nothing unless you check emails and thats it. i and most other people ive spoken to on various forums experience the same peak performance in the first few weeks which tails off to a dire weak and slow service after that even when used in exactly the same location as before.

 

then you'll get your bill which will be at least 3 times what you expected it to be. and the break down will be vague. you'll have to go through the ridiculous customer service epic, to get information on what has cost so much.

 

of course thats when the usb mobile is working, actually gets service, isnt broken and assuming you havnt stamped on it in a fit of rage.

 

please please please keep your home broadband, its a saving in the long run, you get absolutly nothing for free especially in the world of mobile internet providers.

[Sali]

Thanks for your response. It's good to have different points of view. If your experiences are the norm, it sounds as if I have a wait before I can finally get rid of my landline. Whilst discussing performance/coverage of mobile USBs with a PC World assistant recently, I was told that these devices do not use the same network as the mobile 'phones. Can this be true?

[buzby]

WHOA am i the only one who has a gripe here? avoid all usb dongles if at all possible. certainly dont get rid of perfectly good broadband within your home.

 

You'll be telling us next not to do away with our landline becaue the quality and cost is considerably less when using a mobile?

 

We try not to state the painfully obvious - but the whole point of using a wireless option is because therere is either no alternative available OR the required contract length precludes a formal commitment.

 

Each has its own plusses and minuses, and I doubt anyone would think that mobile BB is a satisfactory replacement for cable or ADSL (even with all its faults).

[royal-marine]

You'll be telling us next not to do away with our landline becaue the quality and cost is considerably less when using a mobile?

whats your basis for assuming id say that? not only that but your sentence makes no sense, mobiles arnt cheaper either

 

We try not to state the painfully obvious - but the whole point of using a wireless option is because therere is either no alternative available OR the required contract length precludes a formal commitment.

 

Each has its own plusses and minuses, and I doubt anyone would think that mobile BB is a satisfactory replacement for cable or ADSL (even with all its faults).

 

isnt that the point of the original thread? as the guy was questioning wether it would be cheaper to use mobile instead of home broadband. so clearly he has the choice.

 

isnt it frustrating when people rant irreverently

Edited June 20, 2009 by royal-marine

[locutus]

WHOA am i the only one who has a gripe here? avoid all usb dongles if at all possible. certainly dont get rid of perfectly good broadband within your home.

 

ALL usb mobile internet is an absolute nightmare in terms of service and operation. anyone saying otherwise has intrest in those companys. end of story.

 

ive had 3g and vodaphone. you normally get 3gb to use monthly which is next to nothing unless you check emails and thats it. i and most other people ive spoken to on various forums experience the same peak performance in the first few weeks which tails off to a dire weak and slow service after that even when used in exactly the same location as before.

 

then you'll get your bill which will be at least 3 times what you expected it to be. and the break down will be vague. you'll have to go through the ridiculous customer service epic, to get information on what has cost so much.

 

of course thats when the usb mobile is working, actually gets service, isnt broken and assuming you havnt stamped on it in a fit of rage.

 

please please please keep your home broadband, its a saving in the long run, you get absolutly nothing for free especially in the world of mobile internet providers.

 

well... I get under 1/2 meg thrugh landline and around 3 meg mobile broadband (using my phone as a modem... I cannot coment on the dongles). 3 gig fair use policy is plenty for me (Although 3 have a 15 gig usage limit thats quite reasonable, and t-mobile have a 5 gig limit and never charge more if you do go over, I belive they cap your speed if its a regular thing). I'm still tied to my minimum term with the landline but the mobile broadband is definatly a better option for me.

[buzby]

isnt that the point of the original thread? as the guy was questioning wether it would be cheaper to use mobile instead of home broadband. so clearly he has the choice.

 

isnt it frustrating when people rant irreverently

 

This IS the original thread. If you mean the original post, that was over a month ago, and the debate has moved on and expanded since them. Which is why, if you were posting to comment on a 4-week old message it was a very delayed response. As for it being a 'rant' ? I thought that's what you posted!