Current Rankings from Mobile Broadband Reviews NOTE mobile broadband has thousands of happy users, but the reviews here tend to be from those whose expectations have not been met because of poor signal reception. You should check your coverage before buying. (Last Updated 28 Jan 2012):
1) Vodafone Mobile Broadband (3.59 out of 10) Visit Vodafone More Info on Vodafone Our Vodafone Review Vodafone User Reviews View Coverage
2) T-Mobile Mobile Broadband (3.23 out of 10) Visit T-Mobile More Info on T-Mobile Our T-Mobile Review T-Mobile User Reviews View Coverage
3) Orange Mobile Broadband (2.78 out of 10) Visit Orange More Info on Orange Our Orange Review Orange User Reviews Orange Coverage
4) O2 Mobile Broadband (2.75 out of 10) Visit O2 More Info on O2 Our O2 Review O2 User Reviews O2 Coverage
5) 3 Mobile Broadband (2.41 out of 10) Visit 3 More Info on 3 Our 3 Review 3 User Reviews 3 Coverage
Virgin Mobile Broadband (out of 10 coming after more reviews) View Reviews
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Update! Mobile WiFi Hotspots offer great convenience and are now available from three of the mobile broadband networks.

The graphics below provide quick links to all the major UK mobile broadband providers:

Our reasons are:
In the mobile broadband testing we have performed, the 3 dongle gave some of the best mobile broadband speeds.
It offers better value for money than the other networks.
Over the various locations we tested, it was able to connect and offer a usable service (although that is also true of the other networks).
We are recommending Pay As You Go over a contract, as you can then try out mobile broadband performance at your key location at relatively low cost. You can always upgrade to a contract if you consistently use a lot of data.
If 3 doesn't work well at your location, then we recommend trying Pay As You Go mobile broadband from T-Mobile or Vodafone.

On the site you can compare mobile broadband deals, read mobile broadband reviews, find a detailed mobile broadband FAQ and links to mobile broadband coverage checkers. We hope you find the site useful in selecting your new mobile broadband provider.

Compare Mobile Broadband Providers

	Visit Vodafone View Reviews Add a Review View Coverage Our View Highest average rating (3.59/10) on reviews posted here as at Jan 2012 Reasonable mobile broadband speeds available in 3G coverage areas, expect 0.5 to 1.5Mbps (note speed of 7.2Mbps quoted by network is a theoretical maximum) 3G USB Modems are PC and Mac compatible Decent levels of customer service Free modem on monthly contracts at £15 per month, with 2GB data allowance, with first 3 months half-price. Pay As You Go USB modem available. Pay £24.99 for modem which includes a free 500MB TopUp, then pay £5 per 250MB TopUp after that. Note, TopUps expire after 30 days. 14 Day Money Back Guarantee available on most packages Voted Best Consumer Mobile Broadband by industry experts at the 2009 ISPAs (also won Best Wireless ISP in 2008) Visit Vodafone View Reviews Add a Review View Coverage Our View (Info Last Updated 28 Jan 2012)
	Visit Vodafone Small Business View Reviews Add a Review View Coverage Free modem on contracts from £12.76 ex VAT per month (£14.99 inc VAT) First three months free on 24 month plans Available to all business people, including those operating as individuals Opting for a business package means you can use dedicated business phone support, and get straight through to an advisor without having to go through a phone system first. Voted Best Wireless ISP by industry peers at the 2008 Internet Service Providers' Association Awards. Short 30 day contract also available. Visit Vodafone Small Business View Reviews Add a Review View Coverage (Info Last Updated 18 Jun 2010)
	Visit T-Mobile View Reviews Add a Review View Coverage Voted Best Mobile Broadband at the 2009 Mobile Industry Awards Voted Best Network at the 2008 Mobile Data Association Awards Voted Number 1 in the 2009 YouGov DongleTrack mobile broadband survey Second highest average rating (3.58/10) on reviews posted here as at Sep 2010 Pay As You Go for £2 / day after buying a USB modem Contracts available from £10 / month for first 3 months, thereafter £15 / month T-Mobile USB modem is PC and Mac compatible 14 day trial period in which you can return the equipment if not satisfied Visit T-Mobile View Reviews Add a Review View Coverage (Info Last Updated 1 Sep 2010)
	Visit 3 Mobile View Reviews Add a Review View Coverage Great pricing but confirm network performance in your area is OK before signing up 3 USB dongle is PC and Mac OSX compatible Pay As You Go for £10 for 1GB over 30 days after buying a USB modem Contracts available from £7.50 / month 14 Day Peace of Mind Guarantee (adhere to T&Cs carefully) Winner of the Best Mobile Broadband category at the 2011 Internet Industry Awards (ISPAs) Visit 3 Mobile View Reviews Add a Review View Coverage (Info Last Updated 18 Sep 2010)
	Visit O2 View Reviews Add a Review View Coverage 30 day Happiness Guarantee Package deals which include O2 Home Broadband available O2 USB dongle PC and Mac compatible Also gives you unlimited Wi-Fi at 6,100 O2 Wi-Fi hotspots throughout the UK Free modem available (PC and Mac compatible) on contracts from £10 per month Pay As You Go for £2 / day (0.5GB data allowance) after buying USB modem Contracts available from £5 / month (rolling 30 day contract, £9.99 for dongle) UK-based customer service Visit O2 View Reviews Add a Review View Coverage (Info Last Updated 28 Aug 2010)
	Visit Orange View Reviews Add a Review View Coverage Free modem (PC and Mac compatible) on contracts from £10 per month Even cheaper monthly deal for Orange customers at £5 per month Short 30 day contracts available Free netbook deals available Package deals which include Orange Home Broadband Safety net for going over your data allowance Visit Orange View Reviews Add a Review View Coverage (Info Last Updated 18 Jun 2010)
	View Reviews Add a Review Discount available for existing Virgin Media customers Free USB modem available with monthly tariffs Flexible 1 month tariff available View Reviews Add a Review

Want a Free Netbook with your Mobile Broadband?

Visit Free Netbooks for our summary of the free netbook deals available with mobile broadband contracts.

How good is mobile broadband? The short answer is that it depends where you're using it (see coverage checkers). In a good location for a given provider, then mobile broadband performance can be good, with typical speeds ranging from 1 to 2.5Mbps. Note that the speed of 7.2Mbps often quoted is a theoretical maximum, and real world speeds are much lower. If you are used to a fast home broadband connection at 8Mbps, you will find mobile broadband noticeably slower and more "laggy". The lag-time in loading pages is likely to be related to issues with the radio signal quality, e.g. temporary interference or temporary network overload.

It's still the case that in many areas you won't be able to get a particularly fast mobile broadband connection, and in some cases you may not be able to get a usable service at all. As a radio technology, there can be great differences depending on location and provider. For good mobile broadband performance, you need to have both good 3G signal reception and network service availability (i.e. there is high bandwidth availability and there aren't too many people using inadequate network resources). Hence mobile broadband speed is highly dependent on where you are using it. You can see whether you are in a 3G signal area by checking the providers' mobile broadband coverage maps or look to see how many reception bars you get on a 3G phone. To find out what network service availability is like locally, the only way is to ask around. If there are simply too many people trying to use the service locally, then mobile broadband speed can still be poor despite reception being good. Indeed, with the success of smartphones such as the iPhone, the 3G data networks are coming under increasing load, so network congestion may become a problem in bigger cities where users have previously benefitted from being in 3G signal areas. The mobile networks will need to keep investing in network capacity to bring users the fast mobile broadband service they desire.

At its best, in a strong 3G signal area, mobile broadband works like a dream. We use Vodafone Mobile Broadband ourselves and in good signal areas we've had no problem streaming YouTube videos or using Skype. However, if you are out of a 3G area for a given provider, mobile broadband reverts back to the GPRS standard and is slower than dial-up, and it can't really be described as broadband at all. What is for sure is that mobile broadband coverage and performance should continue to improve. We have given our current view of the mobile broadband networks on a separate page. The mobile networks have all made major investments in 3G technology and will be highly motivated to provide the best service for the massive demand expected. The networks are all likely to continue to invest in mobile broadband technology, and standards are set to evolve into 4G (Long Term Evolution), so that most of us should be able to enjoy a fast mobile broadband service in the not too distant future.

If you want to get mobile broadband, then we suggest reading the mobile broadband reviews available on this site, and asking anyone you know who is already using mobile broadband in your area, so you can get the best mobile broadband coverage available. Most of the UK mobile broadband providers offer a trial period within the contract so you can see how well mobile broadband works in your signal area before deciding to continue.

With the new 3G and 3.5G networks being rolled out, the extent of UK mobile broadband coverage is increasing rapidly, and in areas of good signal quality the speed of mobile broadband is now becoming a viable alternative to home broadband. 3G Mobile Broadband is pretty good in most of the UK's major cities such as London, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Leicester, Edinburgh and Glasgow. However, in much of the countryside it is still rare to be able to connect via 3G, so the mobile internet connection is much slower, and the UK is still a long way from total mobile broadband coverage at decent broadband speed.

The cost of a mobile broadband contract has now come down to compare favourably with home broadband too. In fact in some cases the cheapest option is now mobile broadband. Add to that the really easy set-up, high convenience factor of being able to use the internet whenever you are in a mobile broadband coverage area, and not having to wait for your broadband line to be switched when you move house etc, and you can see why many are predicting that in a few years time, mobile broadband will be the dominant broadband platform.

We hope you find the site useful, and if you are already using mobile broadband then please help others by adding your own review of the mobile broadband provider. For detailed information, see our mobile broadband FAQ.

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