Talk3G Mobile Broadband FAQ - Background Information

[Ben]

What is Broadband?

Broadband is usually a term that describes either ADSL, if you’re on a BT phone line for example, or cable Internet. Wired broadband speeds usually start at 512Kbps, which would allow you to download an MP3 music file in one to two minutes. Most homes can now get broadband at speeds of around four times this, 2Mbps, for around £13 per month. However, this usually requires an existing BT phone line or cable connection, so the true cost will likely be higher once line rental is taken into consideration. Some companies provide a basic home broadband service for free as part of a package.

How is Mobile Broadband different?

The UK has had mobile phone networks for many years now. They have been very good at carrying voice calls and text messages for about ten years, but only during the last two or three years have they become good at carrying data. This is because the mobile phone networks, or operators, have been building 3G networks.

New 3G networks offer data rates starting at 384Kbps, but the operators have already been upgrading them. T-Mobile UK and Three UK are both known to have 3G networks capable of 3.2Mbps, while Vodafone UK have started upgrading to 7.2Mbps in selected locations. The name given to the technology that enables these faster speeds is HSPA (also HSDPA and HSUPA), and it is these faster speeds that have earned the name “Mobile Broadband”.

Just like with fixed line broadband, the speeds you’ll get are often lower than the advertised maximum. In fact, halve the advertised maximum and you’ll have a better idea of what to expect. Even so, the UK operators are now offering broadband that feels very similar to what you’d get on a fixed phone line, but without additional line rental and the restriction of being tied to one geographic location. You can use Mobile Broadband anywhere in the UK where the operator has coverage, and even in other countries (usually for a considerable premium).

Why buy Mobile Broadband?

With all the hype around Mobile Broadband, it’s worth taking a moment to ask yourself if you really need it. For a start, the most important thing about this type of broadband is that you’re not fixed to one location – you can take it with you, almost anywhere. Do you often find yourself without access to the Internet? Would Mobile Broadband solve that problem?

There are a few groups of people for whom Mobile Broadband has particular appeal. Anyone who has problems getting ADSL, due to their distance from the telephone exchange for example, may fair better without wires. Those who relocate frequently, such as students, and do not want to have to deal with a landline just to get broadband will also be an immediate beneficiary.

Mobile Broadband is charged for depending upon your consumption. Many, possibly even the majority of, Internet users consume somewhere in the region of 3GB (three gigabytes) of data each month. The actual number could even be considerably less than this for most people, but when you factor in automatic updates, like ‘Windows Update’ or anti-virus updates, along with unpredictable elements such as large email attachments, music downloads and viewing the odd Internet video, you wouldn’t really want an Internet package that gives you less than 3GB if you’re going to use it regularly.

Thankfully this is okay, because you can now get 3GB allowances from T-Mobile UK, Three UK and Vodafone UK from £15 per month. This means that, for most Internet users, Mobile Broadband is actually competitively priced with a lot of fixed line broadband offerings. That’s not the whole story, however.

Latency is a term that describes how long it takes for your request, i.e. clicking on a link, to make its way to the server on the Internet and then for the reply to get back to you. While it won’t affect how long it takes to download a file, it will affect how long it takes between clicking a link on the web and the page actually being displayed. It’ll also affect how well you can play online games. Latency is typically 2x to 5x better on fixed broadband connections than on Mobile Broadband. FYI, Talk3G’s limited testing suggests that Vodafone UK is currently the best network in terms of data latency, though for the majority of people this factor won’t be significant.

Connection sharing is another issue. Your fixed broadband connection may be shared by a wireless router that is always-on, so all of your laptops and computers can get online. Mobile Broadband, on the other hand, usually plugs directly in to one laptop or computer, and so is not so easily shared. The signal strength of 3G networks also decreases rapidly inside buildings, meaning your connection speed may vary massively depending upon where you are.

All in all, if you only really use the Internet at home, or you can already get online at the places that you travel to, then Mobile Broadband may not be for you.

But don’t despair. If you’ve read this far then you probably like the idea of Mobile Broadband. You’re probably excited by the idea of a little device that you can plug in to any computer, anywhere, for fast access to the Internet, and all for an affordable monthly fee. And so you should be. Mobile Broadband is a breakthrough that could see all of us using our computers in new places and new ways.

Warning! Buyer beware!

There’s one thing you absolutely must be aware of before diving in to Mobile Broadband. I’d like to call this ‘hidden costs’, but it’s often referred to as a fair usage policy, usage cap, out of bundle charges and a myriad of other things.

Basically, years of ‘unlimited’ fixed line broadband has made us think that, once we’re connected, all the data we use is essentially free. Wrong. Every time you view a web page it costs somebody money. In fact, it costs several different companies money, and one of them is your ISP. In the fixed line world, the costs are relatively low and tariffs based upon average user consumption have worked up until now. However, it costs the mobile operators more to provide broadband, and if you go over the specified amount of data that comes with your package then you can expect extra charges.

For example, Three UK currently charges 10p per MB (megabyte) of extra data usage on some of their tariffs if you go over the included amount. Sounds cheap, but if you were to go over by a whole extra GB (gigabyte) then that’s over £100 – and not cheap at all! Vodafone, on the other hand, charge £15 per GB on some of their tariffs if you go over, which is a lot of you only go over by a little bit of data but at the same time it’s much more reassuring to know that if, for some reason, you go way over then the bill is going to be far less nasty.

But you don’t use the Internet very heavily, right? In fact, perhaps you won’t even do the bulk of your browsing on Mobile Broadband. So what have you got to worry about? Well, unfortunately computer viruses and background peer-to-peer software (like the download version of BBC iPlayer or Channel 4’s 4OD uses) don’t respect your tariff. You could go way over without even realizing it, so if you’re not tech savvy then at least seek reassurances from your operator that you’re not going to need to take out a second mortgage if things go wrong.

There are a lot of long term contracts being offered by the operators at the moment, and Mobile Broadband is no exception to this rule. Remember, the costs are falling rapidly – do you really want to be paying the same rate for the next 24 months? You should be able to get a great deal on an 18 month contract, and perhaps even on 12 months, so push hard for an agreement you’re happy with. The competition is fierce!

Finally, it’s very easy to throw your Mobile Broadband in your suitcase and take it on holiday abroad with you. And it’s very easy to plug it in and surf away once you get there. In fact, you’ll probably be able to do so without any notification whatsoever of the absurd costs involved. Check with your operator. It’s rarely worth it.

Modem? Stick? Datacard? Dongle?

A lot of words are being banded about that describe the bit of hardware that actually hooks you up to the Mobile Broadband service. Once upon a time, it was all about datacards, a device that slides into the side of a laptop, but now it’s all about USB. I can guarantee that 99% of you will want a USB device of some kind, though whether the device is a USB stick, modem or dongle by description will probably matter very little.

Almost all computers and laptops have USB ports. Ask for USB and it’s unlikely you can go wrong.

If you want to share your Mobile Broadband connection then there’s a Linksys router that accepts datacards, but other manufacturers such as Draytek make routers that can accept USB – so you won’t be stuck.

You’re ready to go!

Well, I think you’ve got all the background information now, so you’re pretty well informed. Go forth and shop! If you want help finding the latest deals or setting up your new connection then just post in the relevant section of Talk3G and one of our members will assist you. Best of luck, enjoy the mobility!