Almost all the UK’s mobile networks now provide reasonably priced access via compact USB modems
Sunday Jun 4, 2006 | | add comments
Which all the networks should have to some degree by the end of this year – it boosts the upload speed to as much as 1.4Mbits/sec. nother welcome bit of news is if you don’t want to be tied to a contract, you don’t have to be ripped off, either. Orange, Be careful if you roam – remember the widely publicised case of the chap who ended up with an £11,000 bill for a mobile download of a TV show’ of compact models available from other networks. When it comes to speed, Vodafone and Orange both claim speeds of ‘up to’ 7.2Mbits/sec, with 3 claiming 2.8Mbits/sec. But it all depends on exactly where you are in the UK; even on the networks that offer higher speeds, it’s worth checking coverage carefully before parting with your cash -especially as the best prices are often for 18-or 24-month contracts. You may very often find that speeds will drop back to 1.4Mbits/sec Vodafone all have ‘daily’ tariffs, where you just pay when you use the modem; Orange charge £8.23 for a day’s access, with a 1GB download limit, and £58 for the USB modem. On T-Mobile you’ll pay £99.99 for the modem, and £4 per day for 1GB, while Vodafone charge £175 for its USB modem and £9.99 for a day, with a 500MB download cap. 3 offers a slightly different pricing structure based on top-up vouchers, where you pay £99.99 for the modem and then for £10 you can buy 30 days’ pay as you go access, with 1GB over the 30-day period. If you need mobile access for a few days at a time, it can be cheaper than the alternatives – and it’ll Include roaming on 3 networks in Ireland, Austria, Italy and Hong Kong – but heavy users might prefer the per-day limits and charges of the other networks. But whatever option you choose, be careful if you roam abroad: remember the widely publicised case of the chap who ended up with an £11,000 bill for a mobile download of a TV show, due to the download resuming while he was on a business trip in Germany, where he incurred a £4.99 per MB roaming charge