mmango6 asked:


I’m looking into possibly purchasing a mobile broadband card, but want a better idea of how much they cost to use, preferably from someone who uses one.

magpie asked:


I have a Wii system and I used to use Wi-Fi for internet access, however I moved to a rural area where I am forced to use a Mobile Broadband Device to get internet. Is there any way to hook it up to my computer and then my computer to the wireless output device in order to have wireless internet for my Wii system?

WeAreOrangeBusiness asked:

A quick guide on how to use and set-up mobile broadband and devices from Orange business.

Matt Sharp asked:


After what seems like a very long gap, since the other networks began doing it, O2 have finally announced their mobile broadband offering. Unfortunately, though, it seems as though they’ve not only been tardy in deploying mobile broadband, but they may have scored a MASSIVE own goal.

Mobile broadband - a brief history

It’s easily becoming more prevalent now, but for anyone who isn’t 100% aware of what it is, and why it’s important, mobile broadband is changing the world, in a very big way. You may wonder what it is, but to put it simply, mobile broadband is broadband internet access while you’re mobile. Or, to put it another way, you can get the internet at proper broadband speeds, whilst you’re on the move, wherever and whenever you are!

The early days of 2008 saw the first big bang for mobile broadband, and the two main players in it where T-Mobile and Three, both of them offering the new super fast system, running on what is called HSDPA. Vodafone are no the bandwagon, as well, as are Orange, essentially meaning that of the ‘Big 5′ in the mobile space, 4 were offering mobile broadband packages. O2 were, until recently, the only ones who weren’t…

O2 mobile broadband - not good enough!

But now, O2 do offer their own mobile broadband package, and… well… it pains me to say it, but it’s utter rubbish! There are a couple of reasons for this. First up, it costs, at the lowest deal, £20 per month, DOUBLE what you’d pay for Three’s cheapest deal. That’d be bad enough on its own, but add in to that the fact that you have to be an existing O2 customer to be able to get mobile broadband from them. Not only is that grossly unfair on the consumer, but when you think about it, it’s not exactly a very sensible business strategy either. Why would O2 willingly do something that stops them getting loads of new customers??

Either way, it seems that whilst O2 might be very good in their old game, of providing mobile phones, they seem to be utter pants at providing mobile broadband…

beetree202 asked:


I do not have a mobile broadband card, so no models to wory about.

PXR5 asked:


 

It’s official, Vodafone’s mobile broadband service is officially the fastest and most reliable in the UK. The provider has come top in independent trials of a range of mobile broadband providers. The trials took place in a number of locations across the U.K to determine which operator provided the fastest service.

 

Vodafone was found to be up to 4 times faster in downloading a web page than the slowest competitor. The network was also found to be upto 10 seconds faster when downloading a 2mb file.

 

The tests were carried out by LCC, the largest independent wireless engineering company in the world. They conducted over 28,000 network tests in locations independently selected over March, April and May.

 

In all, 28000 tests were conducted in 140 locations. These included:

 



15 airports

11 shopping centres

33 hotels

10 service stations

27 business locations including business parks and offices and

22 rail stations



 



The reports key findings were as follows:





Vodafone mobile broadband internet was up to 77% faster than the slowest operator when downloading a 2MB file

Download speeds on Vodafone mobile broadband are 1.2Mbps/13.54seconds compared to 764kbps/21.44 seconds for Three, 683kbps/23.99 seconds for Orange, 812kbps/20.17 seconds for 02 and 993kbps/16.15 seconds for T-Mobile.

Vodafone was up to 278% faster to open a web page (compared to slowest operator performance): Vodafone

Vodafone UK’s mobile broadband internet takes 6.7 seconds compared to 12.7 seconds on Three, 7.45 seconds on 02, 7.8 seconds on T-Mobile and 25.67 on Orange



 

 

The report comes in the wake of media criticism of mobile broadband providers for a lack of transparency over actual connection speeds

 

Jeni Mundy, Vodafone UK’s CTO states “This is fantastic news for our customers, as this research shows that they can be assured of both the highest reliability and speed.

 

A spokesperson for Genesis Communications, one of the largest distributors of Vodafone mobile broadband said: “This report proves that Vodafone mobile broadband is the fastest and most reliable mobile broadband around. At Genesis we are committed to offering our customers the very best in communications technology and this is evidence of this.”

 

D_Icon asked:


A friend asked what the best broadband service for her laptop was. To me, it’s like shopping for cellular service, which is exactly what it is.

1. Does anyone else agree?

2. Does anyone have any suggestions for a carrier?

3. Can you share a mobile broadband service, like cellphones can share minutes if both devices have a mobile broadband card?

Thanks!

Cooper asked:


 

Mobile Broadband has revolusionised the consumer and business broadband market. It gives consumers the ability to access broadband speed Internet where ever they have a laptop and a USB mobile broadband modem.

 

But with all of the convenience of mobile broadband, it is important to choose the best mobile broadband package for your needs. Mobile Broadband packages are now offered from all of the UK mobile phone operators with many operators providing a vast number of tariffs. Because of this, it is important to consider the following criteria when looking to choose a provider.

 

Contract Term

 

Are you prepared to commit to a mobile broadband service for a long period of time? The longer you will commit to a package, the better the deal available. Most of the providers offer packages from 12 to 24 months.

 

Speed of Service

 

Do you know your key criteria for purchasing a mobile broadband solution? Are your requirements fairly straight forward? If your main need for the mobile broadband connection is just to send emails and browse the web, then your requirements for speed will be less than if you are going to want to download music and video. Mobile broadband speeds range from 3.6Mbps to 7.2Mbps.

 

Coverage of Service

 

The key thing to be aware of when choosing a mobile broadband package is that the mobile broadband providers use the mobile phone networks to deliver the service. Because of this, it is important to check on your chosen provider’s website to ensure that you are able to receive good coverage where you live.

 

Sign Up Costs

 

Some networks will come with a sign up cost. This will normally be associated with lower term contracts.

 

Monthly Downloads

 

As with speed of service, it is also worth considering your usage with regard to how much data you will want to download in the month. This is because all mobile broadband providers offer packages with download limits. These can range from 3GB to 15GB per month. If you go over your limits, some networks will charge you. Because of this, it is important to ensure that you sign up for the package most suited to your requirements.

 

Which mobile broadband network to choose?

 

All of the uk mobile phone operators now offer mobile broadband services. These include Orange, 3, Vodafone, O2, T-Mobile and Virgin. Packages vary from network to network so it is worth checking what will be the best package for you. 

 

 

Matt Sharp asked:


Let’s take a look at a new mobile PC, designed to give you mobile broadband right out the box, wherever you are: the awesomely powerful HTC Shift.

Mobile computing made easy

There’s no doubt that mobile broadband is a cool thing. I’ve gone on at great length about how it’s changing the world in 2008, and it is. The internet is becoming something we don’t just sit at a desk to use, but something that we carry round with us, in our pockets. Well, since laptops are still quite big, nearly in our pockets. Maybe in some kind of bag-type arrangement. The point is, though, that with the advent of mobile broadband, people are finding that they not only can use broadband wherever they are, they want to use it wherever they are.

So, the desire to use mobile broadband is there, but what technologies exist to let people actually use it. The one that’s most prevalent at the moment is, essentially, a case of taking a laptop, plugging in a USB Modem with mobile broadband sim card, and going for it. And that is a very, very simple solution, as the steps are 1) get USB Modem; 2) plug in; 3) enjoy. But some people want a solution even simpler, one that they just fire up, straight out of the box, and go for it.

That’s where the HTC Shift comes in!

Essentially, the HTC Shift, if you want to tie it down to one particular category, is a UMPC, and Ultra-Mobile PC. So, think mini-laptop. And it really is, too, because it’s powered by Windows Vista. Yes, that’s proper Windows Vista, no compromises here! Well… I say that, but there is one… but it’s a positive compromise! You see, the HTC Shift is powered by Vista, but it also uses a stripped down version of Windows Mobile. The importance of that is that you can move about with it, in-between working sessions when you have it in full-on laptop mode, you can switch down to low power mode, still check your emails, and so on, but drastically increase your battery life.

It’s things like that that make the HTC Shift such a powerful mobile broadband device. There’s no two-ways about it, with a spec list like this baby has, it’d be hardly surprising if it conquers the online world. Sure, it has competition from mobile phones like the iPhone and the vast range of laptops on the market, but nothing comes close to providing this level of internet speed with this level of portability. Want to see for yourself? Compare mobile broadband packages with, for example, the iPhone, and you’ll see what I mean!

davebspark asked:


I’ve got a mobile broadband contract with orange but their prices are way too high, I’ve had to get a land line installed and my broadband connection is quicker and cheaper and seeing as i no longer want to use the mobile connection I would like to end the contract, I have called orange and they say I have to pay a large percentage of the remainder of the contract or continue it for another twelve months, does anyone have any ideas on how I can end this without great expense any ideas would be most helpful, thanks.