Pay As You Go Mobile Broadband
“Choosing a mobile broadband package involves much more
than just how much it costs…”
A key decision when choosing a PAYG mobile broadband package is how much data you are going to need, which depends on what you are going to be doing and how much time you will be spending online. Read More »
The way in which you use the internet (how often and for how long) is significant because mobile broadband packages vary tremendously depending on your potential usage patterns. Read More »
Each mobile data provider operates their own data networks and these were developed over the years using a variety of technologies. This means that the networks are capable of different maximum speeds for transferring data. Read More »
Different mobile broadband providers have different numbers of mobile base stations spread around the country, which enable you to access the internet. The base station coverage determines how strong the signal is and therefore how good an internet connection you will achieve. Read More »
If you have a lot of people trying to use their mobile broadband connection in the same area at the same time you will run into the problem of congestion. Congestion leads to slower data transfer speeds and impacts on your experience of using the internet while out and about. Read More »
A term which seems to have taken over the mobile world is ‘dongle’. A dongle is a piece of hardware specifically designed to enable you to connect to the data network. Most pay as you go packages are structured so that you buy a dongle with some data initially to get you going, and then buy data top-ups as you need them at a later date. Read More »
If you spend a lot of time in places like major cities then you might want to factor in whether to select a mobile broadband supplier who also provide access to WiFi hotspots as part of the package. WiFi hotspots generally give you faster data transfer speeds than normal mobile broadband and this may be just what you need when spending time in places with lots of WiFi hotspots. Read More »
‘MiFi’ is a term describing a mobile broadband wireless access point. A MiFi is a bit like a your wireless router at home, except that it connects to a mobile broadband network rather than a landline broadband network. There are situations where you may get better data transfer speeds using a MiFi device so it is worth understanding when it makes sense to use one. Read More »
You can use mobile broadband when overseas, but you need to be aware of the pitfalls. In this section of the website we tell you about the potential issues that you need to be aware of and what you can do to ensure that you don’t end up with large bills. Read More »
Another new concept introduced with the arrival of mobile broadband is that of data expiry periods. Unlike most pay as you go voice packages the mobile broadband equivalent generally comes with a time limit during which you need to use your data or lose it. Read More »
All of the mobile network providers have ‘fair use’ policies. As a user of a mobile broadband connection you need to be aware of the ‘fair use’ policy of your chosen provider and the consequences if you breach their ‘fair use’ policy. Read More »
The final decision you need to make is whether a package which gives you a specific amount of data to use in a month or so suits your needs better than a package which allows you to pay for mobile broadband access by the day, week, or month. Read More »
Making The Right Choice
Most people are familiar with their options when it comes to selecting a mobile phone package. The focus is generally on the handset and then the mix of voice minutes, text messages and nowadays, internet access. With mobile broadband the factors that you need to take into account are a bit different so it is worth taking a bit of time to understand what you need to take into account before deciding which way to go.
At Pay As You Go Mobile Broadband we focus on clearly explaining what you need to take into consideration when selecting the most appropriate PAYG mobile broadband option for your needs and then give you access to the tools required to select which mobile broadband provider and package will be best to meet those needs.
These tools include Data Calculators, Coverage Maps and Price Comparison tables.
The mobile broadband market in the UK is very different from the provision of mobile voice, so we have spent time investigating and reporting back on the data networks used by the major mobile broadband providers.
We have also provided information on more technical items like the different technologies that the network providers are using and how they are going to change in future. There is also lots of information on the different types of dongles that are supplied and how to install them.
For users who have problems with their mobile broadband installation we also provide troubleshooting hints and tips.
At a high level you need to consider the following:
- The amount of mobile data that you are likely to use over a period of time (How Much Data)
- How often you are going to need to use your mobile data (Usage pattern)
- The types of applications that you will be using and the implications in terms of the speed of data transfer that will best suit those applications (Speed)
- Where you are likely to be when using your mobile data (Coverage)
- How may other people are likely to be online at the same time in a similar location (Congestion)
Once you have worked out what your high level needs are then you can move on to considering which providers and packages will match use with those requirements.
We also highlight some of the common pitfalls that people often overlook when they decide to buy a pay as you go mobile broadband package.