Mobile Broadband Starter Guide

Mobile Broadband Starter Guide	A guide for those who are new to mobile broadband, detailing key elements of each package
Hidden Costs of Mobile Broadband	There are a number of hidden costs with mobile broadband, which are explained here
Pay Monthly Mobile Broadband	A guide to pay monthly mobile broadband packages and types of contract
Mobile Broadband Hardware	A simple guide to hardware that enables you to have mobile broadband
PAYG Mobile Broadband	A guide to pay as you go mobile broadband contracts and packages
Broadband Comparison	Advantages and disadvantages of mobile broadband when compared to traditional mobile broadband
3G Mobile Broadband	The term 3G is explained, including how it fits into mobile broadband
Mobile Broadband FAQs	Frequently asked questions regarding mobile broadband are answered
Mobile Broadband Glossary	Key terms related to mobile broadband explained

The following information will help you if you are new to the concept of mobile broadband, in fact it is useful if you are new to broadband of any sort and it will help you determine whether mobile broadband is for you or not.

Mobile broadband is a new technology that uses the mobile 3G network, and the payment principles is generally in the same format as standard broadband packages, although the amounts you pay and the method of access vary.

The following terms should help guide you through the elements of a mobile broadband package:

Download Speed

This is the maximum speed you will get with the mobile broadband package. The lowest maximum speed is 1.8mbps and the highest is currently 7.2mbps.

Download Limit/Allowance

This is the amount of downloads that you get included within the tariff, this can also be the amount of usage you are restricted too. For instance T-mobile operate a fair usage policy with their packages, where you get 'unlimited' usage but a fair usage cap of 3GB or 10GB depending on which package you take. Other providers such as Vodafone and 3 simply charge you for the amount that you use above you limit. Therefore you are best choosing a mobile broadband package that has a usage limit that you can remain within.

One-off price

This is the initial price that you need to pay in order to set up your mobile broadband account, this initial payment generally comes in the form of purchasing the dongle or USB modem that you need to connect to the internet. If you sign up to an 18 or 24 month contract then you often get this fee waived and hence get free connection. Whether this option is appropriate for you depends on whether you mind being tied into a long contract or not.

Monthly price

This is the price is the recurring amount you will each month in order to access the internet and use your download allowance. The current minimum monthly payment is £10.

Price per MB

The price per MB is the amount you will be charged for every megabyte of data you download after you exceed your download limit. 3 charge 10p per every megabyte you download above your limit and Vodafone charge £15 for every additional gigabyte. A typical song is around 4MB to download. whilst a movie can be around 800MB, whilst web browsing usage can be minimum.