Mobile

4G and 5G home broadband are great alternatives to regular broadband services, which require specific hardware, cabling and provider availability, as well as complex setup. In contrast, mobile broadband with 4G and 4G networks is as fast as fiber broadband, portable, easy to set up, and helps us connect multiple devices at the same time.

Here’s our comprehensive guide to help you choose the right option from the different types of mobile internet access – dongles, mobile WiFi and SIM-only mobile broadband.

Dongles or data card

A dongle is a device that looks like a USB stick, but has the ability to connect to the mobile internet when you plug it into USB slot on your laptop.

If your network offers a dongle with a data plan, you can only use it to connect to that specific network. If it’s an unlocked dongle, you can insert any SIM card and use it to connect to multiple networks.

Dongles vary widely based on compatibility with 4G or 5G networks. The 4G dongle can deliver average speeds of 25 Mbps or 80 Mbps, depending on network signal.

Major UK operators such as O2, Vodafone, EE and Three UK offer their own dongles with data plans. Likewise, SIM only plans that come with monthly data can be used with unlocked dongles.

Mobile WiFi

Mobile WiFi is a portable device that uses a mobile SIM card to connect to a cellular network and share the connection with multiple users over WiFi. Unlike dongles, mobile WiFi devices don’t need to be plugged into a USB slot because they’re wireless.

Turn on the device so it can connect to the mobile network. Just like connecting your smartphone or tablet to a WiFi network, you just connect to mobile WiFi.

Mobile SIM

You can use your smartphone, iPhone, tablet and iPad as a WiFi hotspot device and provide internet to connected devices. For this, you need a SIM card with a data plan. For ultra-fast 5G access, you need a 5G SIM card and 5G-enabled smartphones and tablets. If you live in an area where 5G networks are available, you can get speeds comparable to fiber broadband.

UK Mobile Networks

EE Mobile

EE Mobile

EE (or Everything Everywhere) has recently hit news for its consistent performance in popular mobile internet speed tests such as RootMetrics which are released every three months. The UK’s largest provider of 4G mobile broadband has also earned good customer satisfaction ratings as revealed by the latest Ofcom broadband complaints data report.

Quick Check

  • Check EE UK Network Coverage
  • 4GEE Data Plans
  • SIM Only Plans
  • Mobile WiFi Devices (4GEE WiFi, 4GEE WiFi Mini, Osprey 2 Mini)
  • WiFi Dongle

EE Network Coverage and EE Download Speeds

EE is both the biggest and fastest mobile data operator in the UK. Its mobile internet plans are available for various devices (dongles, mobile WiFi, smartphones, iPhones, iPad and tablets) as well as SIM only option. Its standard 4G comes with ‘up to’ 30Mbps download speeds, while its double speed 4G offers ‘up to’ 60Mbps speeds.

As per Q4 2015 report from EE

  • 4G is now available to 95% of the UK population
  • Double speed 4G covers 80% of the UK population
  • 3G and 2G covers 98% and 99% of the UK population respectively.

EE has also rolled out up to 90Mbps mobile broadband (4G+) in selected locations such as central London. More places are expected to get the coverage soon as EE has been expanding 4G coverage to reach most of the UK population in the next few years.

How good is EE 3G Network?

In places where 4GEE is not available, users can get access to EE’s 3G network which currently covers 98% of UK population. 3G is widely used mobile broadband in the UK due its low cost plans and decent speeds which are quite sufficient for daily internet activities such as browsing, emailing, online shopping and social networking.

However, 4G is becoming a preferred option for users who need reliable mobile internet connection with faster download speeds, as the existing 3G is not ideal for watching HD videos or quick downloading of files on the go. With 4G, online videos in HD format can be streamed without buffering.

EE 4G mobile broadband (4GEE)

4GEE is the EE’s brand of high speed 4G mobile broadband launched in October 2012.

When it comes to access speeds, 4GEE is five times faster than 3G and 4G+ can offer even faster speeds which are comparable to Virgin Media’s 100Mb fibre broadband.

Such faster mobile internet speeds and reliable connectivity is much needed when you browse high bandwidth websites such as Google Maps or stream HD videos or make big file downloads regularly, when you are on the move.

EE provides UK coverage checker on its website that enables you to find out whether its 4G, 3G and 2G services are available in your area or postcode.

4GEE Mobile Broadband Devices

You can buy 4GEE broadband and use it as SIM only plan or with 4G devices such as dongle, Mobile WiFi, car WiFi or tablets including Apple iPads.

Along with 4GEE SIMs, EE offers 4GEE WiFi and Car WiFi to connect and share superfast mobile internet on the move. These devices allow you to share your connection with up to 10 mobile devices including tablets, smartphones and laptops simultaneously.

Buzzard Car WiFi device enables you and other devices (up to 10) to connect to 4GEE networks while traveling by car.

You can choose ‘up to’ 30Mbps or ‘up to’ 60Mbps plan with usage allowance of up to 15GB on these devices and that should ensure faster mobile internet for your high bandwidth activities when you are on the go.

4GEE Data Plans

4GEE comes with flexible tariff options such as pay monthly and pay as you go means you can get 4G package with free equipment from just £15 a month. Standard contract comes with 24 months, however, there is also one month rolling contract available with dongle and SIM only mobile broadband.

4GEE monthly data plans offer usage allowances 2GB – 50GB per month with monthly prices ranging between £15 and £50.

4GEE Extra plans come with double speed 4G and additional benefits such as roaming faciility in Europe.

EE also allows 4G sharing on two mobile devices including iPhone, iPad, smartphones, MiFi and car WiFi. Users need to sign up to the sharer bundles which start from £15 per month.

SIM only plans are ideal for users who want to use 4GEE on their existing mobile phones which are compatible to 4GEE service. Both pay monthly and pay as you go options are available.

When you opt for pay monthly, you can choose 12 months or 30 days, with the former option is quite money saving due to the cheaper tariff. Monthly prices start from £9.99 (250MB data, 250 minutes and unlimited texts). Data allowances 500MB, 2GB, 4GB, 6GB and 10GB are available.

Pay as you go SIMs come with 3 plans and allow you get data allowances 500MB, 2GB or 4GB and prices start from £10. They also include free minutes and texts as well and the packs are automatically renewed every 30 days.

EE Mobile Broadband with Tablets

EE mobile broadband bundles include a wide range of latest tablets including iPad Air 2, iPad mini 2, iPad mini 3, Samsung Galaxy Tab S, Samung Galaxy Tab A and Harrier Tab

You can grab your favourite tablet with upfront from just £29.99 and monthly cost from £16 a month on pay montly option with a suitable 4GEE or 4G+ (double speed 4GEE) plan.

Or just go for a pay as you go tab with a least £10 top up option.

About EE and benefits that you get with EE mobile broadband

EE became the biggest UK mobile operator soon after the merger of two well-known mobile firms – Orange UK and TMobile. By the end of 2012, EE took a lead in the industry by launching its own 4G network ahead of its competitors Vodafone and Three UK. The home broadband & phone divisions and the mobile services and the latest launch of its EE TV service enabled EE to join the selected quad play operators such as Virgin Media, BT and TalkTalk.

Due to its bigger size and offering of multiple services, EE is now quite able to offer exclusive benefits to its customers.

EE’s deal with Virgin Media enables EE customers to access free Virgin Media WiFi on London Tube stations.

EE offers free set top box to home broadband customers to watch its new EE TV and also offers £1 film downloads every Wednesday.

O2

o2

Nearly for a decade, O2 mobile network has been popular with UK users for its quality, performance and customer support. Over the years, O2 has expanded and upgraded its 2G and 3G networks which now cover 99% and 90% of the population in the UK respectively. It’s 4G is available to around 70% of the UK population and O2 is set to increase it to 98% by 2017, as per regulator Ofcom’s instructions.

Quick Check

  • Check O2 mobile UK coverage (2G, 3G and 4G)
  • O2 phones (pay monthly, pay as you go, smartphones, Apple iPhones)
  • Tablets (Pay monthly,pay as you go, Apple iPads, android tablets)
  • SIM (Pay monthly, PAYG, SIMs for tablets & iPad)
  • O2 mobile broadband (Dongles, Mobile WiFi, Car WiFi, 3G & 4G)

Not only, O2 customers can get free WiFi by connecting to 1000’s of O2’s own WiFi hotspots, which are installed across the towns and cities in the UK, they can also enjoy London Underground WiFi at no extra cost.

O2 offers pay monthly and pay & go mobile tariffs plus a range of products including phones, tablets, dongles, mobile WiFi and SIM only deals.

O2’s innovative offerings, customer-friendly approach and the perks & incentives are the reasons behind its success and the awards it has won over the years.

O2 Mobile Coverage

o2_coverage_uk_map

O2 has pledged more than £3bn on upgrading and expanding its networks. The operator has achieved around 90% 3G coverage which should help its on the go customers access internet at faster speeds.

Along with, O2 has also tied up with Vodafone to increase coverage or offer improved and strong signals for better voice call & mobile broadband performance.

O2 4G, which is relatively new upgrade, is being expanded to many areas including rural parts, towns and cities across the UK. O2 currently covers 70% of the population and set to achieve the 98% target in the next two years.

O2 4G

O2 4G offers you choice of 4G phones, dongles, tablets and SIMs so you can access superfast mobile broadband in areas where you can get 4G.

4G is more than 3 times faster than 3G. Indoor reception of 4G is also much better than 3G, thus helping you enjoy consistently faster speeds and reliability. Download speeds of around 40Mbps means, you can download big files instantly with 4G as well as you can watch HD videos and play fast online games without any buffering or lag.

Currently, O2 does not offer 4G in as many places as EE, which rolled out first 4G in the UK. However, the currently 70% coverage of O2 4G is expected to reach 90% plus in the next year.

O2 tariff

O2 tariffs are best designed to meet the needs of all sorts of users. Following deals and options are available with all devices including smarphones, tablets, ipads and SIMs.

Pay monthly deals or O2 Refresh allows you to pick smartphone or tablet of your choice with a data plan that suits your needs. You pay for the device and the mobile plan separately and you are also free to pay off the device cost before the contract ends which means you will pay the mobile tariff only thereafter. It also helps you to get a new device without starting new contract again.

Pay & Go option lets you pay the upfront cost of the device and buy calls, texts and data with top-ups. It is flexible and hassle free when compared with pay monthly deals which involve lengthy contracts. O2 offers great perks to pay & go customers, especially, when they use its network over longer periods.

O2 Refresh

O2 Refresh enables pay monthly customers who purchased a smartphone or tablet from O2 (on 18 or 24 month contract, for example) to get the latest devices by letting them pay off the cost of device at any time before the contract expiry.

To make this easier, O2 Refresh customers get pay monthly bill in two sections – one deals with the device cost and other with mobile tariff. At any time, O2 customers can clear the cost of device so they can upgrade to the latest smartphone or tablet.

O2 mobile broadband

O2 offers devices like dongles and mobile WiFi so you can access and share mobile broadband. These devices are available with pay month and pay & go tariff.

If you look out for 4G dongles (Huawei), you can find one with or without WiFi. The dongle would cost 30 on pay & go, however, you can for it for just £6 a month, when you subscribe to a pay monthly plan.

Huawei 4G In-Car and Huawei 4G Pocket Hotspots are other devices available to O2 mobile broadband users. The upfront cost of these devices range between £60 – £80, however, you can get them free cost with a monthly subscription starting from £7 a month.

o2_mobile_broadband_devices

O2 WiFi

O2 has a vast chain of public hotspots which offer free WiFi to anyone with internet enabled devices such as smartphonts, tablets or laptops. You can find O2 WiFi available in many popular locations including McDonalds, Debenhams, Costa Coffee, House of Fraser and Café Roug.

O2 customers usually have WiFi Extra feature which automatically gets them logged into WiFi when O2 WiFi is available nearby.

Smartphone and tablet users can just download O2 Wifi app on their devices to use the wifi when they visit a O2 Wifi hotspot.

London Underground WiFi

Virgin Media WiFi in London Underground Tube stations is now available to O2 customers who can now access internet on their mobile devices when commuting.

This wifi feature is enabled on O2 SIMs and devices purhchased with O2, along with the operator’s pay monthly or pay & go tariffs.

Bolt Ons

With bolt on, you can add calls, text and data to meet specific requirements from just £3 a month. For example, you can buy More Minutes which gets you 50 minutes to UK mobiles and landlines for £1 a day. Likewise, there are a range of bolt ons for MMS, texts, O2 numbers, data and for calling international numbers.

Vodafone

vodafone_4g

Vodafone is one of the major mobile networks in the UK with more than 90% 3G population coverage. UK’s first and oldest mobile operator which dates back to 1985, it has 99% 2G coverage to offer the best voice call service to its 20 million customers in the UK.The company also offers LTE based, superfast 4G mobile broadband which covers around 70% of the population across the UK and its 4G coverage is expected to reach 98% of the population by 2017.

Quick Check

  • Check Vodafone Mobile UK Coverage (2G, 3G, 4G)
  • Mobile Phones (Smartphones, Apple iPhones, pay monthly, pay as you go)
  • Tablets, dongles and mobile WiFi (iPad, android tablets, 3G & 4G dongles, mobile WiFi)
  • Sim Only Plans & mobile bundles (pay as you go, pay monthly)
  • Vodafone Home Broadband (ADSL 2+, Fibre)

Vodafone also offers a simple range of broadband and home phone packages which its mobile customers can get with a discount of £5 a month. Broadband bundles include both ADSL and fibre with download speeds ranging between 17Mbps and 76Mbps. Existing Vodfone customers can add unlimited broadband for just £5 a month.

Vodafone Mobile

Vodafone offers an extensive range of pay monthly and pay as you go mobile plans with smartphones, dongles, mobile WiFi hotspots and SIMs. You can choose 3G or 4G, depending on your needs and coverage so you can go online when you are right and about. Plans and tarrifs are so flexible and budget friendly that you can pick a plan that is right for you. Unlimited data option is available for heavy users.

Vodafone 4G

4G is now over-taking 3G as the preferred mobile broadband as the users can get 3x faster speeds to download or upload big files instantly or stream HD videos from popular streaming sites Netflix, YouTube and Now TV without buffering.

Vodafone offers 4G Red plans or bundles which allow you to get a suitable plan with any number of mobile minutes, texts or GBs of data you wish. 4G plans with unlimited data, texts and minutes are also available.

Vodafone 3G

3G tariffs are less expensive and budget friendly and also let you enjoy more coverage when you are on the go. 3G mobile broadband is not as fast as 4G, still, you can enjoy watching videos, streaming TV or playing online games, as Vodafone has good indoor and outdoor 3G coverage in the UK.

There is an extensive range of mobile plans available with 3G data (from 100Mb to unlimited).

WiFi Calling

WiFi calling is a feature that Vodafone offers you to enable you make calls using WiFi in areas where mobile reception is not good enough or virtually non-existent.It is free to Pay monthly Red or Red Value Bundle, Red+ or Business Premier Vodafone customers. You need to use a compatible handset that can use this feature.

Sure Signal

Vodafone Sure Signal is like a mobile hotspot which enables mobile devices to access internet using your home broadband connection.

You can get Sure Signal box which you need to connect to a fixed line broadband connection to use this feature within the radius of 30 meters.

Vodafone Mobile Broadband

Mobile WiFi 4G

  • Model: R216 4G enabled device
  • Up to 150Mbps speeds
  • Enables up to five WiFi devices to connect
  • 2G, 3G,, Edge and GPRS support
  • Compatible with Mac

Mobile WiFi 3G

  • Model: R207
  • Fast 3G speeds & improved performance
  • Enables up to five WiFi devices to connect
  • 2G, Edge and GPRS support

4G Dongle

  • Model K1506 DCHSPA+
  • Up to 42Mbps speeds
  • 2G, 3G,, Edge and GPRS support
  • Compatible with Mac

3G Dongle

  • Model K4203-Z
  • Fast 3G speeds
  • 2G, Edge and GPRS support
  • Mac support

Three UK

three_uk

As a major mobile operator in the UK, Three covers 98% of UK population and offers reliable voice calling service and high speed mobile internet to millions of customers using its 3G and 4G networks.If you looking for fast broadband on the go, both its 3G and 4G plans are excellent options, although, you can use them seamlessly on your devices at most locations.

Quick Check

  • Check Three UK Network Coverage
  • Mobile Phones
  • Three Mobile Broadband (Dongles, mobile WiFi)
  • Tablets (Android tablets, Apple iPad)
  • SIM only plans

Three bundles a wide range of devices with their data plans – smartphones, dongles, iPad and tablets. You can just choose a device and data package on monthly tariff that suits your needs – this way you can get your smartphone or table free of cost. Or pay for the device cost and buy data upfront or buy PAYG data pack whenever you wish to use internet. If you already have a handset or iPad, just buy SIM from Three to use its 3G mobile broadband network. So, Three offers you various choices so you can find the one that exactly meets your requirements.

How 4G differs from 3G?

A typical 3G network can offer up to 7.2Mbps speeds and advanced 3G+ network can deliver 14.4Mbps. By comparison, 4G is many time faster as its speeds can go up to 40Mbps which makes 4G mobile broadband as a viable alternative to fixed broadband.

Do I need 4G for my mobile internet use?

three_4g

No, the low-cost 3G connectivity can provide you decent real-world speeds so you can browse the net, watch videos or play games without any difficulty.

Moreover, Three’s advanced 3G network (HSDPA+) which covers 80% of the UK can double the speeds.

However, 4G uses advanced technology like LTE which helps it deliver up to eight time faster speeds and more reliable connectivity during peak times over extended locations. No doubt, 4G offers better user experience especially when you watch high definition vidoes and play online games due to its superfast speeds and lower latency levels.

However, 3G has its own advantages. Currently 3G type of mobile broadband is extensively being used by many users due to its wider coverage, usability on various devices and low cost data plans.

Whereas, using 4G networks would include additional cost, as you you will need to use the latest 4G enabled smartphones, tablets and iPads which are upgraded to the new technology and they would generally cost much higher.

Moreover, 4G data plans are not as cheap as 3G plans and may cost you pretty high if you are a heavy mobile internet user, downloading videos, music and files regularly.

However, with Three, you can get 4G at no extra cost, when you buy its all-you-can-eat data packages.

Three Mobile broadband

three_mobile_devices

You can get Three mobile broadband on various devices including:

  • Smartphones
    Smartphone option allows you to bundle the latest smartphones of the market such as Apple iPhone 6, Samsung Galaxy s6, Samsung Galaxy Note 4 or HTC Desire 620 with a data plan that suits your needs. You can choose from pay monthly plans or pay as you go price plans. Various data usage options are available – 500MB, 1GB, 2GB and all-you-can-eat data.
  • Tablets
    If you wish to choose a tablet from, latest range of tablets are available – from Apple iPad Mini to iPad Air. You can choose from top android tablet brands including Acer, Samsung, Sony and Alcatel. You can use 3G and WiFi on most tablets with 4G compatibility is available on selected tablets. Some pay monthly plans do not require you to pay any upfront meaning you get the device absolutely free.
  • Dongles for laptops
    If you want to access mobile broadband on laptop, Three offers both 3G (ZTE MF730M) and ZTE MF823 4G dongle and you can choose from pay monthly or pay as you go plans which are available on both 3G and 4G options. Dongles are a great way to accomplish all your internet activites that require larger screen of laptops and at any location without the need of WiFi.
  • MiFi to share mobile broadband on WiFi tablets and smartphones
    Want to share mobile broadband on multiple devices? MiFi is ideal for that purpose, allowing you to connect up to ten devices to mobile broadband. Three offers Huawei E5330 Mobile Wi-Fi which can be used just like WiFi hotspot to connect up to 5 devices including tablet, smartphone or game console. You can choose from pay monthly plans or upfront packages that suit your needs and budget.
  • SIM only plans for your tablets/smartphones
    There is no need to buy a device from Three, as the operator also offers a range of SIM only plans which come with pay monthly and upfront options. SIM only plans allow you get Three mobile broadband on your tablet or Apple iPad which you have purchased elsewhere. You can choose from one month rolling contract or pre-loaded data (up to 12GB) on pay as you go packages.

Mobile broadband Vs WiFi

Portable devices such as tablets, laptops and smartphones support Wi-Fi, which allows us to connect to wireless networks (WiFi) such as BT or Sky or Virgin Media in popular places such as restaurants, airports or subway stations.

This method of getting online is cheaper than mobile broadband over a mobile network, although the latter is more flexible because you can access the internet from anywhere, whereas public WiFi access is limited to certain areas.

Ultra-fast 4G and 5G networks and mobile devices like iPhones, tablets and smartphones make it easier to stay connected on the go, in a subway station or while you’re on the road or sitting in a park or restaurant.