A new generation of mobile-broadband deals could end fixed lines. But how good are they
HOME phones could soon become obsolete thanks to a new generation of mobile-broadband packages that allow you to connect to the internet wherever you are, so you no longer need a fixed line into your property.
Commuters and travellers are being courted with deals allowing them to plug a data card known as a dongle into their lap-tops and access the internet via the mobile network.
Steve Weller, a communications expert at comparison web-site Uswitch, said: “Mobile-broadband deals allow you to access broadband from your lap-top from anywhere there is a mobile signal, so it is great for those who are on the move.”
Mobile-internet services are also likely to appeal to the 10% of British people who do not have a fixed-line home phone and already rely solely on their mobile to make voice calls.
Michael Phillips of Broadband-choices, another comparison site, said: “Mobile broadband will represent a significant challenge to fixed-line internet service providers as 3G speeds improve and the ‘mobile-only’ generation starts to represent a larger proportion of the telecoms market. As mobile-broadband capabilities improve, we could see the death of the landline.”
More than seven in 10 people in Britain are now online, and landlines are being overtaken by mobile services. Last year 92% of households had a mobile phone, compared with fixed-line take up of just 89%, according to regulator Ofcom.
But there is still some way to go before mobile-broadband services can replace home-based alternatives, especially for heavy users who download music and films from the internet.
Chris Williams, head of products and services at Simplify Digital, an advice and switching service, said: “Most mobile-broad-band providers will limit the amount you can download each month, usually to around Three gigabytes or so. This compares to typical usage limits of around 20-40 gigabytes (Gb) with fixed-line broadband packages.” A typical two-hour film, depending on how it is encoded, is between 800 megabytes (Mb) and 1Gb. A Three-minute song is generally about 3Mb to 4 Mb, depending on the quality of the encoding of the download.
Usage outside of those bands can also be expensive. Vodafone, for example, charges £15 for every further gigabyte downloaded once you have exceeded its Three-gigabyte bundle, while download speeds will vary according to network coverage.
On the plus side, you avoid landline-activation charges when you move home, which are £124.99 with BT, and line-rental charges of around £11 a month.
Those in parts of the country where it is difficult to get home-broadband services may also find these packages a good alternative - as long as there is mobile-phone reception.
Williams added: “The majority of dongles are extremely easy to set up. Simply plug them into your computer, install the drivers and you will be connected in no time - although they can cost up to £80, versus £20 to £30 for a standard wireless router.”
The deals could also save money on using wireless access in your local coffee shop. The cost for Starbucks’s wireless hotspot, for example, is £5 for one hour of internet access, £7.50 for Three hours, £13 for 24 hours, £30 for seven days and £45 for one month.
Anyone who frequently wants to get online overseas could also find that a mobile-broadband deal revolutionises internet access while abroad.
Williams said: “This is particularly handy if you are a business user and use applications such as e-mail, because you will not need to reconfigure them for use on a new internet connection.”
Using mobile broadband overseas can lead to much bigger bills, however. Orange, for example, charges customers wanting to download up to Three megabytes of data in Europe an extra £9.40 a month, while customers who need to download between 10 megabytes and 100 megabytes a month worldwide are charged £141.
One other aspect of mobile broadband that could put some people off is that you generally have to sign up to an 18 or 24-month contract.
Contracts of more than 12 months are becoming increasingly common for standard broadband packages, but Williams warns that this could leave you tied into an outmoded and overpriced system.
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