How do you compare mobile broadband services and offers? More and more Internet Service Providers, or ISPs, are branching out into mobile broadband offerings. But which one is the best for you?
Several websites can help you compare. Locations such as broadband.co.uk and broadband-finder.co.uk are great places to begin your search. They’ll compare offerings from companies such as; O2, Be, BT, Virgin Media and Sky. They are also up-to-date on current offerings, which will save you the job of contacting each of the companies separately to find out what’s happening this month.
Your first order of business should be to check coverage in your most likely locations.
While mobile broadband is technically available everywhere, you may find that one provider has better coverage in the areas that you work in most frequently.
Speed can also be important, especially if you or your business deals in large graphics or video files. Upload and download speeds can make a huge difference to doing efficient business. If you can’t get the image or video, you might not be able to close the deal.
Equipment requirements are usually small, with most mobile broadband services being accessed via a small USB router (dongle) that plugs into your laptop or computer. Some providers offer free equipment if you sign up, but be sure to look at the costs over a full year. You may find that buying the equipment yourself and signing up with a provider with a lower monthly cost may be cheaper in the end.
But compare coverage first, because no matter how good the deal if you can’t establish a good connection it’s not worth even one penny.