Mobile broadband allows us to break free from the office and just like our umbrella - we can take it with us when we go out. It's all about being connected to the world while we are on the go.

Also known as mobile internet, mobile broadband has revolutionised the way we surf the net wirelessly. Mobile broadband can be accessed from laptops, mobile phones and with the aid of a mobile dongle also known as a mobile USB stick. The good news for users of Mac laptops is that all mobile broadband providers have dongles that are compatible.

Mobile broadband can benefit people in many walks of life who may not have explored the possibilities before. From students at University to business people on the go, mobile broadband expands horizons.

The main advantages of having mobile broadband include the fact its broadband without a landline, it has a low price and the fact you can take the internet wherever you go without having to have an ethernet cable drum reeling out 25 miles of the stuff so you can attend a business meeting. It's effectively a portable broadband modem that you can carry around with you.

Finding the best deal for mobile broadband is not too difficult and there is a range of surprisingly cheap mobile broadband offers around. You can compare mobile broadband deals from many providers including: 3, Vodafone, Orange, O2, Virgin Media and T Mobile (all available at Simplifydigital).

Coverage and Speed

Mobile broadband coverage and speed are important factors when choosing a package. It can depend on where you live and also who your provider is. As with home based broadband, you are unlikely to get the advertised speed from your provider.

Vodafone advertises speeds of up to 7.2Mbps but it would be unlikely to achieve these speeds unless you are in a well covered area like Central London.
The key is in the advert, "up to" means you may get or may not get up to those speeds, but you should be able to get the fastest speed possible that the equipment can provide.

You can get either 2G or 3G mobile broadband, in short 3G (or third generation mobile technology) is a faster way of accessing the internet over the mobile network than 2G.

You may find that being in a predominately rural area is to your disadvantage as better coverage of mobile broadband networks exists in urban areas. You can check mobile broadband coverage with the aid of a postcode checker to see how well your area is covered. You may be able to get mobile broadband in some rural areas but probably only on a 2G network.

Pay as you go

Pay as you go mobile broadband is the same as the pay as you go service on an ordinary mobile network.

In the same way you go down the local convenience store and top up your mobile phones credit, you can go in and top up your mobile broadband. For this you will need a device called a mobile dongle. A mobile dongle is basically a portable modem and is similar in looks to a USB stick.

You simply buy the dongle, top it up, plug it into your laptops USB port and that's it, you now have mobile broadband! Most mobile broadband providers offer dongles free with their mobile broadband packages which makes things a lot easier.

A 1GB top up should enable you to send 650 emails, browse the web for 30 hours, download 30 two-minute videos and 60 music tracks.

On a contract

With mobile broadband contracts, you sign up for a determined period of time such as 12 months, for example. You should get a free dongle with your chosen package and also a limit set on your data usage. Depending on how much you spend this can range from 1GB and upwards. If you go over your set data use limit you may be charged.

Surfing over the limit

If you exceed the data usage limit on your contract then you could be liable for extra expense. Some mobile broadband providers provide a webpage service to view your personal account and see your current data usage, so you should be able to keep track of how much you use. A 1GB a month data allowance for someone who doesn't use mobile broadband very often would be fine.

Beware of free laptop deals

They sound just great, don't they? Well, they're not always that great. In some cases after you have signed up to mobile broadband with a provider they offer a free laptop with mobile broadband. But if you read the small print you may find that the laptop isn't free and you will end up paying for it as well.