I have been thinking for a while about getting a 3G USB Modem.
My preference is to use a Bluetooth connection to my phone and use that as a modem, however this is very heavy on battery life for both the phone and the laptop and I am thinking that a USB modem will have less impact on the laptop and (obviously) no impact on the phone’s battery life.
I don’t want a card solution as I use different computers, some have CF slots, come have PC Card slots and another uses ExpressCard, so a card solution will be too limiting.
I am not overly happy with having a dongle hanging off my computer, but it is better than no internet connection.
So which one do I go for?
My initial choice was “3” which has the cheapest solution at £10 per month, however they do have a 1GB limit and will charge if you go over that limit. £15 gives you a 3GB allowance.
Speeds are suppose to be in the 2.8Mbps range, but that’s not the case across the whole country.
Having used Vodafone before and get very annoyed with their content control and the complexity of having to pay to turn it off, I am not keen on using Vodafone. Also at £25+VAT per month they are the most expensive. However at 7.2Mbps they are the fastest. Though that speed is not available around me, so is less inticing.
I am coming around to T-Mobile which is around £20 per month now. However it does appear to be the slowest of the lot. It has one advantage that the service also includes free access to T-Mobile wifi hotspots.
Still thinking.
Even though the T-Mobile is just 1.8Mbps that’s not at all bad on the move and the contract seems to offer the best balance of modem cost, contract price and contract length. I doubt in reality you could ever get 7.2Mbps but I could see realistically see getting around 2Mbps.
I’m looking at one for one when I change jobs soon and expect to be away from home for several days at a time, or I may wait for MBA rev B 🙂
In the end I have gone for a T-Mobile 3G phone and will use that as a modem.
I should be getting a Vodafone 3G Modem from work, so it will be interesting to compare them.
Noted today that Vodafone have reduced their prices to £15 per month with a 3GB limit.