Boris Johnson Plans Underground Internet Access
The mayor of London, Boris Johnson, is supporting plans to install Wi-Fi hotspots in Underground stations across the capital to allow commuters the ability use mobile broadband whilst taking their daily journeys around London. Mr. Johnson plan would see London become one of the most technologically advanced cities in the world, though the cost of such an achievement may not be financially viable.
The idea was first introduced 5 years ago by then mayor Ken Livingstone, though at the time the costs made it virtually impossible. Thanks to today’s advanced technology, the possibility of such a breakthrough is far more achievable, though still at great cost. Only last month Mr. Johnson addressed a Google conference about extending London’s internet coverage in time for the 2012 Olympics with the help of Europe’s largest broadband provider, The Cloud. Plans to increase the capital’s broadband capabilities would include installing hotspots in street lights and bus stops, making London’s free roaming internet one of the best in the world.
Mr. Johnson said -
The truth is that I’m on the side of progress if we possibly can do it. We could do it because I do think people want the facility of looking at their BlackBerrys. There are big technical difficulties. It’s very expensive.
Having spent a vast majority of my life on London’s public transport, the possibility to work, communicate and most importantly to me, PLAY whilst on the move could be a double edged sword. The thought of people bringing out their expensive laptops and phones on the tube to communicate may seem like progress, but it could also cause a lot of nuisance through noise (have you ever sat on the bus next to someone on their phone!) and may also turn the Tube into a muggers paradise! Personally I’d rather keep my expensive personal belongings in the safety of my pocket…
whilst reading someone else’s paper over their shoulder!
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Half Price Dongle with O2 Mobile Broadband – Offer ends 31-05-10
O2 mobile broadband have reduced the price of their ‘pay and go’ dongles until Monday 31st May 2010. If you order online before midnight on this date you will now receive their award winning on the go mobile broadband dongle for just £9.99 instead of £19.99! This great deal is only available online, so if you’re in the market for a new mobile broadband provider then why not look at O2′s fantastic service.
Also launched today with O2 mobile broadband is the brand new Asus UL30A Netbook, which is now available for just £79.99 on a 24 month contract. This great looking personal computer weighs in at just 1.6kg and features -
- Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300 Processor
- Windows 7 Home Premium
- 320GB hard Drive
- 3GB RAM
- 8 Cell Battery
- Bluetooth
- Wi-Fi
- 0.3MP Webcam
With O2 mobile broadband you have unlimited Wi-Fi access to over 7500 hotspots across the UK, offering one of the the most comprehensive coverages on the market. So why not choose O2 mobile broadband and take advantage of this half price dongle offer today, only available online until midnight
Monday 31st May 2010.
> > Click here to order O2 mobile broadband
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T Mobile and 3 Network in £400 Million Broadband Deal
T Mobile broadband and 3 mobile broadband have just signed a new £400 million contract with the Nokia Siemens Network as both companies look to expand their UK coverage on their shared mobile broadband network. This huge deal is big business, and will help massively in boosting their joint operation named Mobile Broadband Network Limited (MBNL).
The MBNL joint company has managed to integrate more than 7,000 out of 12,500 mast sites as the shared network requires a lot less since the businesses have joined forces Once the integration project is completed in October 2010, more than 3,000 sites will have been turned off.
This new deal will see MBNL’s national coverage expand to more than 98% of the population by the end of this year, which is great news for prospective customers who demand not only a strong broadband signal at home, but also whilst on the move. The new multi million pound deal will also see the Nokia Siemens Network providing additional 3G radio network infrastructure alongside mobile network planning and maintenance.
Managing director of MBNL, Graham Payne, said -
With Nokia Siemens Networks, we are confident of providing the UK’s most smartphone friendly, high-speed 3G network to more people in the UK than any other operator.
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3 Mobile Broadband Offer MiFi Car Kit
3 mobile broadband has just unveiled a brand new in car WiFi system that will allow you to have your very own hotspot everywhere you drive. The system connects over a 3G network and allows users to create their own local wireless connection whilst on the move, though don’t try using your laptop whilst driving!
The car kit, revealed at The Gadget Show in Birmingham, comes with a Huawei MiFi modem, mains and car charger. It even comes with windscreen holder and can hold up to 1GB of data for a month. 3 mobile broadband are confident the car kit will be a big success as it will allow passengers the ability to entertain themselves with their iPods, netbooks or gaming consoles. Plus it will be a great way to access traffic updates and plan routes whilst on the move.
Head of 3′s internet services, David Kerrigan, said -
We’re always looking at new products and services that connect our customers in more places both at home and on the move and In Car Wi-Fi does this. Our research suggests that over 25% of the population are interested in having the internet in their cars, with families and travelling work colleagues showing the most interest. Mobile workers can check traffic information and email on route to a meeting and kids can social network or download tracks to an iPod Touch while on a road trip.
> > Click here to order 3 mobile broadband
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Choosing a Mobile Broadband Package
Choosing a mobile broadband package will largely depend on how often you use the internet and what you plan to use it for. Mobile broadband is generally not the right option for those who heavily use the internet and download of a lot of files. It does however make a lot of sense for people who are on the go. Before choosing a provider you should also take the time to check out how good the reception in your area.
Contract Mobile Broadband
Just like with your mobile phone, mobile broadband packages are available on contract. Contracts can range between 12 to 24 months. Each contract has a different data transfer limit, some offer different connection speeds, and there are differences in prices. Most however come bundled with a free wireless dongle.
Like with most things, it is best to shop around a look for the best deal on offer, especially since it is a rapidly growing market, competition is intensifying and there is an opportunity to pick up great bargains.
You may find however, that it is better to pay a little more, or commit to a longer contract so that you get faster speeds and bigger data transfer limits.
Many contracts come with free laptops or netbooks included.
Pay As You Go Mobile Broadband
PAYG mobile broadband is exactly the same as PAYG mobile phones. The major advantage with PAYG is that it does not tie you into a contract, instead all you need to do is top up your data transfer limit as and when you need too.
You will however need to by your own dongle, but that is balanced by the fact that you do not run the risk of exceeding your limit and paying additional charges.
Some providers offer starter kits, which are very similar to PAYG, but comes with a pre-loaded data allowance, designed to give customers the ability to try out mobile broadband for the first time.
Starter kits are also available. These are similar to PAYG packages, but they come pre-loaded with a data allowance. They are for people who want to try out mobile broadband for the first time.
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What is Mobile Broadband?
Mobile internet access is the latest development in broadband, and obviously because of the sheer convenience of being connected wherever you may be, is an increasingly popular option.
Mobile broadband allows users to access the internet using mobile phone networks using 3G technology and the latest development 4G also known as Wi-Max, which is wireless internet service provision (without mobile phone coverage and much faster than 3G.)
In the purest sense of the word mobile broadband forgoes the need for a fixed line connection to the internet, and there are a few competing technologies, but for the purposes of this guide, we confine it to internet access provided by mobile phone networks.
How Does it Work?
As we explained earlier, mobile broadband uses mobile phone networks to provide internet access, contrasting with fixed line broadband which either uses copper telephone wires, or fibre optic cables.
Mobile broadband is a wireless solution, and should not be confused with Wi-Fi, which only allows wireless connectivity to the internet when the user is in range of their router. Mobile broadband allows users to access the internet wherever there is a mobile phone signal.
3G technology in theory provides internet speeds as high as 7.2 Mbps. However that speed is a theoretical and is rarely if ever achievable in practice, when there are many users connected to the network.
3G is responsible for the explosion in smartphones that almost everyone seems to own now, and is the technology that drives internet access for the Apple iPhone.
Mobile phone companies who offer internet access provide their customers with a USB stick also known as a dongle, which is plugged into the laptop or computer. The dongle picks up the signal from the mobile phone companies and also installs the software required, allowing virtually instant access to the internet as soon as it is plugged in.
Who Uses Mobile Broadband?
The most obvious answer to that is mobile broadband is suitable for anyone who wishes to stay connected to the internet no matter where they are, rather than be limited by a fixed line. Alternatively it is ideal for people who live in areas not served by a fixed line internet service provider.
This has meant that the two biggest user groups that have emerged are business users and students, groups which place high value on mobile internet access. Another group of people for which it is extremely suitable are those who live in short term rental accommodation, since it does with the requirement for having a fixed line telephone.
Mobile broadband is increasingly be used as a backup internet connection, in the event that the regular fixed line internet connection fails.
Suppliers
There are only six mobile broadband providers currently operating in the UK:
- O2
- Orange
- T-Mobile
- 3
- Virgin
- Vodafone
Coverage
The coverage provided by mobile broadband in the UK is outstanding, with 99 per cent of the country covered by a network. It should be noted that connection speeds tend to depend on the quality of reception, and in general the better reception and speeds are available in cities and towns.
Connection Devices
The most common connection device is the dongle, which is a small USB device that plugs into the USB socket of the computer. They are extremely small, and very portable, and some have even begun to use them as a fashion accessory. The other alternative is a USB modem, which is similar to a dongle and works in much the same way. The other less-common alternative is a mobile data card, which can only be used with laptops with ‘plug and go’ software.
Data Allowances
Mobile internet service providers usually provide data transfer limits, that is to say there is only a certain amount of data that can be downloaded as part of the monthly subscription bill. Every time you browse the internet, send emails, stream a You Tube video, you are using part of your monthly allowance. If you exceed the allowance it won’t mean that you are cut off from the internet, but the mobile phone company levies data charges which are quite steep per unit of data (most commonly measure in megabytes).
The data transfer limits are in place to prevent people taking advantage of the networks and overcrowding them, which would affect performance levels.
The data transfer limits usually range from between 1GB to 15GB, with 1GB allowing about 30 hours of surfing, and 15GB allowing 150 hours of surfing.
Some plans offer unlimited data transfer, but those plans are usually accompanied by fair usage policy, which means if you hog the bandwidth, downloading tons of movies for example, the mobile phone provide will begin to choke the speed you can obtain from the service, dramatically slowing it down.
Some plans are Pay As You Go, and as is the case with mobile phone services, once you have used the data transfer that you have paid for, you will no longer be able to access the internet.
In each case, you will be able to check how much of your allowance you have used up online, and some companies even send you text messages when you reach certain milestones.
Using Mobile Broadband Abroad
Generally if your mobile phone company offers roaming, then in theory you should be able to access the internet abroad. However roaming is expensive, even for just mobile phones, and can cost anywhere between £3.00 per MB in the EU going up to £8 per MB outside the EU. That means if you go just 1 GB over your limit, you will find yourself with a bill of £8,000. So do be careful.
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Download Limits Explained
In the UK most broadband packages offer unlimited data transfer. However some internet service providers offer packages which have data transfer or download limits.
Why on earth would anyone opt for limited data transfer packages? Well for a start some ISP’s offer faster internet speeds for to customers on limited packages, and another reason is a lot of times they are cheaper than unlimited packages, even though they offer similar speeds.
If you are considering opting for a limited data transfer package, then it is imperative you understand which download limit is best suited for your requirement.
What is a download limit?
A download limit is the amount of data you can download from the internet as part of your monthly subscription fee. Users who exceed their download limit, will still be able to use the internet but will be charged per unit of data downloaded in excess of their download limit (usually measured in megabytes). The excess usage charges tend to be quite expensive. If you exceed your download limit regularly it will most certainly cost a packet.
Data transfer or download limits tend to be expressed in gigabytes a month. ISP’s tend to set limits of the number of gigabytes one can download every month, and can range from as low as 1GB a month to of course unlimited.
Finding the download limit to suit you
Clearly since excess usage charges are exorbitant and you do decide on a limited data transfer plan then choosing a plan with a suitable download limit is critical. Your requirement will largely depend on the amount of time you spend on the internet and the type of downloading you engage in.
Some internet service providers of hybrid plans, which offer unlimited downloads during non peak hours (night time and weekends), whilst limiting the data transfer during peak hours.
If you spend a lot of time on the internet or like to download media like music or video or stream video from You Tube, then it is extremely likely you need a plan with large limits.
The Download Limits
- 1GB
A limit of this size is generally very inexpensive, but is not suitable for the vast majority of users. This kind of plan suits those who use the internet infrequently. A limit of this size will enable the user to view 10,500 web pages or download no more than 20 music albums. Streaming video on this time of plan would not be advisable
- 2 GB
A download limit of this size is best suited for those who only use the internet to view websites, and do not engage in downloading media files. A 2GB limit will give a user the ability to view 21,000 web pages and download 40 albums.
- 15 GB
For the vast majority of internet users a limit of this size is the most suitable. A 15GB limit will let users view as many pages as they like and still have room left to download media files. Approximately 157,000 web pages can be viewed, and 300 music albums can be downloaded with a limit of this size.
- 30 GB
A 30GB limit is roughly the equivalent of 1GB a day, which very few people actually manage. A limit of this size is best suited for someone who plays online games, streams a lot of video, or downloads media files. You could comfortably view 314,500 web pages, and download 600 music albums with a limit of this size.
- Unlimited
Opting for an unlimited plan is clearly the easiest way to not have to worry about whether you exceed your download limit and in the UK many ISP’s offer unlimited plans at almost a negligibly higher cost than 15GB or 30GB plans.
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All Change for the Better with O2 Mobile Broadband
O2 Mobile Broadband are making major changes to their tariffs to give their valued customers even more value for money on what is already one of the most competitive on the market today. Thanks to extensive customer surveys and feedback, O2 has flipped the script on a few things to tailor their tariffs to cater for what their customers require. These changes include -
- Half price dongles only £10 until 31st March 2010
- First 3 MONTHS FREE on all 18 month contracts
- Reduced average cost per MB to just 2.4p
- 24 month contracts only with laptop deals
These changes are being put into place thanks to O2 mobile broadband really listening to their customers, as they’re the ones that pay the bill, they get to have their say too. O2 have done away with the 24 month non laptop deals to allow consumers more flexibility and control over their contracts, and with 3 months free on every 18 month deal, now is a great time to order your mobile broadband with O2.
> > Click here to order O2 mobile broadband
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O2 Mobile Broadband Tops Fastest Mobile Broadband Speed Poll
O2 mobile broadband has been recognised as offering the fastest speeds in the country by independent study group SIRODA, who provide expert analysis across a wide range of communication technologies. The results of their comprehensive 60 day survey across 150 UK locations, compared the data speeds of all five major UK mobile broadband providers.
The results showed that O2 offered the fastest average web access in London at 1.7 seconds, which was 30% quicker than the slowest provider. O2 mobile broadband also achieved the fastest music download rate in 12 out of 20 UK cities, with tests conducted at peak periods throughout the day in London, Bristol, Edinburgh, Leeds, Liverpool, Newcastle and Sheffield.
Derek McManus, Chief Technology Officer for O2, said -
We’re very pleased with these conclusive findings, which have been independently verified. Our London customers are now seeing the benefits of the investment we made before Christmas, where we spent £30m delivering 40 new sites. Outside London, where network quality is shown to be strong, we continue to scale our investment and have committed to deliver a further 1500 new sites by the end of this year, building ahead of the demand for data services.
O2 mobile broadband is not only one of the quickest, but also one of the cheapest, with prices starting from just £2 a day. Plus with unlimited free Wi-Fi in over 7500 UK hotspots, it’s easy to see why more and more people are changing to O2 broadband.
> > Click here to order O2 mobile broadband
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Virgin Media Customers can Surf Abroad with New Travel Passes
Virgin Media mobile broadband has just released ‘EU Travel Passes’ for customers who want to surf the net whilst abroad. The passes, which start at just £6 per day, will offer customers great value for money when using their mobile internet and broadband to surf anywhere in the EU.
There is four different choices of mobile broadband EU Travel Passes, which allow customers to access data for -
- 1 day = £10 for 10MB
- 3 days = £15 for 15MB
- 7 days = £30 for 30MB
- 30 days = £6 for 60MB
So now Virgin Media customers can stay online whilst they are away on business or pleasure without running up any unexpected bills. Customers can also purchase internet passes for their mobile phones whilst abroad for £4 an hour or £6 for a day.
Director of mobile at Virgin Media, Jonathan Kini, said -
Virgin Media customers never have to worry about accessing the internet while they’re abroad. Whether it’s searching for the best pizzeria in Rome on your mobile or uploading photos onto Facebook with a laptop and mobile broadband, customers now have control over what they spend on holiday.
> > Click here to order Virgin Mobile broadband
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