Words About Things

Mobile broadband has been taking off in a big way over the last few years. In fact YouGov someone (see comments)  reports that a third of all broadband users will be connecting via mobile broadband by 2012. Despite not always receiving a the speed advertised most mobile broadband users seem to be happy connecting via 3G.

The benefits of not having to use a fixed phone line will be familiar to many. Those of us who rent rather than own may not feel the need to have a telephone line in addition to mobile phones. The price of mobile broadband is often lower than fixed line although speeds are normally slower. As mobile broadband becomes more popular pressure is put on traditional broadband suppliers to offer more to maintain their customer base. As the copper phone lines supporting the current system begin to seem a little out dated fibre optic broadband begins to seem like a real possibility. The only problem there is that nobody seems to want to pay to replace the entire system!

The media rich nature of the internet and increasing demands from customers means that connection speeds need to continue to evolve. Those who regularly use the BBC Iplayer and other bandwidth intensive services need speeds to increase so that high definition online video can become the norm.

A recent test of a 4G system produced speeds up to 30 megabits per second. Considering that the average broadband speed (via a landline) in the UK is only 2.95Mbps this would be a massive improvement even for those currently using fixed line broadband. The 4G LTE (long term evolution) service operates on a previously unused band of the mobile spectrum which will be auctioned off next year. This means that broadband service providers will have to put their money on the line if they plan on increasing mobile broadband speeds for their customers.

“We are not able to deliver the speed and consumer experience for the applications coming out, we need to accommodate higher use at a lower price. With 4G LTE we can increase traffic without increasing the cost.”

Joachim Horn, chief technology officer of T-Mobile International

All this means that if wireless broadband providers want to compete with 4G they will need to consider upgrading the infrastructure their service is based on. This race to provide the best system can only be a good thing for those using wifi or mobile broadband.

Some people consider wireless broadband to be better than mobile broadband whilst others disagree. The fact of the matter is that it depends on your needs. If you need flexibility and affordability then mobile broadband may be best for you. If however you need quick speeds and a reliable service then normal or wireless broadband may suit you better.

Whilst mobile broadband frees you up from needing to have a landline it can still require a lengthy contract. Whilst some providers allow you to pay and go (£15 for 3gb for example) others have 12 or 18 month contracts. The good news is that if you already have a computer you may be able to skip this as most of the longer contracts are for those receiving a free laptop.

A telephone line might mean more expense but it generally means faster speeds. Whilst we wait for fibre optic broadband using a standard copper phone line is as fast as you can get.

Mobile broadband tends to have lower usage limits such as 1, 3 or 7gb a month fixed line broadband is often unlimited. Where mobile broadband speeds tend to be around 1mbps normal broadband or wifi is often up to 8mbps.