How to choose the best mobile broadband service for you
What is mobile broadband?
Until fairly recently, mobile broadband meant buying a pocket-sized router that worked with a 4G SIM to create a mobile wireless hotspot, which could be used to hook up your laptops, tablets and handheld games consoles to the internet while you were away from home.
Increasingly, though, we’re seeing fully featured designs that do everything you’d expect of a conventional ADSL or fibre router – only using a mobile connection, rather than a fixed line. So far, the limited speeds of 4G services have put such devices in a bit of a niche, but the advent of 5G changes that. When you can get up to 500Mbits/sec just by slotting in a SIM card, why wait for a supplier to bring a full fibre connection to your home?
How much data will I get?
Typically, 4G and 5G mobile services have a data allowance or usage cap, which may be somewhere between 50GB and 300GB. That will be fine for work, browsing and music streaming, but if you spend a lot of time watching streaming services or downloading PC and console games, then you need to look for an unlimited package. These are now more widely available than they were, although they do come with a price premium and, in some cases, a longer contract.
What is the router like?
Take a good look at the router you’re getting with your package. The 4G and 5G home routers now have more features than they used to, with some including two or more Gigabit Ethernet ports and 802.11ax Wi-Fi. However, 4G services might come with a less well-equipped router, while routers designed primarily for mobile use might focus more on the compact size and battery life than the connectivity options.
Can I get decent coverage?
4G
Ofcom’s latest study into UK mobile and broadband connectivity reports that 95% of all UK premises should have access to broadband through a fixed wireless access service, including satellite and mobile broadband.
However, most of these services will be based on a 4G signal, and the fastest 4G+ or LTE-A services, with speeds of over 40Mbits/sec, still tend to be available only in larger towns and cities. What’s more, just getting a decent 4G signal in your neighbourhood is no guarantee that a provider will offer fixed wireless access services in your area. Even if they do, it pays to check the coverage and compare predicted speeds for your location before you sign any contracts.
5G
Although 5G coverage is improving, it remains fairly patchy. EE has the largest 5G network, now in reach of more than 60% of the UK population and stretching across over 1,000 UK locations. That doesn’t only include major towns and cities, but 500 rural and semi-rural areas. The other major networks are also catching up. Three also now claims to cover over 60% of the UK population across over 600 locations, and the proposed merger with Vodafone should see the merged network stretching even further.
Just remember that not everyone within a 5G area will be able to get a solid 5G signal, and that getting a signal on your phone outdoors doesn’t necessarily mean 5G broadband services will be available in your area, or that you’ll get a consistent, high-speed signal in your home.
How we test mobile broadband
We base our mobile broadband reviews on research conducted specifically for our own annual Mobile Network Awards, and on customer service, coverage and performance research from Ofcom and RootMetrics.
Our Mobile Network Awards survey asks nearly 4,400 UK readers about their satisfaction levels with their current provider, and how well their 4G or 5G connection holds up while watching video, browsing the internet and streaming. We also ask for more detail on their experience of 5G services, to discover any benefits or issues that readers are experiencing.
Meanwhile, Ofcom’s Comparing Customer Service: Mobile, Landline and Home Broadband report provides a detailed indication of customer satisfaction with service, value and support for each UK network, including data on how many complaints are made and how they’re handled.
Finally, RootMetrics runs in-depth performance tests across the length and breadth of the UK to capture figures for performance and coverage – including more specific 4G and 5G performance tests in 16 of the UK’s largest towns and cities. The results are updated twice a year.
We take all these results into account before coming to a conclusion about the best services in terms of performance, reliability and overall value for money.
