Mobile Broadband
Mobile Broadband
1. What is mobile broadband?
Mobile broadband gives you internet access on the move, in areas where we have good 3G coverage. It lets you get online when out & about, so you don't always need to be at home to use the internet.
2. Why use mobile broadband?
Mobile broadband means you don't need to be at home to get online. It allows you to keep connected when you need to be, giving you freedom to access the internet on a screen bigger than your mobile (i.e. laptop or tablet). You can use mobile broadband where we have 3G coverage, or by connecting to a Wi-Fi hotspot in a public place (like a cafe, hotel or airport) or using your home broadband Wi-Fi connection.
3. How do I know if I can get mobile broadband coverage?
Mobile broadband doesn't work everywhere, so before you buy it or try to get online, we'd recommend you use our map to check coverage. Our coverage checker will give you a green light if you can get online or a red light if there's no coverage. Check the postcodes where you want to get online here.
It's important to know, that we can only give you a steer if there's coverage in the postcode you use. It might sound strange, but things like the thickness of your house walls, where you are in the house (for example, if you're in a basement of a flat), the distance from the mast and the number of people on the network, can all affect your coverage.
4. Not sure which package to choose?
Data allowances can be confusing, so if you're not sure how much data you need with you mobile broadband, why not use our Data Calculator? It will help you decide the right amount of data for you and recommend a package. We'll look at how many emails you send, how much time you spend online and how many downloads you plan to do, then suggest how much data you might need.
Take a look here.
5. Can I use mobile broadband abroad?
We wouldn't recommend using mobile broadband in any country outside of the UK, as it can be very expensive. Pay & Go customers cannot currently use the service abroad. If you are a pay monthly customer and really want to use the service abroad, we suggest you choose one of our data Bolt-ons. You'll need to fill in this form to activate the roaming service, and you can also select a Data Abroad Bolt-on, at the same time.
Remember, using mobile broadband abroad can get expensive, so we'd recommend you find another option.
6. What is mobile broadband recommended for?
Mobile broadband is a good option if you want to go online occasionally. It works well for surfing online, keeping on top of emails, online shopping or banking, checking news & sport updates, accessing social networking sites and downloading small music files.
You'll find it harder to download large music or video files, send large email attachments or watch catch-up TV using mobile broadband. If you want to do this, or you access the internet regularly, why not try our award-winning Home Broadband instead. If you're an existing O2 customer, we'll give you £5 off your bill each month. Find out about our home broadband packages here
7. How does mobile broadband work?
The most common way to get online with mobile broadband is by using a dongle (also known as a USB modem). You plug the dongle into your laptop, install the O2 software, register your details & you're ready to surf online. You can also access the internet on a Tablet PC, using a mobile broadband sim card, which you insert into the Tablet to get online.
8. What is Wi-Fi?
Wi-Fi is a different type of network, which allows you to connect to the internet wirelessly. There are two types of Wi-Fi connection ‚ A Public Wi-Fi and the Wi-Fi through your home broadband connection, using a wireless router.
Public Wi-Fi hotspots allow you to access the internet in a public location (such as a cafe or hotel) at broadband speed, using a Wi-Fi enabled device (your dongle or Tablet).
Home Wi-Fi is wireless internet that lets you access the internet from multiple computers in your home ‚ without wires. It gives you the freedom to connect to the internet with lots of different products i.e. a laptop, games console or Smartphone, from different locations in your home.
Wi-Fi tends to be the fastest network you can connect to over mobile broadband. All of our mobile broadband packages include unlimited Wi-Fi access through The Cloud and BT Openzone, so you can get online in public places like Starbucks, Cafe Nero, McDonalds and major airports.
We'd recommend you connect to the internet using a Wi-Fi hotspot if you want to download larger files. Find the Wi-Fi hotspot that is nearest to you here.
9. What if I am not happy with the service?
It's important you make the right choice for you, so we give everyone a 30 day Happiness Guarantee for mobile broadband. If you're not happy, you can return your dongle within 30 days of purchase and we'll refund any money you paid for it, or cancel your contract if you're a Pay Monthly customer.
10. Need more help?
If you can't find the answer you are looking for, or you're an existing mobile broadband customer and need help, check out our mobile broadband support section.
Still can't find what you're looking for?
If your question isn't answered here, you can email us or just call us instead. Call us on 0800 380 0402 or email us.