Compare three mobile broadband offers

In this guide

1. The three best mobile broadband deals June 2021
2. What is Three Mobile Broadband?
3. Do I need three mobile broadband?
4. Three speeds of coverage and data
5. What other providers offer mobile broadband?
6. Frequently Asked Questions

Of all the providers of broadband connectivity over a mobile network, it would be fair to say that Three has long been a leader. It was the first network in the UK to offer mobile plans with unlimited data, the first to allow unlimited tethering, and is now the first to launch its own 4G and 5G home broadband brand: Three Broadband .

As if that weren’t enough, Three continues to deliver data over the air via mobile SIM cards, data SIM cards, MiFi devices, and dongles. If you can put a SIM card in it, Three offers it. We’re going to cover all of these different ways to get Three Mobile broadband in this guide.

The three best mobile broadband deals June 2021

Compare the three broadband

What is Mobile Broadband Three?

Before we get into the thick of it, let’s take a moment for a quick look at the wide array of ways you can get Three Mobile Broadband. You might have come to this page with an idea in mind for the type you are looking for, but it’s always worth taking a look. There is always a chance you will find a better or cheaper solution that you hadn’t thought of.

• Three domestic broadband 4G and 5G – Three now calls it simply ‘Three Broadband’ and launched it fairly recently after purchasing London’s 4G broadband provider Relish. It currently offers limited and unlimited home broadband offers through the Three mobile network. 5G mobile broadband will soon be offered in major cities and is already available in London
• Three mobile broadband dongles – Dongles are small devices the size of a USB flash drive that plug into a laptop or desktop and provide mobile broadband to that device only
• Three MiFi devices – A MiFi device is a mobile broadband access point (usually pocket-sized) that you can connect to via wifi with any wifi enabled device. Your phone, laptop, tablet, whatever you want. Some MiFi devices are battery powered, others powered by a power cable, or plugged into a computer via USB
• Three data SIM cards only – A data-only SIM card is a card where there is no call or text allowance – data only. These are mainly used in tablet computers, but some laptops also have a SIM card slot where you can put one of these
• Three SIMs for connection sharing by mobile hotspot – It would be your usual three SIM, in your phone, with your phone switched to act as a mobile hotspot. Believe it or not, this can be just as effective as dongles or MiFi mobile broadband solutions, although the range is more limited, generally speaking, and you will need to be aware of how much mobile data these other devices have. are. using

Do I need three mobile broadband?

There are a number of different cases where using one or more of Three’s mobile broadband solutions may be right for you.

• You have very bad fixed line broadband – There are still many places in the UK where fixed line broadband speeds are very, very low. However, with 99.9% 4G coverage, there is a very high probability that you can get a 4G signal that surpasses anything available through your phone line.
• You travel for work – If you roam the country all day and never know where you will be overnight, reliable connectivity can be a problem. Adding a Three mobile broadband dongle, a MiFi device, a data-only SIM card, or a mobile SIM card to your arsenal can provide you with exactly the kind of backup and guarantees you have. need.
• No other options – There may be situations where over-the-air broadband is the only broadband you can get, and in those cases three mobile broadband – in any form – is one of the best solutions out there- low
• You need a temporary solution – Maybe you just need to be connected for a few months and are hesitant to subscribe to a traditional broadband fixed line plan. Three offers 12, 24 and especially one-month contracts on its mobile broadband offers. A one month rolling contract means you can opt out with 30 days notice at any time, although the data itself will tend to cost you more than if you had a longer contract.

Three mobile broadband coverage and data speeds

Three is one of the UK’s four mobile network operators or “MNOs”. An MNO owns and manages its own infrastructure – all cables, masts, systems and other technology. In addition to Three, the other UK MNOs are Vodafone, EE and O2. But what about all the others? There are a whole bunch of other providers, aren’t there?

Right. But, they are what are called mobile virtual network operators or “MVNOs”. They offer their services using one of the four MNO networks. Other providers that also operate on the Three network are iD Mobile (Carphone Warehouse) and SMARTY.

An additional thing to consider is that only MNOs such as Three itself tend to offer such a wide range of mobile broadband services, while MVNOs tend to stick to a narrower range of things than they do. ‘they can easily sell, like SIM only deals and mobile handsets. .

If you can get 5G home broadband from Three Broadband, Three promises average speeds of around 100 Mbps. This is more than enough for any busy household, even if there are a lot of users streaming, gaming, etc.

If you can only get home 4G broadband at the moment, while the coverage is superb, you will average 21.6 Mbps according to OpenSignal. This is a bit faster than your standard home ADSL broadband connection and is sufficient for small households. Ultimately, however, if you are considering choosing a mobile network for your home broadband, you are likely to get appalling speeds from landline providers. 21.6 Mbps at a household that can only get 3 Mbps by any other means is going to seem pretty fast.

What other providers offer mobile broadband?

With a few exceptions, only the major network providers are expanding their service offering enough to cover mobile broadband dongles, MIFi devices, and home routers. Here’s a look at who’s offering what, but since you’ve already decided that Three is a possible candidate, keep in mind that you’re already in pretty much the right place.

• EE – Offers a full range of mobile broadband products on its own network (EE). These include dongles, MiFi devices, 4G home broadband routers, and of course SIM cards. It is currently rolling out 5G availability on an ongoing basis
• Vodafone – Also offers a fairly comprehensive range of products in the mobile broadband category and seeks to compete in 5G
• BT – Offers dongles and MiFi devices, but does not sell its own 4G or 5G home broadband solutions, instead switching to 4G broadband if your landline goes down. BT Mobile works on the EE network
• O2 – Offers 4G MiFi, dongles and of course regular SIMs. O2 does not currently offer any home broadband solution to replace your landline.

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