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O2 launches UK mobile broadband service

Currently only available to O2 customers, the mobile broadband provider's service is accessible on laptops and PCs via a dongle inserted into the USB port and will give mobile internet customers download speeds of up to 1.8Mps. O2 is also currently in the process of a £500m upgrade to its 3G mobile broadband network and subscribers to its mobile internet service can look forward to speeds starting to increase to 3.6Mbps in June. The mobile broadband provider insists the investment is taking place for the benefit of O2's mobile broadband customers, rather than in preparation for the expected introduction of the 3G iPhone in the middle of the year.

The mobile broadband service offers 3GB worth of included UK data usage on the O2 mobile internet network and will automatically connect customers to the fastest mobile broadband network available whether it's GPRS, EDGE, 3G or HSDPA. For mobile internet business users a version of the mobile broadband service will be available before the end of 2008.

O2 is the last of the major players to enter the mobile broadband market and although their mobile internet service is competitively priced, their current mobile broadband access speeds are some way off the 7.2 Mbps offered by the mobile internet products from Orange and Vodafone.

An interesting addition to the mobile internet service is that it includes access to approximately 7,500 Wi-Fi hot spots via The Cloud. The mobile broadband usage when on Wi-Fi is described as unlimited but is subject to an excessive usage policy. This mobile internet feature is a definite cost saving benefit for O2's mobile broadband customers.

The increasing range of mobile internet products available are starting to make mobile broadband an attractive alternative to the costs of fixed-line broadband. This is proved by the increasing popularity of mobile broadband dongles and the mobile internet market for these devices is estimated to be worth £1.5bn by 2011.


22/05/2008
Author: CompareBroadbandUK staff writer

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