Mobile broadband 'free' deals coming

It is an inevitability that some ISPs will offer 'free' mobile broadband packages in the not-too-distant future.

That's according to price-comparison service Top 10 Broadband, which said that mobile broadband could be tagged on to mobile phone packages as early as next year.

The mobile broadband aspect of the deal may very well be advertised as 'free', much as Orange and TalkTalk offered free broadband in 2006, as long as you bought landline telephone services from them.

"With competition reaching its zenith in the mobile broadband market, it is only a matter of time before mobile broadband modems are offered for free in conjunction with mobile phone packages," said Jessica McArdle of Top 10 Broadband.

Mobile broadband services have been available for a while now but only recently have prices dropped to levels broadly comparable with fixed-line deals.

"This move towards free mobile broadband is especially notable when you look at Vodafone's current flagship mobile broadband offering. At just £15 a month this package is 65 per cent cheaper, four times faster and three times more inclusive in terms of download allowance than its £45 equivalent of two years ago," said McArdle.

Find out more about mobile broadband in Issue 190 of Web User, on sale from all good newsagents from 19 June.

www.top10-broadband.co.uk