Mobile broadband booming

Fixed-line broadband could soon go the way of landline telephones, according to comparison service Top 10 Broadband.

Mobile broadband packages could be more popular than fixed-line deals by 2010, according to the company, which is basing its prediction on the deals that visitors to its site are opting for.

Many companies are now offering mobile broadband connections via a USB 'dongle' that connects to a PC or laptop and doesn't require a landline to be installed in your house. The USB stick can be moved from one computer to another, and can also be used on the move.

Alex Buttle at Top 10 Broadband said: "We believe this trend is as significant as the shift from home to mobile phones that took place in the mid-1990s and reflects the increasing demand for greater flexibility in communications devices."

"Laptop sales have also boomed in recent years as costs have come down and it looks like mobile broadband has finally caught up, giving people the option to surf anywhere at an affordable price," Buttle continued.

Buttle said that the increasing demand for mobile broadband packages as well as an increasing number of companies offering the services were perfect conditions for a price war, meaning customers can get more for their money.

"Major mobile broadband providers like Vodafone, T Mobile, 3 and Orange are competing hard and a price war has meant great ofers for consumers with deals starting from just £10 a month.

However, mobile broadband packages are limited in terms of speed, Though Vodafone is now able to offer connections with a theoretical maximum speed of 7.2Mbps, many fixed-line broadband providers are able to offer 8Mbps through BT's Wholesale network and up to 24Mbps on unbundled networks.

www.top10-broadband.co.uk
www.vodafone.co.uk
www.three.co.uk
www.t-mobile.co.uk
www.orange.co.uk