| Of the 5 major mobile phone networks in the UK, | | | | for being easy... well, consider that the setup time |
| up until recently only one of them wasn't offering | | | | for a USB Modem, whoever you're with, is |
| mobile broadband. That was O2, but now they | | | | measured in minutes, and involves nothing more |
| HAVE started to sell it. But... why have they | | | | complicated than plugging it in and clicking yes, and |
| dropped the ball with it? | | | | you can see it really is a doddle to set up! |
| Mobile Broadband - why is it really that important? | | | | O2 Mobile Broadband - why it falls down |
| To understand why their business decision (which | | | | And then, there's value for money. A decent |
| we'll come to in a bit) is, I feel, not a great one, | | | | mobile broadband package needs to give you |
| you need to understand, first of all, exactly what | | | | good value, too, and it's here where the O2 |
| mobile broadband is, and why it's a good thing. Put | | | | package falls down. £20 per month, minimum. In |
| simply, mobile broadband is broadband while you're | | | | a world where the networks' cheapest mobile |
| mobile, broadband while you're on the move, out | | | | broadband offerings range from £10-15, O2's |
| and about. You're not tied to your desk, you're | | | | already priced themselves out of that fight. |
| free to use it wherever and whenever you find | | | | Ah, but... there's a bigger reason why it's not going |
| yourself. It's a case of fire it up and off you go! | | | | to take off and sell well. Their mobile broadband |
| Just like mobile phones, mobile broadband will | | | | offering is only available to existing customers. In |
| become a portable, mobile solution you take | | | | other words, you can only join up with O2 mobile |
| everywhere with you. | | | | broadband, if you're already on O2. That's a little |
| But it's not just about how portable it is, because | | | | bit of a letdown, to say the least, and it shows a |
| it's not going to sell well unless it has 3 other very | | | | bit of short-sightedness on O2's part. Which is a |
| important factors: it needs to be easy, cheap and | | | | shame, when you consider what a god track |
| fast. Well, there are no worries with the speed, | | | | record they have with mobile phones. On the |
| since mobile broadband can run anywhere up to | | | | strength of current evidence, though, it's probably |
| 7.2Mbps, currently (and up to 14Mbps in future), | | | | best if they stick to them... |
| depending on which network you're with. And as | | | | |