Pay as you go Mobile Broadband

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Access to mobile broadband internet access was initially only available through lengthy contracts – typically up to 18month. However, as the industry matures a new optional Pay As You Go business model has developed. Early adapters who signed up to lengthy contracts often found that they ended up using the service less frequently than they initially anticipated, and it is this inefficiency in the system that the PAYG model has been designed to address.

Another reason for the development of the PAYG mobile broadband model is that as the service has become more reliable and seen its coverage increased to a very high level, the providers have started to target the more mainstream market – a market where there is a lot more price sensitivity and a lot more aversion to lengthy contracts. They operators have adopted the same approach as mobile phones by offering it as a Pay As You Go deal meaning that users only need to pay for what they use.

Mobile is definitely increasing in popularity as in January 2009 almost 60,000 USB dongles were sold in the UK which according to reports is almost double the average monthly sales of 2008. There are a couple of ways to differentiate paying for PAYG mobile broadband: Pay-Per-Day and Pay-Per-GB. You’ll need to decide which option of paying is best suited to your requirements.

Pay Per Day Mobile Broadband

With Pay-Per-Day you can buy either a days, weeks or months browsing at a time giving you complete control over how much you want to pay. Pay Per Day Mobile Broadband is most suitable for users who have to travel infrequently (e.g. for business trips) and want to have full access to the internet while they are travelling. Take for example a salesperson working for a web design company. They will spend most of their time back in the office making phone calls and researching their market, but when they have to go onsite to visit a potential client, they will want to have access to the internet to go through various different sites with the client – whether they are researching competitor websites or showing the client their portfolio. For this situation a Pay Per Day payment plan would be most suitable.

Pay Per GB Mobile Broadband

Pay-Per-GB means you decide how much data you are going to use and simply pay for that amount. Pay Per GB is suitable for users who travel relatively frequently, but have only light internet usage requirements when out of the office. Say for example a technical support operative who spends most of her time in the office but needs to make frequent short visits to the client site. They will not need to do a great deal of surfing while at the client site, but might need to quickly check a technical support site for information. This type of user might find it difficult to justify the cost of a fixed contract or even a pay-per-day arrangement, but a fixed price per GB might give them a very cost effective solution to their mobile broadband needs.

There’s a time limit on the Pay-Per-GB (you have to use your amount of GB before a certain time) and a download limit on the Pay-Per-Day (i.e. you can’t download like mad for one day solid; there is a fair usage policy to adhere to).

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What is Mobile Broadband?

Mobile Broadband gives you internet access, without wires, over the air. You do not need a telephone line, or to be in a Wi-Fi area to get mobile broadband - using only a USB Modem with your Laptop or PC you can have access to fast broadband.