Mobile Broadband Northern Ireland

Mobile broadband, also known as ‘High Speed Down Link Packet Access’ (HSDPA) allows you connect your laptop or your computer to the internet wherever you are. It works using either a small portable USB modem, or a data card. Althrough mobile broadband was initially seen as a solution for people who need broadband on the move, it is increasingly being adapted as the primary broadband connection method by many households. The reason for this is that with the traditional ADSL broadband option, you need to have a fixed BT landline installed. However, with the growing trend of the mobile phone replacing the landline, many consumers are loath to pay the £100+ installation charge for a landline that they dont need.

BroadbandNI.com operates independently of all the mobile broadband providers that are displayed on our site. The table shows the main players in the market:

Provider	Package / Details	Data Allowance	Out of bundle charge (per MB)	Speed (up to)	Monthly Cost	Setup*	Continue
	Broadband Casual Broadband Casual is a 'pay as you go' tarrif - suitable as an alternative to searching for wifi hotspots - but not suitable for high usage	0GB	£1.00	3.6Mb	£0	£69.99	Continue
	Broadband Lite Currently the cheapest mobile broadband tarrif on the market - offering up to 1GB data download at speeds of up to 3.6Mb	1GB	10p	3.6Mb	£10	£0	Continue
	Web'n'walk Plus Offering UNLIMITED data transfer (10gb fair usage policy), this is one of the best packages for the serious internet user.	10GB	-	3.6Mb	£15	£0	Continue
	Vodafone 3GB tarrif Vodafone's entry level tarrif, offering free set-up with a 24 month contract. Vodaphone's 3G network covers a high percentage of 'east of the bann'	3Gb	15p	1.8Mbs	£15	£0	Continue
	Internet everywhere 24 months Orange's 3Gb mobile broadband package comes with a more forgiving 'fair usage' policy that would normaly come with ADSL.	3Gb	15p	1.8Mbs	£15	£0	Continue
	Broadband Plus 3's most popular package - offering all the benfits of mobile broadband combined with an ample 3GB data allowance - making it a viable alternative to the traditional ADSL broadband.	3Gb	10p	3.6Mb	£15	£0	Continue
	O2 Mobile Broadband Just launched in April 08, O2's mobile broadband package includes unlimited access to 7500 wifi hotspots throughout the UK	3Gb	20p	1.8Mbs	£20	£0	Continue
	Vodafone 5GB tarrif Vodafone's 5Gb, offering free set-up with a 24 month contract. Vodaphone's 3G network covers a high percentage of 'east of the bann'	5Gb	15p	1.8Mbs	£25	£0	Continue

* Minimum contract periods will usually apply when free set-up is offered.

Mobile broadband is one of the fastest changing areas of this exciting industry, and there are a few big players that are dominating the market at present. Much of greater belfast has decent 3G coverage - so you should be able to get 2-3mb connections reliably enough. Outside Belfast you would need to check your specific address with your mobile broadband provider. We have tested mobile broadband in Portadown and Armagh and have been able to get a 3.6mb connection. However - at busy times of the day the connection can crawl to a halt.

A word of warning - you will note that in the table above we have included 'Data Allowance' details, and if you are a heavy internet user this is something you want to be carefull about. If you are jsut a regular internet user, using the internet to check your email, do a bit of online shopping, update your facebook profile and maybe a bit of price comparison research then you could typically use less than 1GB per month - but if you are a heavy internet user who regularly downloads videos or uses online gaming then you may find you use quite a lot of data transfer every month!

The bad news for those of you who are too far from an exchange to get ADSL broadband (despite promisese that Northern Ireland was the first region in Europe to have 100% access to high speed internet!) is that current mobile broadband solutions are unlikely to fix your problem. But this is a fast changing industry - so keep your eye out for developments.

Devices

This page provides a useful overview of what different broadband devices are available.

Mobile Wireless Broadband Connections

If you want wireless access that is not limited to wifi hotspots

Northern Ireland Broadband Provider Directory

A list of all the Internet Service Providers delivering Broadband to Northern Ireland consumers.

Broadband News

Bundle Packages

Save even more money with a bundled package from mobile phone providers

Mobile Broadband

Visit our new mobile broadband website

Wireless Broadband

Northern Irelands leading hotspot locator