Broadband Reviews

Vodafone Mobile Broadband

admin — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 08:27:16 +0000

Speed

Vodafone has recently dropped from 1st to 3rd in our speed tables (having held top spot for every previous set of results) however we see less complaints relating to speed issues with Vodafone than with most other providers and they have consistently been one of the top performers in speed tests so score 4 out of 5.

Reliability and coverage

Performing above average in this area like most networks Vodafone is investing heavily in improving their network which will give more consistent speeds, coverage and reliability. However coverage is currently as good as or better than its rivals in most areas.

Customer Support

Second only to T-Mobile in customer support Vodafone responded well to our technical support questions with calls answered in a decent time and our questions answered accurately and in plain English. Vodafone score highly for following T-Mobile’s lead in offering a flat rate where you will never pay more than a fixed price for your mobile broadband usage is you exceed your download limit. Their fair usage policy means they won’t cap your use but may contact you to move you to a more appropriate plan if you regularly exceed your download limit.

Choice of plans and value

With a wide range of deals, data plans and decent free laptop offers competitively priced Vodafone can’t be faulted for choice or value. Furthermore their uncapped fair usage policy scores them extra points for value for money.

Overall verdict

Whilst not quite scoring top marks in any one area Vodafone score consistently well in all areas with good speeds, coverage, customer service and value for money plus a wide range of plans. By following T-Mobile’s lead and introducing an unlimited fair use policy Vodafone score bonus points putting them at the top of the pile for this year’s reviews.

Virgin Mobile Broadband

admin — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 08:27:01 +0000

Speeds

Virgin use T-Mobile’s network and speeds are middle of the road for both upload and download speed. We’ve received mixed feedback on speeds and with a smaller customer base than their rivals to some extent the jury is still out on Virgin mobile broadband.

Reliability and Coverage

Using T-Mobiles network Virgin coverage is decent though interestingly our own testing has seen Virgin perform very slightly worse than T-Mobile. Overall though Virgin are strong in this category.

Customer service

An otherwise decent service is let down by Virgin’s below par customer service. Virgin also scores below average in our customer satisfaction ratings.

Choice of plans and value

Compared to other providers the choice of plans is quite limited. Value for money is decent and on a par with most the other providers whilst not quite being the cheapest.

Overall verdict

Using the T-Mobile network Virgin perform similarly on speed and coverage. There’s less choice and they are not the cheapest whilst their non UK based technical support has been a cause of frustration for many customers.

T-Mobile Broadband

admin — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 08:25:14 +0000

Speed

T-Mobile perform the best on upload speeds of all providers but averages the slowest download speeds. For most types of internet usage such as browsing websites and emailing the typical speeds of a T-Mobile connection will be fine but may prove too slow for activities such as watching video clips or downloading films. T-Mobile are set to start sharing mobile networks with Orange which should see them move towards the top of the speed league alongside Orange.

Reliability and coverage

T-Mobile score above average for reliability and coverage and we hear fewer complaints in these areas than with some of the other providers. The move to share networks with Orange should give them excellent coverage and reliability in the very near future.

Customer support

T-Mobile have made a real effort be customer focused and this is one of the main selling points of this network who are ahead of the game in this respect. The first network not to penalise their customers for exceeding download limits and with good customer service and technical support T-Mobile lead the way in this category.

Choice of plans and Value

T-Mobile has a great range of mobile broadband plans even offering one with a pink dongle! However having offered arguably the best range of ‘free laptop’ deals these have now been completely withdrawn losing T-Mobile points in this category. Otherwise the T-Mobile broadband deals are competitively priced particularly if you occasionally stay over your download allowance.

Overall verdict

Clear winners on customer service T-Mobile are the most customer focused network and were the first to introduce a fair usage policy that didn’t penalise customers for exceeding their download limits. Whilst speeds are currently a little disappointing we expect that by combining their network with Orange’s, following the merger of the two companies, speeds should improve significantly to be as good or better than the competition. This should also improve coverage and reliability from mid table to excellent. If you want a network that really puts the customer first then T-Mobile should top your list.

3 Mobile Broadband

admin — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 08:25:52 +0000

Speed

Second only to Orange in our speed tables 3 mobile broadband delivers a healthy average speed of 1.7Mbs which is more than enough for most broadband users. Whilst this may still be someway short of the advertised top speed no home broadband or mobile broadband service consistently delivers close to the maximum quoted speed. 3 fairs less well on upload speed (the speed data is transmitted back across the internet) with an average of 0.34 (upload speeds are always much less than download speeds) and whilst this shouldn’t present problems for most types of internet use it could be problematic for online gaming. With download speeds being more important for most 3 scores a respectable 4 out of 5 for speed.

Customer Service

Whilst they may offer decent speeds, cheap prices, good data allowances and improved coverage, customer and technical support still seem to be the biggest issue for 3’s customers. Whilst many people tend only to write a review about customer service after a bad experience 3 does consistently under perform in this area compared to its competitors hence our score of a lowly 2 out of 5.

Reliability and Coverage

Of all the mobile broadband providers 3 had the most teething problems with coverage and was the cause for many complaints. However 3 have invested heavily in this area resulting in much improved reliability and coverage. However some customers, particular those in more rural areas or outside of cities and major towns do still experience issues with coverage. With plans to keep improving their network 3 is now approaching a level playing field with its competitors when it comes to coverage and reliability scoring a mid table 3 out of 5.

Choice of plans and value

With an aggressive pricing policy 3 have some of the best value mobile broadband deals and free laptop offers. With a wide range plans for all types of usage from 1GB per month for most medium broadband users (1GB is enough for emailing, browsing the web, downloading music etc) through to a 15GB package for those that need a heavy usage plan for activities such as downloading or watching movies online.

Overall Verdict

3 can’t be faulted for price and range of choice, speeds are decent without being exceptional and coverage and reliability are average but on the up however this provider has the lowest score for customer service. If you are in a major town or city 3 is likely to perform as well or better than most other providers for a lower cost. If customer service and technical support are important you’ll be happier elsewhere. If you do have problems with 3 they do offer a 14 day money back guarantee. Like all providers installation and set up is pretty straight forward.

O2 Mobile Broadband

admin — Wed, 13 May 2009 08:44:37 +0000

Speed

A little slower than average with average download speed of 1.3Mbs O2 a touch off the average mobile broadband speed of 1.5Mbs. These speeds are fine for general web use and emails but a little slow for downloading or watching video clips of movies.

Reliability and coverage

Whilst speeds may bee a little slow coverage is decent and like all the networks is improving all the time as upgrades to the network are carried out. We here less complaints about O2’s coverage than with many of the other networks.

Customer Service

O2’s UK based call centre is a positive for many people who are become increasingly frustrated with providers basing their call centres aboard to save money to the detriment of customer service. Whilst they don’t offer the same uncapped fair use policies as Vodafone and Three which avoid nasty bills for exceeding your data allowance O2 still scores strongly here due to good customer service. O2 also offer a 30 day ‘happiness’ money back guarantee.

Choice of plans and value

A reasonable choice of plans and free laptop deals with pricing competitive but not the cheapest there should be a plan to suit most budgets and types of user.

Overall verdict

A 30 day money back guarantee and award winning UK based customer support make O2 a decent option. Speeds could be better but should continue to improve whilst coverage is reasonably good. Value for money is OK and there’s the added benefit of priority tickets for O2 events (such as music concerts).

Orange Mobile Broadband

admin — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 08:24:10 +0000

Speed

Orange have increased their speeds dramatically recently and for the first time have displaced Vodafone to top our mobile broadband speed league tables with customers averaging a very respectable 1.8Mbs download speed with Orange. Given that Orange was previously one of the poorer performing providers for speed this is an impressive turn around. Hopefully Orange’s merger with T-Mobile will improve speeds, coverage and reliability for even more of their customers.

Reliability and coverage

Having worked to upgrade their network and speeds reliability and coverage are relatively good with Orange and should improve further when they combine their networks with T-Mobile’s. We still see some complaints of dropped coverage or very slow speeds but these seem to be decreasing.

Customer Service

Orange perform OK when it comes to customer service but there’s definitely room for improvement with T-Mobile, O2 and Vodafone being ahead when it comes to customer satisfaction ratings though Orange certainly are not the worst either.

Choice of plans and value

A reasonable choice of plans and reasonable value for money, they’re not quite the cheapest and Orange doesn’t win any prizes here but neither does it fall a long way short of any of it’s rivals. There’s a decent range of plans to suit most providers and some better deals for existing Orange customers. There’s also the value adds such as Orange Wednesdays which, amongst other things, give you access to cheap cinema tickets which boosts Orange’s score to a respectable 4 out of 5 in this category.

Overall verdict

Scoring well in all areas other than customer service which is average Orange mobile broadband has seen improved speeds and coverage recently hence it’s good overall score. Hopefully their merger with T-Mobile will improve coverage further which is still an issue for a small number if customers. The added extras adds such as Orange Wednesday discounts for cinemas and other benefits are a great addition for some customers.