[@NickyColman]

According to Mobile Today, O2 have announced their own Mobile Broadband package.

The site claims that the dongle will be free to existing customers who take out an 18 month contract for £20pm. It includes a 3GB data allowance.

Finally, it seems O2 have pulled their fingers out! However, i cant seen £20pm lasting for very long, especially up against Vodafone and Three's pricing!

http://www.mobiletoday.co.uk/O2_enters_mobile_broadband_race.html

[Ben]

Hehe, £20pm for the smallest 3G footprint of any 3G operator. Nice! :D

Still, they had to act I suppose. I think with Orange and O2, what with their fixed line broadband offerings, they'll retain some sort of data deal in stores simply so they're not losing business if a customer specifically requests it. Until now they must have been turning away customers in their droves.

[solo12002]

Sorry guys

Remind me again. Were did you say O2 have 3G coveage? Fing little in NI

[Ben]

I think Bleubean is hogging it all :P

[@NickyColman]

LOL you may all laugh, but i've even got 3.5G where i live! I'm quite fortunate. I also get very good EDGE coverage. Its very rare that i see the good old "G" these days!

[Hands0n]

I think that I want to see and read much more about how good O2's 3G/HSDPA coverage is before I go moistening my underwear. My previous 3G experience with them was dire. Okay it wasn't data, but I couldn't even get a 3G signal and the mast is 200 yards (metres in new money) from the house. I had to press the handset up against the glass of the front window to even get a 3G signal.

Contrast O2 with the iPhone and 2G - I get rock solid signal wherever I go, and even a smattering of EDGE now and again. :D

O2? 3G? HSDPA? ........... Convince me :)

[Hands0n]

O2 Broadband available from 1st May 2008 - but not without a sting in its tail, it seems.





Communications giant O2 has launched its mobile broadband product, which will be available from the beginning of May

Mobile broadband has become increasingly popular over recent months, with many consumers deciding to take advantage of this technology due to increased flexibility and mobility. In a recent announcement O2 has now launched its mobile broadband service, which should be available to consumers from 1st May.

Reports indicate that the O2 mobile broadband service will offer speeds of up to 1.8Mbps, and these speeds will start to increase across the network up to 3.6Mbps from June. The service will cost £30 a month for consumers that are not currently O2 customers, but existing O2 customers can get the service for £20 per month as long as their primary O2 account remains active over the minimum term.

Customers will be able to enjoy 3GB of usage for their monthly fee, and any usage ion excess of this is charged at twenty pence per MegaByte. [Ouch, that makes 3's 10p look cheap, to the math! Ed.] However, the usage charge is being waived until October 2008 according to the small print, although there are still excessive usage policies in place.

The product offers access to around seven and a half thousand WiFi spots through a service called the Cloud. Although WiFi usage is advertised as unlimited there are fair usage policies in place. Consumers can choose from two different contract options, one of which includes a free modem for an eighteen month contract and the other which is a one month minimum term with a modem cost of £119.99.

The popularity of mobile broadband has led some industry officials to believe that many people that do not use their landlines for calls may get rid of their landlines and static broadband in order to enjoy the flexibility and mobility of mobile broadband.


Source: Broadband Expert (http://www.broadband-expert.co.uk/blog/o2-broadband/mobile-broadband-launched-by-o2/)

[Cjp]

nice that they offer this mobile broadband now but 3years down the road and im still in the 20% group thats not got 3g yet.