Mobile broadband to share!

Wow.

I’m going to be honest, it’s not that often I get really excited about broadband, but today is an exception. I have just discovered the existence of mobile broadband wireless routers!

Having just signed myself up for mobile broadband from 3, I find the prospect of being able to share my new broadband connection with my flatmates pretty special.

Following the success of mobile broadband, it was really only a matter of time before the market started producing accessories to improve the mobile broadband user’s experience. And indeed, they have done just that…

3’s new (stylish looking) Huawei D100 router turns a standard 3 USB modem into a wireless router, which allows up to four broadband users to share the same 3G connection to access the internet.

The router costs £69.99 and is available from selected 3 stores as well as www.three.co.uk. As all the equipment is plug-and-play, setting it up should be a piece of cake!

T-mobile are releasing a similar device, called the “share dock”, and once these babies are unleashed on the market, I believe we will see massive changes in the way that Britain chooses broadband. Effectively, you can now get wireless broadband without a landline, which is great news for those who can’t get a landline and for those who don’t want to pay for one.

Indeed, who would want to pay £130 to have a landline installed, plus £10.50 a month in line rental, when for around £70 you can get a router that shares one mobile broadband connection with a whole house?

The only thing holding mobile broadband back now is the question of speed. If four people are using the same mobile connection, the speeds are not likely to be brilliant. However, with mobile broadband providers relentlessly pushing boundaries on the speed front, soon this problem could evaporate.

Yes, I believe that mobile broadband wireless routers are the future!

One quick word of caution - The more people using your connection, the more likely you are to exceed your download allowance, so it’s vital you keep an eye on your communal usage.

If you are planning to share your mobile broadband, it’s probably worth splashing out on a plan with higher download limits, rather than getting stung for exceeding your allowance.

Install the BroadbandChoices.co.uk Download Monitor onto each computer that will be using your connection, and regularly add up the totals to ensure you don’t reach your limit!