Mobile data SIM plans
A SIM plan is the same as the one for your smartphone, but without the calls or texts. Intended for a portable modem or tablet, you can sign up on a contract or no-lock-in plan.
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While fixed-line broadband and data from our mobile phones serve us well in most cases, there are times when you may need a mobile broadband option.
It uses the same wireless networks that 4G, 5G & LTE mobile telephone networks use, either through a dedicated data SIM card or wireless modem.
This has the distinct advantage against fixed-line services in that is is truly mobile – you can connect to a mobile broadband network for data access on the go.
Read on to find out more about mobile broadband, who it’s suitable for, and the types of plans available.
A SIM plan is the same as the one for your smartphone, but without the calls or texts. Intended for a portable modem or tablet, you can sign up on a contract or no-lock-in plan.
Many mobile broadband plans come with modems, straight from the providers themselves.
Portable modems, or WiFi hubs, are wireless or USB-powered devices that provide a mobile connection on the go.
Mobile broadband connections use the same wireless networks that 3G, 4G and 5G mobile telephone networks use, but without the call/text technology to deliver broadband services over the air using a dedicated data SIM card. This has the distinct advantage against what is generally called “fixed line” services in that they’re truly mobile – as long as you have a compatible device, whether that’s a USB modem, Wi-Fi hotspot device or a smartphone hotspot, you should generally be able to insert a data SIM and connect to a mobile broadband network for data access on the go.
Mobile broadband speed is highly relative because it’s a shared spectrum, meaning it’s dependent upon multiple factors: how much broadband other users in the same mobile radius are taking up, what your device’s technology capabilities are and the network itself.
You’ll often see a mobile broadband device – or even just a smartphone – described as a “CAT X” device, where X is a number that might not tell you much about its expected speed throughput. In this case, CAT is short for category, with expected speed maximums associated with each category level. That also has to be matched against the capabilities of a given network, but even if you connect a high-category device to a low-speed network, you’ll never get additional speed. However, the CAT rating does describe the maximum expected throughput on that device. As the speed ratings increase, carriers usually merge different channels or sections of spectrum in order to enable higher theoretical speeds, which often means that the availability of highest-speed mobile broadband is concentrated around metropolitan centres.
Mobile broadband services map almost exactly to the coverage maps that mobile providers offer for their voice services, which is intentional. As we’ve seen voice become much more of a commodity product, with many telcos offering unlimited national call packages, the race is on to provide better data services. The catch here is that while mobile broadband is mobile, it’s subject to significantly more variance than any fixed-line product whether it’s a matter of transitory congestion due to user overload or more permanent issues such as buildings or natural features inhibiting radio transmissions.
So while carrier maps give a good broad general overview of mobile broadband availability, actual accessibility can vary widely.
Mobile broadband networks speed is always referenced with the qualifier of “up to” and depends upon network, infrastructure and equipment modifiers. Typically speaking you should get better data throughput via a 4G or 5G connection, and especially with an LTE-Advanced connection, rather than via a 3G connection.
Mobile data is typically more expensive than comparable fixed-line services.
Data cost is a key comparative criterion. So while those prices differ by provider, many services now offer a flat-rate pricing structure for any excess usage above your quota.
If you’re transferring from an Fibre or cable connection, then you’ll need a device to act as your mobile hotspot. Most providers who sell specifically “mobile broadband” plans will include a hotspot in the contract either at a reduced price or free, although this isn’t universal. If you need wider Wi-Fi spread for your hotspot, some models can optionally be placed within larger antenna arrays to expand their local Wi-Fi reach or improve overall mobile broadband reception.
Your other option here if you have a reasonably recent smartphone is to put it on a charger, throw a standard SIM in it and find a mobile plan which includes enough data for your needs. The one notable downside here is that the Wi-Fi broadcast range of most smartphones is lacklustre, as it’s presumed most people using them as hotspots will probably have them within proximity of their tethered devices.
Aside from the obvious advantage of being able to access the Internet when you’re on-the-go, mobile broadband offers plenty of other benefits over a traditional fixed-line broadband service. Prime among these is the ability to share a single mobile broadband connection with multiple devices, both through the use of a wireless hotspot and by physically swapping SIM cards from device to device. This can be handy for quick online collaborations with your colleagues while catching a train or taxi to the office, or for impromptu multiplayer gaming sessions with a portable console like the Nintendo Switch.
This also highlights another benefit of mobile broadband: it requires no dedicated equipment or complex installation. So long as you have a smartphone, you can use it as a mobile hotspot and connect any Wi-Fi-compatible device to it for quick and simple Internet access. Even with a dedicated wireless modem or USB dongle, the setup process is far less messy than with a standard fixed Internet connection.
In some cases, mobile broadband can even deliver similar Internet speeds than you could achieve through a fixed line.
Though some mobile broadband connections can outperform fixed-line Fibre, you’re unlikely to see consistent speeds rivalling a decent Fibre connection any time soon. Speeds on mobile broadband connections are inherently fickle with changes in weather, physical obstructions and other environmental factors often causing wild fluctuation speeds. In cases where you’re trying to stream a video or Zoom call someone, this can lead to disruptions that are less frequent when using a fixed connection.
Data is a concern for mobile broadband plans as well. The data caps that are available typically top out at around 100GB, which can be all too easy to chew through if you’re using your mobile broadband connection as your primary means of accessing the Internet.
If you do decide to spring for the biggest data cap on offer, prepare to lay down a decent chunk of change for it because mobile broadband tends to be expensive.
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