Mobile Broadband - Are You Covered?

So, I take it from the fact that you're reading this that you're interested in getting your hands on some mobile broadband.

No doubt about it, mobile broadband in the UK is increasing its marketing and take up has never been so high but the service hasn't been without its problems.

There's a massive squeeze on network capacity with the big providers battling it out for capacity and for the consumer that can sometimes mean slow speeds at best and at worst a dropped connection or no coverage at all.

Even the very best broadband deals don't have a chance to show you their stuff without a connection in the first place so it's vital to work out whether you're covered before you sign up.

Here are three ways you can check so follow them all when you're thinking of signing up.

The first, most obvious, way which should always be your first port of call is to check what your provider has to say for themselves.

Under OFCOM rules they're required to provide a coverage map, though how useful this is will vary from provider to provider. Check your home and anywhere else you're likely to use the mobile broadband as a bare minimum.

Don't worry too much about the percentage of the UK covered that they tend to quote. This is generally meaningless as all of them will say that they cover eighty to ninety percent of the country which isn't much use to you.

Second, go to some secondary sources.

There are a number of ways you can do this.

You could check out reviews on a price comparison site. This will also be useful for any news on providers such as who's taking over who today and what that might mean for you.

You could also try asking around on social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook. Ultimately, there's no replacement for actual experiences from users and this could be a great way to check out things like a popular commuter route you take too.

Think of it of this like asking a question such as 'Is Sky HD Worth It?' if you ask a lot of people that love high definition they're going to say yes, you need to ask a question that's more specific to, say, price or, in the case of coverage, area.

Third, take full advantage of some free time when you buy and test your mobile broadband where you use it most.

Some providers have a 'happiness guarantee' of thirty days or so but, under distance selling regulations, you also have a cooling off period of seven days so use this to your advantage.

Finally, note that all of this advice goes double if you're making a big investment such as getting a 'free' laptop bundled in with your mobile broadband allowance.

For example, it'll be clear to anyone that's ever read a Samsung R530 review that, no matter how good value a free laptop with mobile broadband deal is, it's no good if you don't actually use the mobile broadband.