Three broadband deals

Why choose Three mobile broadband?

Dan Howdle

There are a number of different instances where using one or more of Three's mobile broadband solutions may suit you.

• You have terrible fixed line broadband – There are still plenty of locations around the UK where fixed-line broadband speeds are very, very poor. However, with 99.9% 4G coverage there is a very high probability that you will be able to get a 4G signal that outperforms anything available through your phone line
• You travel for work – If you're up and down the country all day long and you never know where you'll be one day to the next, reliable connectivity can be a problem. The addition to your arsenal of a Three mobile broadband dongle, MiFi device, data-only SIM or mobile SIM may provide you just the sort of back-up and guarantees you need
• No other options – There may be situations where broadband over the airwaves is the only broadband you can get, and in those instances, Three mobile broadband – in whatever form – is one of the best solutions out there
• You need a temporary solution – Perhaps you just need to get connected for a few months and are hesitant to sign up to a traditional fixed-line broadband deal. Three offers 12, 24, and importantly one-month contracts on its mobile broadband deals. A one month rolling contract means you can get out with 30 days notice anytime you like, though the data itself will tend to cost you more than if you were in a longer contract

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Three mobile broadband coverage and data speeds

Three is one of the UK's four mobile network operators or 'MNOs'. An MNO owns and runs its own infrastructure – all the cables, all the masts, all the systems and other technology. In addition to Three the other UK MNOs are Vodafone, EE and O2. But what about everyone else? There are a whole bunch of other providers, right?

Right. But, they are what is known as mobile virtual network operators or 'MVNOs'. They offer their services by 'piggybacking' onto one of the four MNOs' network. The other providers that also operate on the Three network are iD Mobile (Carphone Warehouse) and SMARTY.

One additional thing to consider is that only the MNOs such as Three itself tend to offer such a wide gamut of mobile broadband services, whereas MVNOs tend to stick to a narrower range of things they can easily sell such as SIM-only and mobile handset deals.

If you can get 5G home broadband from Three Broadband, Three is promising speeds averaging around 150Mbps. That's plenty for any busy household, even if there are a lot of users streaming, gaming and so on.

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If you can only get 4G home broadband for now, while coverage is superb you'll be getting on average 25.2Mbps according to OpenSignal. It's a bit faster than your typical standard ADSL home broadband connection and is plenty for smaller households. Ultimately, though, if you're looking into choosing a mobile network for your home broadband you probably get awful speeds from fixed-line providers. 25.2Mbps to a household that can only get 3Mbps by any other means is going to seem rather quick.

What is Three mobile broadband?

Before we get into the proper nitty gritty, let's take a moment for a brief overview of the wide range of ways you can get Three mobile broadband. You may have come to this page with an idea in mind of what type you're looking for, but this is still worth taking a look at. There is always a chance you might spot a better or cheaper solution that you hadn't thought of.

• Three 4G and 5G home broadband – Three is now calling this simply 'Three Broadband' and has launched it quite recently after buying London 4G broadband provider Relish. It currently offers limited and unlimited home broadband deals delivered via the Three mobile network. 5G mobile broadband will soon be offered in large towns and cities and is already available in London
• Three mobile broadband dongles – Dongles have gone the way of the dodo. Like all its competitors, Three no longer offers them. They have been replaced by MiFi devices
• Three MiFi devices – A MiFi device is a (usually pocket-sized) mobile broadband hotspot to which you can connect to over wifi with any wifi-capable device. Your phone, laptop, tablet, whatever you like. Some MiFi devices are battery powered, others supplied by a power cable or plugged into a computer via USB
• Three data-only SIMs – A data-only SIM is one where no calling or text allowance exists – only data. These are used primarily in tablet computers, but some laptops also have a SIM card slot into which you can put one of these
• Three SIMs for mobile hotspot tethering – This would be your regular Three SIM, in your phone, with your phone switched to act as a mobile hotspot. Believe it or not this can be just as effective as dongle or MiFi mobile broadband solutions, although the range is going to be more limited, generally speaking, and you'll need to be aware of how much of your mobile data those other devices are using