Light surfers

Posted on 11 Feb 2009 at 10:26

Those who only use their home internet connection for a little light surfing and email are those who potentially have the most to gain from a move to mobile broadband. And we're not only talking about internet newbies here: there are probably plenty of IT professionals who are so sick of staring at a screen all day that they barely touch the internet when they arrive home.

A surprising 15% of UK homes were mobile-only in 2007, according to Ofcom's International Communications Market 2008 report, and that was before mobile broadband had even reached the mainstream market. How many of the remaining 85% were keeping their landline just to maintain a broadband connection?

With BT charging £11.25 a month for line rental - before you even get to the monthly broadband fee - the economics of mobile broadband are very attractive. "Some people are using mobile broadband so they could scrap the line rental," said Andrew Ferguson, editor of Thinkbroadband.com. With networks such as 3 and T-Mobile offering mobile broadband from as little as £10 per month, it can actually represent a saving on the landline alone. "You almost get the broadband for free if you think of it that way," Ferguson adds.

Ferguson believes that mobile broadband suits a particular type of home user. "Those most likely to switch are people with a bit of light usage - people who are doing a bit of shopping, a bit of banking, and not much else."

Many people are put off mobile broadband by the relatively restrictive data caps. Yet, even those who consider themselves "heavy" internet users tend to overestimate the amount of data they actually need. TalkTalk claimed earlier this year that the average internet user consumed only 3GB of data a month, although Ferguson said that some ISPs believe that figure is climbing nearer to 10GB. Nonetheless, those who use a broadband connection only for web browsing, email and the occasional download will never come close to even TalkTalk's 3GB figure.

Light internet users are also more likely to be single-PC households, which are better suited to mobile broadband than multiple PC setups, because you can plug the dongle into your PC and be up and running within a minute or two, without having to worry about how you're going to split the connection.

Best broadband deal: if you can survive on a 1GB ration a month - and it isn't as restrictive as you might think - then 3's £10 per month Broadband Lite option offers cracking value. For a little extra consider T-Mobile's 3GB monthly plan, which is £10 for the first three months then £15 per month on a two-year deal.

Next: Everyday users

Broadband: Fixed vs broadband

Author: Barry Collins