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How to use mobile broadband in businesss
Choosing a mobile broadband package for business
Buying a 3G mobile broadband connection is fraught with pitfalls, especially for businesses. Here, we examine what to look for from your mobile broadband package.
While today's smartphones are more than capable of handling remote email, mobile broadband has made it far easier to run other business-critical apps on the road. In particular, if your business runs software across a virtual private network then it's the obvious solution.
The vast majority of the mobile broadband services will allow you to access your company's VPN, and some - such as Vodafone's Mobile Connect software - come with a VPN client. However, check whether your particular network and price-plan are VPN compatible before buying: T-Mobile, for example, permits VPN access on pay monthly contracts but not on pay-as-you-go plans. Other networks require you to configure your mobile broadband software to use a particular access point name (APN) - a call to customer services is normally all that's required to get the correct APN.
ISPs are now beginning to bundle mobile broadband services with fixed-line ADSL connections. BT, for example, provides new or renewing Business Total Broadband customers with one "free" mobile broadband account. Virgin Media and Orange also offer mobile broadband bundles, but only on their home products - which might be acceptable for home workers, but not really an option for dedicated business lines.
Wi-Fi access
One easy way to avoid being stung on those excess data charges is to pick a mobile broadband provider that offers Wi-Fi access as part of the deal. BT might only offer one gigabyte of 3G data with its Total Broadband package, but it also throws in 2,000 minutes on its Openzone Wi-Fi network.
This includes not only BT's own hotspots - which are frequently found at major railway stations and airports - but any of the BT FON hotspots that are operated by thousands of BT customers across the country. T-Mobile and O2 also provide Wi-Fi access as part of their mobile broadband tariffs. The networks often have roaming deals with foreign hotspot providers, which might help avoid those foreign 3G rates.
For example, use your mobile broadband in one of the countries on Vodafone's "Connect Abroad" list and you'll be charged a modest £10 per day. If your destination isn't on that list, the cost rises to £5 per megabyte.
If there's no Wi-Fi hotspot available, businesses can always create their own with the new mobile broadband routers - offered by 3, for example. These highly portable Wi-Fi routers are ideal for off-site meetings or visits to clients, where there is no guarantee that you'll have access to an internet connection. You can plug in your dongle and share the 3G connection with colleagues, allowing you to download presentations on site, check email or even access the corporate network via a VPN.
Hidden features
One little-known feature offered by most of the mobile broadband providers, which could be particularly useful for businesses, is SMS text messages. The client software that comes with the dongles allows you to send and receive messages from the computer. Some tariffs include a set amount of free text messages, but most charge per message sent.
Is there anything professionals can't do on 3G that they could on ADSL? VoIP services such as Skype are actively outlawed by providers such as Virgin Mobile and O2, who are obviously keen to protect their voice call revenues. Others such as T-Mobile and especially 3 actively encourage customers to use VoIP. Again, check the terms and conditions rigorously if VoIP is business-critical.
A matter of image
Image compression is another problem that could hamper professionals, particularly those in the creative or web design industries. Virtually all of the networks - again with the exception of 3 - compress website image quality to preserve bandwidth and to maintain the impression of true ADSL-like speeds.
Vodafone allows you to turn the compression off with its Mobile Connect software; T-Mobile offers a separate downloadable app that can adjust the level of compression; others such as BT and O2 don't provide any means to switch it off. While the blurry images probably won't affect the vast majority of business customers, photographers who need to check the quality of images or website developers will almost certainly want to see the maximum resolution, even if it takes a little longer to arrive.
To see exactly what each operator has to offer, click on the links below.
