Best Mobile Broadband Deals

MiFi – or Mobile WiFi – is the latest innovation in mobile broadband.  So far both 3 has launched MiFi and Vodafone have announced they will launch MiFi before Christmas 2009.

What is MiFi?

MiFi – or Mobile WiFi – is a new kind of mobile broadband modem that lets you share your mobile broadband connection with several WiFi enabled devices such as laptops, games consoles, iPod Touch or digital cameras.

Best MiFi deals

MiFi has just launched with 3 and they have announced a free iPod Touch deal too!

Tariff	Contract Length	3 MiFi Price	Monthly Price	Buy Now
5GB data per month	18 month	Free	£12
3 MiFi with iPod Touch	24 months	Free	£23

What are the pros and cons of

MiFI?

Pros:

• Share your mobile broadband connection across several devices.  For example, unlike with a standard USB modem you could use your MiFi modem to connect a laptop, an iPod Touch, and even a PS3 or Nintendo Wii all at the same time.
• Share your mobile broadband connection with your friends or family.  You can use a MiFi modem to share a connection across several laptops and other WiFi enabled devices.  This is ideal when you and your family are away for the weekend staying somewhere without WiFi access as you can keep everyone entertained and connected to the internet without having to pay for several mobile broadband connections.
• Share a mobile broadband connection with colleagues at work.  If you regularly work away from the office with a team of people you can buy one subscription and share it amongst the team using MiFi and connect several laptops to the internet at once.
• Replace your home broadband.  If you live in a house or flat with strong mobile broadband coverage you could use the MiFi to replace your home broadband connection and still be able to share that connection with all the WiFi devices in your home.
• When using mobile broadband at home you can get around some of the typical mobile broadband coverage issues because you can place some of the standalone MiFi modems in the corner of the room, or near to the window that provides the best coverage and then use your computer wherever you want in the house.

Cons:

• If you’re regularly sharing your mobile connection via MiFi you need to be even more careful not to exceed your monthly data allowance and end up paying the large out of bundle data fees.
• Using MiFi to replace your home broadband connection is a bit risky as 3G coverage can be very inconsistent from house to house.  Make sure you check your coverage carefully before signing up to a contract.

How easy is MiFi to use?

As with mobile broadband usb modems MiFi will be easy to set up. 3’s first MiFi modem is very easy to use – you just switch it on and it connects to the 3 mobile broadband network.  Your Wi-Fi enabled laptop or iPod Touch will automatically find the signal and you simply enter a password and away you go.

How secure is MiFi?

To stop every Tom, Dick or Harry from connecting to your MiFi modem and potentially pushing you over your data download limit your MiFi modem will be password protected.  For instance 3’s MiFi modem will have an eight-digit network key which you will be asked to input once for every new device you want to connect.

Who sells MiFi?

At the time of writing, MiFi has been announced by 3 and Vodafone.  3 launch MiFi on September 17th 2009 and Vodafone should hit the market in September or October 2009.

What do you think about MiFi?  Leave a comment below to let us know.