data sim for uk
 

Hi everyone I've just registered as I came across this forum and it might be the answer to my questions, here goes..I have a Vodafone usb dongle and I'll be spending a month visiting my mother in the uk this summer, I will be taking my laptop with me and want to know the cheapest way of using the internet whilst there, I have done a little homework, and it seems that VF uk t-mobile a 3 seem to be the best deals but it seems to me that the payg deals are more expensive than the actual contracts they have, is there anyway around this or would I have to get my mother to get me a contract seeing as I am non-resident in the uk although I'm a british citizen, thanks for any help/info :o

I used T-Mobile. I have a Sony-Ericsson K610i (cost me about 50 quid) and I tethered to it using a USB cable. One could also use Bluetooth. If you are only going to use the SIM for data then you can use a USB dongle if you prefer, but I like being able to situate the phone where I like, which a long USB cable or using Bluetooth will permit me to do.

3 has decent data access but a much smaller network footprint, so it will depend where you are as to whether it is a good choice.

If you don't have UK credit, you'll have to pay a security deposit. You'll need to factor in any termination fee for prematurely terminating your contract to determine whether the contract route makes sense.

ok thanks for that, Vodafone offer a 30 day contract, which would probably be the best shot, so you think that I would have to pay a security deposit? Or if I got my mother to get the contract for me (who is resident there) would solve the issue? By the way I'll be using the usb dongle and not through my phone..Has anyone been in my position and what have they found to be the best solution, thanks:rolleyes:

I'd put it in your mother's name. If you are not on the electoral role and don't have UK employment, they'll probably want a deposit. On a data only plan, they might not, but your mother will definitely pass.

With respect to dongle v. tether, I have both in my war chest. I like tethering better for most jobs. I can connect to the internet as quickly with either a dongle or a phone. On an all you can eat data plan, I can use my data when running around town for a Blackberry type experience, and I an go back to the room and tether.

I use a dongle for a more fixed connection type experience. I have a Cradle Point router and can also convert my mobile data into a wifi device and this was nice earlier this year when I was in a studio apartment that we rented for two weeks. My wife and I shared the connection, I also had a voip handset in the apartment, and streamed my music off my Sirrius Stilleto which is a satelite radio which falls back on Internet connections. If I can find a good French data plan, I plan on doing this in the South of France next month where we are sharing an apartment with our best friends.

Tomorrow, I am driving to a neighboring town for an overnight business meeting. The hotel charges $10 a night for internet and I'm just going to web surf and check e-mail. My PDA, notebook, and a tethering cable is all that I am going to take.

One thing I would note is that my PDA is not usually my voice phone so I can still take calls while online. Technically you can do this with a 3g handset, but you will probably be held to your computer by a 1 meter cable.

thanks for the insight, much appreciated, I will also be taking the blackberry..:evil:

There are cheap monthly options on all networks now, but I don't know which can be for only a month

On 3 you don't need a contract; a month's payg costs from £10.

Or it might be possible to use a 3 internet add-on to an ordinary SIM for £5, but that's intended for use on a phone, not as a modem; I don't think it has full internet access and I haven't looked into this enough yet

Study the coverage maps, and discount the edges of what they show.