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The broadband speed I can get via copper is really slow - almost to the point where there is no point even paying for a landline
But I can get 4G (and perhaps 5G) on a couple of mobile networks
Any recommendations for a "mobile" broadband service provider?
I'd like to get as big a data allowance as possible
I’m on Vodafone unlimited data for £30 a month. Sim only and bought a Huawei 4G router. Massive improvement over the landline.
Starlink?
Starlink 100meg+ but not cheap £500 for the kit and £80+ ish a month but unlimited data.
We have three deployed in our business.
Look on top cashback for good deals. My parents can't get an ADSL connection full stop, they use a normal 3 unlimited data SIM in a WiFi dongle. They got something like £80 back working out to less than £20 a month. Think I'd recommend getting a proper router though
As @rickos said.
Exactly that. But EE as the provider.
I live remotely and two of us WFH full time averaging 12+ hours a day of zoom conference calls between us.
I also work, like most MTBers, in IT.
If you're near a mast there's no other sensible solution.
Exactly that. But EE as the provider.
On the contrary, anyone except for EE.
Smarty?
Are you in B4RN's catchment area?
How remote? We live in a Scottish glen with no BT connection and barely one bar of mobile reception outside. We have an external 4G aerial and modem with EE - it is barely adequate, needs rebooting regularly. We are only here for a year, so had no other real choice except EE’s price-gouging. You can buy a 4G aerial for about £100 and do a DIY install with a data sim/ modem from a provider offering the best reception.
3 4g 2x wfh, faster and more reliable than our old copper despite being able to see the bt exchange from the bedroom. £15pm with £60 cashback and sold the router they sent £80 and plugged a mobile dongle into our Draytek - free broadband for a year.
Giff gaff on a 4g modem with aerial
30meg at points though it's a touch temperamental
To those with multiple sims. Can you bond 4g / 5g? Or does the router just load balance the request.
B4RN like @Cougar says if you're in their area. We use them for work, nice tidy 1gb connection for not lot.
We installed long-range WiFi last year along with a couple of neighbours, the chap over the road has the 'mast' as he's got the best line of sight to our local network mast. Then there are repeater mini-masts to get across his farm yard to us and the others.
We kept our low-speed BT internet as a backup with us both WFH.
Works fine.
We use an external antenna and a decent 4G router. That gets us 50-60 meg down/12-15 up. Occasionally it's a bit flakey but compared to the ADSL, it's offers way more bandwidth for a lot less cost. £200 for router and antenna, £22 a month with Three. Internal arial/4G wasn't very good at all.
We are in sight of the mast, and that mast is not heavily congested (i.e. it's not in a town) but our signal in the house is still rubbish. Hence needing the external. We used a UK company called Solwise who were very helpful and supplied all the kit.
Since then we've had Airband knock on the door offering service and a couple of other options are coming. Seems rural broadband is finally getting some notice. We'll be sticking with the current solution tho as it's cheap and it works.
For the OP, if you can get 4G reliably then that will be the cheapest option. For people in @dovebiker's position then satcomms make sense, if you actually need to do substantial work online and need reliability.
@oldmanmtb2, genuinely interested do you know why your company chose Starlink over one of the established providers (Inmarsat, Iridium, Tharaya)? I think there are other unlimited data providers and without the sh*tstorm that Starlink is causing / going to cause. Is it just a price thing?
I sorted my mum out with EE for broadband. She went from 1.5mbps down the phone line to 120+ via 4G. They came out and put an antenna on the side of the house and then ran the cable to the router in the lounge.
Value for money is pretty good, IMHO.
A colleague runs off Vodafone Gigacube.
When it is good, it is very good.
However it seems very susceptible to multiple users online at peak time and wobbles for no apparent reason.
Three do a 4G and 5G hub with unlimited data from £11p/m (obviously the 5G will be more than £11)
Have you asked about the rural fibre scheme? We got full fibre to the home installed for free. Took them 6 months to complete the work but once done it's been flawless (and very fast) ever since. I think as they could hit 5 houses with one install that helped, although ironically once mine was installed ball my neighbours have been dragged through coals to get theirs sorted! The common response from the providers being to deny the existence of fibre in our area other than FTTC.
Starlink 100meg+ but not cheap £500 for the kit and £80+ ish a month but unlimited data.
We have three deployed in our business.
Is it as good as it looks? I've been looking at it for a customer with a rural office with poor 4G and worse DSL. Interested to know if the performance justifies the price.
Also worth noting that the Starlink kit's been criticised for taking around 100W at all times.