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T-Mobile mobile broadband

T-Mobile overview

  • Monthly mobile broadband contracts from 18 to 24 months, with between 3GB and 5GB data allowance per month
  • Unlimited browsing: no extra charges if you exceed fair usage limit but downloading/streaming video will be restricted at peak times
  • As well as pay-per-day PAYG, you can now buy 3 or 12 months' data preloaded
  • If you're looking for business mobile broadband, T-Mobile 's PAYG and pay monthly packages are all available on business contracts

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Currently showing the top 3 of 9 results show all»

T-Mobile road test

T-Mobile Road test
T-Mobile Huawei E170 dongle
Downloads
rating -3 stars3 stars
Uploads
rating -2 stars2 stars
Most stable
rating -3 stars3 stars
Coverage
rating -3 stars3 stars
Feelgood factor
rating -3 stars3 stars
Dongle software
rating -5 stars5 stars
Overall rating
rating -3 stars3 stars

May 2009

The T-Mobile 'web'n'walk Stick III' (otherwise known as the Huawei E170) we were sent looked like the runt of the litter when lined up against the competition, and sadly never really got out of the blocks in the testing either. This must be particularly galling for T-Mobile, seeing as the eventual winner (Virgin Media) piggybacks on its network.

The E170 is a real step down in the looks department from the E160, with the gloss finish making it look tacky into the bargain. There is a loop on the lid, presumably for a tie to be attached, but this is on the cap: seeing as the cap has a far from firm fit, this is a pretty pointless and ugly addition to an already plain looking dongle. On the plus side, once popped into a USB socket the software installs immediately and we were ready to get online in just a couple of minutes, completely fuss free.

While the connection console won't win any cutting edge design awards, it displays everything you need in an uncluttered and easy to understand fashion. There's no need to mess around with any settings - there are techy options available for those that want them, but the average user can just click 'connect' and off you go. The main screen shows you upload and download speeds, both in numbers and via a graph, while daily, monthly and yearly usage is also displayed.

As we mentioned earlier, T-Mobile never really got going in the testing. Both download and upload speeds were disappointing throughout the Mobile Broadband Genie speed tests, finishing mid table for download speeds (including streaming both audio and video, and downloading podcasts) and a distant last for uploads, although it did manage a reasonable time when uploading an image to Facebook. This included testing on the move, as well as at Bournemouth and London King's Cross. We were so surprised we checked the dongle in another laptop and got the same results.

The E170 from T-Mobile completed the majority of the streaming and download tests, but again overall speeds were poor. Both coverage and stability were average at best during the trip, and it struggled to recover from disconnects, leaving only the interface to write home about from this particular road trip.

Overall analysis of the Mobile Broadband Genie Road Trip 2009

by Chris Marling May 2009

About T-Mobile

T-Mobile is seen as one of the old, reliable 3G mobile broadband operators: there isn't much to write home about on speed, but the connection is normally strong. It has recently tried to get down with the kids through its highly successful 'Life's For Sharing' ad campaign, featuring flash crowds dancing and singing in public places, but the core of its audience remains older and business customers looking for reliability over flashy. Importantly, it is also the only mobile internet provider that doesn't charge people excess fees for going over their agreed mobile internet usage cap: instead, customers will receive a series of letters if they abuse its fair usage policy, and perhaps a cap in speed.

It's 'steady Eddie' reputation nicely fits the old 'reliable' cliché about its parent company; it is a subsidiary of German firm Deutsche Telekom. It was previously known as Mercury One 2 One, the world's first GSM 1800 network when launched in 1993. It launched 3G services in 2003 and its hugely popular 'Flext' mobile phone tariffs in 2007. It was quick out of the traps with mobile broadband: UK customers could get mobile internet contracts from October 2006 and it was the first provider to launch pay as you go mobile broadband deals a year later. T-Mobile began to offer so-called 'free' laptop deals with mobile broadband contracts in January 2009.

T-Mobile signed a 3G network access agreement with 3 in 2008: at the time the largest of its kind worldwide (more recently trumped by a similar deal between O2 and Vodafone). The company also recently said it was looking to offer pay as you go dongles with no expiry date on top ups: dubbed 'pay per use' (PPU), customers will be charged per GB. T-Mobile has also hinted at the roll-out of 14.4Mb mobile broadband in the near future.

T-Mobile customer reviews

Show all 177 T-Mobile Mobile Broadband reviews»

neutral

by dave
at 02:22 on 30 Jan 2010

Some of you need to get a grip, as all some of you seem to do is complain. Content restriction is a law that was imposed on all the networks, why cant you see that? So they stick to the letter of the law and its not good enough. I bet if they broke the law that effected you - you would be right on here complaining too.

I think the childlock facility is a great idea. It stops under agers going onto website that maybe they shouldn't be on. I for one am glad that my nephew cant call T-Mobile up and get it removed, pretending to be me.

@tony. So what if you are 41, for all T-Mobile know you could be asking for the restriction to be taken off for someone else. The reason behind it is accountability, in a sense someone has to be accountable for the use of the stick, and by abiding by the law T-Mobile make you be accountable in-case of prosecution.

God help it, you had to make a telephone call - oh my god! Report abuse
unhappy

by tony
at 16:16 on 28 Jan 2010

after finding out that the t-mobile broadband stick was childlocked and the only way to release it was to phone a number from a t-mobile phone or to use a credit card to unlock it.
i went to the t-mobile shop to get them to unlock it, then was told i needed I.D. im a 41 year old bloke not some teen. unlocked now by phoning another number. totally useless for youtube anyway and the bbci player wouldnt even display any video because it was too slow. you are better off buying a length of string and a couple of cups
take my advise and dont buy this product Report abuse
unhappy

by tony
at 14:02 on 28 Jan 2010

child lock = WTF. i dont have a t-mobile phone to remove it or want to put a credit card number in it, so it means a trip to the town to get it unlocked. i also have a problem with the wording on the box. it says in big letters 30 days browsing free, then in tiny letters when you buy £2 credit. i tried buying £2 credit on the swipe card and was told the lowest price i could buy was a fiver. what a con. Report abuse
neutral

by kevin
at 11:53 on 22 Jan 2010

remove adult content by credit card? some people dont have a credit card, i am over 18 i have removed adult content from orange and 02 sim cards for the internet but stuck with t mobile cause i dont have a credit card lol what a joke i am sending this dongle to my local t mobile shop and throw it at one of the employess who work there idiots Report abuse

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