O2 Dongle Review
O2 is the second largest telecommunications and mobile broadband provider in the UK.
Previously known as Cellnet and BT Cellnet, the company re-branded itself O2 in 2002, and is currently a privately owned subsidiary of Telefónica.
O2 Broadband Speeds and Coverage
O2 provides a connection with a top speed of up to 3.6Mb/s. However, the speed of the connection varies based on a number of factors, such as location and the activity of other users on the network.
In addition to congestion, the quality of your connection can also be influenced by obstructions from large buildings to even the walls of your own house. Given these factors, on average the standard user might get download speeds closer to 1Mb/s.
O2′s mobile broadband network covers 80% of the UK. For those living in bustling metropolis, a strong connection is pretty much guaranteed. For those living outside the city, consumers should always verify through a postcode search that they have a strong and stable signal.
O2 Mobile Broadband Packages
As is the case with all mobile broadband providers, O2 gives their customers the choice of a long term contract, a rolling monthly contract, or a pay as you go deal. While the pay as you go contracts offer more flexibility to change carriers, the long term deals typically come with free laptops or dongles.
Monthly pay contracts generally are supplied with a 3 gigabyte or 10 gigabyte monthly download allowance, with usage over the limit charged at 2.4p per megabyte. In addition to the standard broadband connection, O2 subscribers are also privy to over 7500 Wi-Fi hotspots with BT Openzone and The Cloud, providing boosted bandwidth speed.
Meanwhile, pay as you go users can get access to the internet for as little as £2.04 a day with a 500 megabyte data allowance, ideal for light users. Pay as you go customers also get access to O2′s Wi-Fi hotspots.
Free Laptops with O2 Mobile Broadband
O2 currently offers a good selection of Samsung laptops and Dell tablets with a two year commitment. With a host of tablets and new laptop devices coming out this year, it’s likely these offerings will become even more attractive, albeit only available with a long term contract. Pay as you go users will have to purchase any hardware separately.
O2 Mobile Broadband Benefits
The accessibility of free Wi-Fi hotspots is what separates O2 from its competitors. As any data consumed does not count toward their monthly allowance, users can purchase a cheaper plan and take advantage of the savings by connecting via Wi-Fi whenever possible.
O2 also provides an additional monthly discount for users subscribing to a pay mobile broadband package.
