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UKD
31st October 2009, 13:17
Hi,

Going to Scandinavia soon, and need to be able to connect to emails, and websites for an hour a day - and don't fancy carrying laptop through the snow to a hotel to try and find wireless connection, as it is unlikely anyway.

So, has anybody used a mobile broadband 'dongle' whilst abroad, and could recommend cheapest provider, or have experience of typical costs, and usage?

Thanks in advance.
KM-Tiger
31st October 2009, 14:44
Quite expensive if you use it ad hoc, around £6 per MB of download, maybe cheaper in EU, I think that was USA price.

Some providers do 'bundles'. I recently purchased 50 MB for £50 to use whiklst away.
Tej
31st October 2009, 15:18
Quite expensive if you use it ad hoc, around £6 per MB of download, maybe cheaper in EU, I think that was USA price.

Some providers do 'bundles'. I recently purchased 50 MB for £50 to use whiklst away.

Please educate a simpleton.. what is "£6 per MB of download".

If one just surfs the net.. eg looking at the BBC news for example.. is that surfing.. and are you downloading?..

Sorry for the silly question
KM-Tiger
31st October 2009, 16:55
Yes, you are downloading when viewing web pages or email, though it's not something we normally think about. There is a guide to how much you might use here:

http://broadband.o2.co.uk/mobile/Tariff.jsp

And O2's foreign data rates here:

http://www.o2international.co.uk/standardrate_and_data.aspx

I see that Western Europe is cheaper.
cotc2001
31st October 2009, 22:33
If you've got an unlocked phone why not just pop into a local mobile phone shop while you are there, buy a PAYG sim card from them and then tether it to the laptop.
That way you are using their network for the net so would work out cheaper than using your own UK network.
UKD
1st November 2009, 17:49
Thanks Guys, although where we are going, 50 miles from the arctic circle, they do not have local phone shops near by for sims, etc.

Will have to research into it a little more.

Thanks.
My Owl 1
2nd November 2009, 12:45
Thanks Guys, although where we are going, 50 miles from the arctic circle, they do not have local phone shops near by for sims, etc.

Will have to research into it a little more.

Thanks.


How rural is the area you are going to. Do they have wireless broadband there. There are still some parts of Wales that don't.

Maybe a small notebook would be the answer and plugged into a broadband socket in the hotel.

best wishes

Avril:)