Comparing mobile broadband offers can be a daunting task, and with new and improved technologies being developed all the time, it can be very difficult to keep up with the latest jargon. Thankfully, you don’t actually need to know what all of this stuff means! There are a few key features that you need to know about to successfully compare mobile broadband packages and make sure that you choose the right one for your needs – focus on these when comparing and deciding on the package for you.

There’s one very important thing that many people don’t think about before they start investigating their mobile broadband options. This will seem so obvious the moment you learn what it is, that you won’t believe how many people ignore this step, and then find it very difficult to work out what to go for when it’s time to make that final decision and sign up for a mobile broadband package. What is it? Work out what you need to get from your mobile broadband connection! Obvious, I know, but it’s really important too. Spend some time figuring out the answers to a few simple questions about what you need, and you’ll make your life so much easier when you start to look at the offers.

So you know what your needs are, but what does all this technical stuff mean, which bits are relevant to you, and how do you compare the different offers? You only really need worry about 3 main things: Cost, Coverage, and Data. I’ll explain…

Network Coverage The area covered by the signal of your mobile broadband provider is know as coverage and this determines the accessibility of their service in any given area. If a provider doesn’t have coverage for the area you want to use mobile broadband in, you won’t be able to connect and access the internet.

Fortunately, over 99% of the UK has some level of coverage, so there’s little chance that you’ll have no connection at all. However, not all areas have the necessary coverage for true broadband internet speeds, so check that a provider has 3G or HSDPA coverage (as opposed to just 2G) for your area.

Data Allowance Mobile broadband access is not charged by time – instead rates are based on the amount of data that you transfer. This is referred to as “data,” “data allowance” and sometimes as “download limit” (there are some variations, but you’ll recognise the term when you see it). Data allowance is the amount of data you’re allowed to transfer for the monthly cost of your contract (or the amount allowed for a given amount of top-up on pay-as-you-go deals).

Much of the time that you’re using the internet you will be transferring data. If you’re uploading photos or sending emails, you’re uploading data. If you’re browsing the web or watching a video, you’re downloading data – this all counts as data transfer. If you’re just reading a web page like this one, with no video or anything playing on it, you’re usually not using your data allowance, as no data is being transferred.

Cost Much like with mobile phones, there are two different ways to get mobile broadband. There are contract payment plans, for which you pay a set monthly fee and receive a set amount of monthly data allowance – there’s usually a per megabyte charge if you use more than your allowance. The other option is a pay-as-you-go plan. This works in just the same way as it does for mobile phones – you buy top-up credit which allows a certain amount of data transfer (with most providers this credit expires after a certain amount of time).

The best way to compare these things and decide which package is for you, is to use a mobile broadband comparison site. There are plenty of sites around now, who compare broadband offers generally, and many of these are now branching out into mobile broadband. There are also some newer websites, who specialise in mobile broadband comparison.