An internet gadget offering broadband might soon end fixed-line.
The must-have device for consumers who need internet access on the move and could eventually be responsible for the death of the fixed-line phone.
A dongle is a portable modem that plugs into the USB port of your laptop or computer and provides internet access via the 3G mobile network. Experts are hailing dongles (also known as mobile modems or USB modems) as the next big thing in broadband and say that they could even render the traditional fixed-line obsolete.
Advocates of the dongle believe it may soon replace fixed-line as the most popular medium for accessing the internet. They highlight rising demand for mobile broadband and consumers’ increasing preference for mobile phones over landlines. According to the regulator Ofcom, more households have mobiles than a conventional phone.
Unlike internet access on mobile phones, which is painfully slow and expensive, a dongle is a wireless card that slots into the back of your laptop. It is available wherever there is 3G mobile coverage – which currently means urban areas – and is provided by the big mobile networks.
The cost of dongle depends on the speed, download limit and length of contract. The higher the speed, the bigger the download limit and the shorter the contract, the more you will pay.
