Mobile Broadband v Fixed Line Broadband
The majority of homes across the UK get their broadband by a fixed line connection. But with the emergence of 5G, is mobile broadband finally going to take over as expected? We’ve compared the two types, to see the difference between them and their individual benefits.
Fixed Line Broadband
As mentioned, fixed line broadband is most likely what you currently have at home. It’s the traditional way of receiving broadband, either through a phone line or via network cables laid down by your provider. ADSL and fibre both fall under this category, and you can choose between a wireless connection or wired straight from your router with the use of an ethernet cable.
Positives
Because fixed line broadband has been around for so long, it’s widely available across the country. There are also plenty of ways you can customise a deal to fit your own needs, from contract length to average speed.
There’s also a huge choice of providers, from Sky and Virgin Media to TalkTalk and BT. These providers all offer packages with unlimited download limits, meaning you can stream, game and surf your social accounts to your hearts content.
Speaking of streaming, download speeds that are capable of letting you watch in full 4K whilst multiple people in your household are still connected aren’t all that expensive. With fixed line broadband, you won’t necessarily have to splash the cash to get good broadband.
Negatives
With fixed broadband you also have to pay line rental, which means you’re spending extra each month. You can sometimes pay this in a lump sum for the year, which could save you a little bit of cash.
As the line is fixed to your house, this means you’re limited to only being able to use your broadband in your own home. If you want to go online outside of your home, you’ll need to connect to a public wi-fi spot or use your mobile data.
Mobile Broadband
Mobile broadband is delivered via a SIM card in your mobile phone. You can then use a dongle or mobile hotspot as a way to connect other devices. With the introduction of 4G and 5G, there has been an increase in popularity of using mobile over fixed line.
Positives
The best thing about mobile broadband, is that you can take it pretty much anywhere you like. If you need to connect online whilst you’re out and about, whether it’s social or work related, you won’t have to rely on intermittent public wi-fi spot.
As you’re not using any cables or lines, there’s no need for you to have a home phone and pay line rental. This means you’re saving a decent amount of money each month. If money is still tight, most mobile broadband packages are available with rolling monthly contracts, or as PAYG (pay as you go).
Rural areas are notorious for not having fast fixed line broadband services. So if you’re in the countryside, mobile broadband could be perfect for you. They utilise 4G and 5G masts, which can be accessed much more easily.
Negatives
Your signal strength can be affected by a number of factors that you probably won’t have to consider with a fixed line, one example of this being bad weather. Mobile broadband isn’t quite as stable as most fixed broadband connections just yet.
You’ll also not find as many deals on mobile broadband as you might expect. You’ll usually find yourself capped on data too, so if you’re a heavy internet user or have a large household, you might want to take this into consideration.
Summary
Whilst mobile broadband is certainly becoming more popular, choosing it over fixed line broadband is really down to your own personal needs as well as the area that you live in. There are definite benefits to each, so we do suggest conducting some of your own research.
Here at Broadbandmoneysaver.com, we help you compare the very best broadband deals which we update daily. If you’re searching for better home broadband, use our deal comparison tool and switch today!
